iPad in schools 103 – the device

Finding out what works best for your school and your students is paramount. Get some kit in and try it out. Speak with schools that have been using the kit before. Just because I’m here saying this is the way to go, the market is always changing. Find out what is out there. Get some loan devices in and see what you think. Give some to your students. Give some to your staff. Get their feedback. Think about your context.

If you’re looking for somewhere to find out about iPad, then check out iLongfield in Kent, Mounts Bay Academy, Cornwall or the Essa Academy in Bolton. Cramlington Learning Village have recently invested in Android devices. Speak to them. Get in touch. Find out what it is that they know that you don’t to help you make your decision.

For me it is about the interface and the access to decent software. Currently, my research shows that iPad is the way to go when it comes to the best device possible for supporting learning in the classroom. I’m not talking about ICT lessons here either, although they are more than capable of being used to support much of a specific ICT curriculum… I’m talking about a solid, decent, reliable, device which can support transformational learning within any subject area. Not that other devices aren’t reliable, research shows they are, mostly, but what you get with iPad is the heritage of a really good and operating system, which isn’t fragmented, that is supported by fantastic software and the legacy of the App Store and how it works. Simply put, it’s the best… at the moment.