“Tablets will change education this year and in the
future because they align neatly with the goals and purposes of education in a digital age.
- Direct access to 24/7 information - anywhere anyplace
- take advantage of the many resources available through iTunes University
- a mobile learning solution a focus on accessing media-rich learning content and resources.
- its an gadget world - 150,000+ iPhone and iPod Touch apps
- Economics - Bloomberg
- Art - Brushes
- Astronomy GoSkyWatch Planetarium.
- Science The Elements: A Visual Exploration
- Early Childhood The Elements: A Visual Exploration
- Learn Spanish Hello-Hello.com
- Research WolframAlpha
- Dictionary Dictionary.com
- Scrabble Scrabble for iPad
- and then ANDROID & LINUX is yet to hit - more to come.
these devices will succeed because:
- They are about productivity — Learning is about doing and, increasingly, about doing both in and out of the traditional classroom. In the 21st century, learning is contextual and promotes engaging students in real-life applications. This means learning on-the-go but with all of the necessary materials and digital tools necessary for their tasks. A phone isn’t quite up to the task and a laptop isn’t exactly mobile. A tablet is the perfect device.
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- They are about convergence — E-readers will not take hold in education because tablets will negate their usefulness and appeal. An e-reader is a single-use machine and a fairly limited one at that. The tablet, on the other hand, will support e-textbooks — Web-based and offline — color, Web productivity, and a whole host of other media, content creation, and communication options. The tablet can serve many functions and the e-reader only one. We want convergence when it makes sense and the convergence offered by tablet devices will appeal to educational users.
- They are about mobility — Make no mistake about it — tablets are mobile devices. They will run mobile apps, have mobile contracts in some cases, and be designed for productivity on-the-move. They are perfect for augmented reality applications, distributed learning, and student success tools.
- They are about price and availability — Tablets will allow users to have the functionality they want at a price they can afford. More importantly, they will usher in a new era of learning material distribution and subscription models for textbooks. The net result will be lower education costs across the board.
- They are about community — Tablets are mobile devices that connect users to one another. Learning, particularly in the 21st century, is a community-based activity. Enough said.”
This is a very exciting time for the world of educational technology.
