The Classroom Tech Choice Chromebooks or iPads
According to the school in Dehradun, the move towards student-centered, inquiry-based, mostly learning experiences has created technology an omnipresent part of the modern classroom experience. Rather than flipping through expensive (and frequently outdated) textbooks, students will use digital tools to navigate a limitless treasure of knowledge furthermore to create wonderful products. This shift mirrors the stress of the modern world, where such a lot depends upon technology and also the skill set required to form the most of it.
As such, more and more boarding schools in Dehradun are changing their approach to technology. The days of the computer lab are fading away, and instead, technology is integrated seamlessly into the regular routines of the classroom. In several cases, districts have gone as way as creating 1:1 environments wherever each student will have access to their device to use.
Sure, a piece of technology for each student sounds amazing; however, what tools created more impact on education?
The Major Players
At the risk of oversimplifying things, the frontrunners within the world of room tech are Apple iPads and Google Chromebooks. Sure, there are districts where laptop computer PCs and MacBooks are the norms. That being aforementioned, they’re expensive; the high costs tend to form them unrealistic options for many schools looking to take the 1:1 plunge. In contrast, iPads and Chromebooks have emerged as much more affordable choices.
For years, it had been believed that tablets (like the iPad) were the epitome of classroom school due to their versatility, movableness, intuitive touch interfaces, and abundance of free applications. Several lecture rooms (including mine) created them as the cornerstone of their technology toolset.
However, over the previous few years, Chromebooks have taken a firm grasp of the educational tech market. These durable laptop computer look-alikes rely heavily on Google’s free suite of publishing and structure tools to permit students to form, explore, and find out about content.
On the surface, the most important difference between Chromebooks and iPads is that the proven fact that Chromebooks, like their laptop cousins, come with an entire QWERTY keyboard instead of relying exclusively on touchscreen writing or aftermarket wireless options. In reality, there are different key points to think about once it involves distinguishing between the two options.
My classroom school journey
I have spent the last six years teaching a 7th-grade social studies course with a classroom set of iPads. They need to be allowed me to form content-rich learning experiences for my students that will have otherwise been impossible. My students could branch out creatively and inquisitively due to the access and practicality of the tablets. I even digitized my classroom workflow, so everything that happened within the classroom may be accessed outside of class by children and parents — true transparency and accountability.
Since I started using the iPads in the classroom, however, my school has created a push to bring Google Chromebooks into lecture rooms. So, whereas I used to be not the only 1:1 educator once it came to room tech, I remained the sole one working with a room filled with tablets in a building full of Chromebooks. Despite being offered the chance to switch devices, I held out for the past few years, clinging to my iPads together with the content and workflows I have worked, therefore tirelessly to hone.
Among my peers and administration, the very fact that students were employing a different style of technology in my space was viewed as a positive thing. Since there’s no telling what technology students can have access to outside of school (now or within the future), teaching them to use a spread of digital tools responsibly makes sense.
Nevertheless, something happened this past spring. Despite all the time I have invested money into the iPad platform and also the original price of “device diversity”, I relented.
I was approached once more with the chance to trade in my aging iPad 2s for a cart of shiny new Chromebooks. I took stock of my students’ wants and also how I am hoping to enhance their experiences further this coming year. After some deliberations, I decided to finally pass on from the iPads and be a part of my colleagues as a Chromebook classroom.
The Choice Is Yours
Choosing between iPads and Chromebooks for room use is basically a matter of style. Each is a fantastic item of technology that may empower student learning and creativity in a myriad of ways.
I created an infographic as an instance; however, I have weighed the choice over the years. Instead of prioritizing insignificant differences like battery life (both devices will create it through a school day on one overnight charge), the decision tree focuses on choosing the foremost effective device for students to use. I hope that it’ll facilitate other lecturers and education professionals ought to face the dilemma of selecting between the two current front runners in classroom school.
