This TECH entry is in response to the scenario presented in our assignment on tablets in the school. My presentation is to explain the options that have been presented and to give some pros and cons of each option.

As the assignment stated, the principal is inclined to not consider the smaller sized platforms and I would tend to agree with them. Although the smaller platforms are more convenient for transportation, the smaller screens do not give a feasible working area for many of the applications or provide a wide enough area for comfortable reading. The large screens are compared to a three ring binder size and are not conducive to hold in one hand for elementary school children. The screen size would be ideal but at the expense of losing portability for students and risking damage as students transport them. I would lean towards the medium size platforms. The screen size is ideal at around 6” to 7” in diameter for reading applications and educational applications. They remain small enough for comfortable transportation and can be held securely in the hands of an elementary student.

In making the decision of what operating system to use, the main question that needs to be answered is how the educators intend to use the systems. Apple systems have a wide variety of educational apps that are interactive and easy to use. The variety is much more diverse allowing for more flexibility in what you are wanting to use in the classroom. If the primary function of the units is books, iBooks is a decent program. It offers a well organized folder system and can easily store pdf and doc files with ease. The selection of books might not be as strong as some of the competitors though. One weakness of the Apple system is the inability to use Flash. Although there are ways around it that can work sporadically, many media videos and interactive files are problematic when operating on the Apple system.

Android systems operate out of the Kindle, Nook and generic Android systems. There are a significant amount of apps available on the systems but there can be issues with crossover from each system and even between software revisions. Where Android does well is in the book media department. The Kindle and Nook systems offer a very wide market of books in digital format. One weakness of the Kindle system is that many of the systems do not have page numbers and some systems are difficult to organize books.

Windows based systems such as Surface are advantageous over other systems in that they can connect to common PC systems such as Microsoft Office platforms. They have a decent amount of apps and books and the system can support flash media. However, they can be pricey when compared to other options.

In regards to connectivity the options we have are cellular based and WiFi. Most systems have built in WiFi capabilities as the source of base connectivity of the unit. Cellular options allow for units to stay connected to a telecommunications tower and can be beneficial in places where WiFi is not available. However, cellular service requires the units be set up for use and usually include a contracted price that can be expensive. The units would have to be retrofitted to accommodate cellular connection as well.