Tabpilot This piece of software is a web based tablet management system that controls what the tablets display. From the web interface you install apps, weblinks and other content so the students can get to whatever it is you want them to get to in a hurry. If you have specific sites you want them to go to they can show up as icons on the front page so there is no searching for the app or browsing, you just click and it takes you there. This works for apps as well. You just place the apps on the screen for thte students and only those apps are shown. When you change from Science to English you go to the website and change the content from Science to English and the apps and weblinks change to your English content.
Smartclass Radix SmartClass for Android directly connects teachers and students devices with no need for for additional software (servers, cloud applications etc) or hardware in the classroom.
With SmartClass for Android you can perform the following operations on a single student tablet or a group of tablets.
- Teacher tablet screen broadcast
- Control student and assist from remote
- Video stream from teacher to students
- Lock tablets for complete student attention
- Lock Internet on student’s tablets
- White/black list of Internet websites
- Electronic white board – on screen function
- Students can electronically “raise hands” for attention
- Chat and discussion center
- Teacher message broadcast
- Co-browse the internet with students
- File distribution from teacher to student
- File collection from students to the teacher
- Teacher presence announcement for classroom selection
- Classroom selector mechanism for student
Teamviewer This is an app that runs on Windows, Mac, Ipad and Android. It allows you to control your computer from your tablet. It turns your smartboard into a mobile board as you can now control the smartboard computer from the tablet. The computer and the tablet or phone do not even have to be in the same network so you could use this from school to school or home or anywhere in the world.
Teamviewer Quick Support This app only works for Android but allows you to control your tablet or phone from your computer. This is great if you want to show your tablet screen on a computer or a projector.
Brainshark Brainshark is a presentation recording tool that we will be rolling out before the next school year. It allows you to record slides, video, whatever content you want into a presentation that can be viewed on any device, computer or tablet. It is great for the flipped classroom as it allows you to place questions in the middle of the presentation to maintain interest and focus. Keep in mind a video lecture is still just a lecture so without some kind of help unmotivated students can tune out at home as easily as they do in the classroom. This helps make your presentations smoother and more interactive.
Other apps you probably already know about:
Facebook
Twitter
There are many apps for Apple and Android, even Windows apps are growing fast but many of the apps used in school are just simple games. Using them isn't a bad thing but it really isn't any different than what we did fifteen years ago. We pretend this is more exciting because it might be on a tablet instead of a computer but the reality is that the interface is prettier but the value of the activity hasn't changed. To say that it is better on a tablet, Ipad, Android or Windows, is just not true.
Most people enjoy using shiny new toys but we need to examine what we are using them for. Are we doing things that could not have been accomplished without technology? Are there benefits to having this technology other than a public relations tool to pretend we are doing something new and exciting? Are we using the appropriate tool for the job?
I am not against any technology and whatever schools want is what we should be providing them with. The key is that the plan for what is to be accomplished needs to be considered prior to implementing anything. The guess and give technology implementation program needs to disappear and teachers need to take control of the decisions as to what technology is best for them.
Oh, and do leave some time to play. :) Smile, enjoy your life, bring that joy into the classroom.
