Using Tablets in School: How to Implement 1:1 Technology in the Classroom

While some might find them controversial, using tablets in school is becoming more and more common. The days of a backpack crammed with heavy textbooks may soon be on their way out, but is that a bad thing?

The truth is using tablets in school can offer a number of benefits for students and teachers.

Education is evolving, and utilizing tablets in the classroom is a step in the right direction — if done properly. When done haphazardly, tablets can certainly become a distraction.

The deployment of one-to-one (1:1) technology means each student uses one device, such as a tablet or a laptop, as the tool for course training.

Many school districts are using low-cost devices to give one to each student for use over multiple years. These are cost-effective solutions when compared to the higher cost of using printed textbooks over the same timeframe.

There are many advantages of issuing a tablet device to each student, which include:

• Control over content allowed on the device.
• Control over access to online resources that are accessible with the device.
• No class distinctions exist between students.
• Student time tracking and lesson progress are monitoring tools enabled by device-usage analysis.
• All systems upgrade at the same time when new software versions are available.
• The devices are reusable and suitable for upgrades or refurbishment.

 

The Benefits of Tablets in the Classroom

There are tons of benefits to using tablets in school classrooms, including:

• Cost effective —Many people assume that using tablets in school will be more expensive than using print textbooks, but that’s not always the case. Tablets can actually be a more cost-effective solution for schools than using print textbooks. For one, when a school updates its software, all of the tablets in the classroom will automatically update too. With print textbooks, you would have to buy a new set of books for each new edition of the text. Plus, using tablets can actually save schools money in the long run. Most devices are designed to last for multiple years, which means they won’t need to be replaced as often
• Improves communication — Tablets allow direct communication through secured channels between all the stakeholders. With tablets, teachers can send secure messages to students and parents directly, which helps to keep everyone updated on what’s going on in the classroom. Additionally, tablets provide a link to a massive knowledge base that students can access for information or help with their coursework.
• Access to more information —With a tablet, students have instant access to a vast amount of information. They can search for information on the internet, download textbooks and other course materials, and connect with teachers and other students for help. Plus, tablets come with a variety of educational apps that can be used for learning purposes. For example, there are apps for learning math, reading apps, language apps, coding apps, and more, offering computer assisted learning for students.
• Personalized teaching — Customized lesson plans are possible that work with the style of learning that each student uses most successfully, rather than having to have a “one-size-fits-all” approach with a group lesson plan. There is less hindrance for faster-learning students who can go through the material at a pace that they desire. Slower learners can get extra attention and help when the teacher knows how far a student has progressed through the lessons. 
• Improves digital competency — Research studies show that using tablets improves basic computer skills and encourages independent thinking.
• Convenience — Since tablets are portable, they are easy to take along for learning experiences that students document by taking photos, videos, and by making voice recordings about what they experience.
• Makes learning fun — Gamification of educational experiences increases engagement by making learning fun. Educational tablets can offer great learning games that help students gain new skills while having fun.
• Easier to monitor student progress — Assessment of student progress is easier for teachers when using 1:1 tablet technology. All of the activity information is collected automatically. This allows the teacher to have more time to spend with students, while the students apply what they learn to solve problems. 

 

How to Maintain Control

One of the most challenging aspects of using tablets in schools is to keep them from becoming a distractions.

Tablets with unfettered access to the Internet, the ability to waste time playing unauthorized games, and that can send chit chat as text messages are a deterrent to learning.

When tablets first came into classrooms, many teachers saw them as a distraction, much like smartphones, and wanted them banned from use in classes.

However, there are some important steps you can take to make sure tablets are a positive and not a negative in your learning environment:

1. Start small

Don’t try to implement tablets in the classroom overnight. Start by using them in one or two classes, and see how it goes. This will give you a chance to figure out any kinks in the system and address any concerns that students or parents may have.

2. Talk to other teachers

Before starting to use tablets in your classroom, talk to other teachers who are using them. Ask them about the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. This will help you prepare for any potential problems you may encounter.

3. Set ground rules

Before giving students access to tablets in the classroom, set some ground rules for using them. For example, you may want to require that students don’t visit any unauthorized websites or use the tablets to goof around. You may also want to set some guidelines for using apps on the device and using it to access online resources.

4. Monitor internet usage

Like any other electronic device, you should monitor Internet use on tablets in your classroom. Too much unsupervised Internet can open up a number of problems, such as students using sites that are not appropriate or using portable storage devices to store or copy files. Use software tools such as CyberPatrol or Net Nanny to help monitor student activity and protect their privacy.

5. Provide professional development

As with any new initiative at your school, providing teachers with training and ongoing support will ensure that everyone is using tablets effectively and getting maximum benefit from them in the classroom. Make sure all teachers are using the devices effectively before giving students access.

6. Monitor usage by age group

If you have multiple classes using tablets, make sure that teachers using them are monitoring student usage by age group. Younger students may need guidance using the technology to ensure that they don’t misuse it. Older students may not require this level of monitoring, but should still be supervised when using apps or accessing information for their lessons.

7. Provide feedback to parents

While using tablets in the classroom can offer a number of benefits for all involved, some parents might be concerned about their children using these devices at school. If you are using tablets in your classroom, make sure you provide parents with feedback on how their child is benefiting from them and addressing any concerns.

 

Teaching Professional Courtesy

Professional courtesy is a call out for the eyes and ears of everyone in a classroom setting to focus on the teacher. Laptops are down at half-mast, headphones are out of the ears, and tablets are down on the desk. The students need to be present at that moment to get group instruction from the teacher. This is a necessary step for teachers to take, on occasion, because so much of the student’s work is self-guided.

This means the moments of bringing the class back to attention on the teacher are very important and intentional. To set the foundation for this to work, it is helpful to explain the value of professional courtesy. Discuss how it will be an important life-skill for students to have in any group setting found in higher learning or on the job.

 

Flipped Classroom Model

The pace of change in technological innovation is accelerating. However, in many old-style schools, the classroom model for traditional education changed little over the past century. Students line up in neat rows at a desk for instructions and course content delivered by the teacher.

The concept of the flipped classroom reverses where homework and lectures take place.

The concept of a flipped classroom includes:

• Students are able to access content anytime.
• By allowing students to take a tablet with them, they can access content from anywhere that has an Internet connection.
• If the content is in a video format, students can play, pause, stop, and rewind to go over sections that they do not understand and write down any questions that they may have. Or they can also speed up video playback to make it more engaging and get to the meat of the content more quickly.
• Students are encouraged to have questions when they return to class to ask their teacher.
• A teacher gets to walk around the room, helping students individually with their self-guided learning efforts.
• Students are already comfortable gaining knowledge from the use of smartphones and computers.
• This process allows the teacher to personalize learning at the rate that works for each student.

There are eight steps required to flip a traditional classroom with 1:1 technology using tablets, which are:

1. Stakeholders Buy-In: Students, teachers, parents, and administrators need to embrace the flipped classroom model for it to succeed.
2. Obtain Resources: These are the resources used for instruction such as YouTube videos, online worksheets, and quizzes, plus the technology in the form of the tablets and software needed for each student to access the resources.
3. Classroom Management: This starts with the first day of class to explain the style and expectations for this process, as it may be new to some students.
4. Technology Training: Teachers need to learn how to curate videos and create online content. Research shows that teacher training in technology is critical for success. Students also need to learn how to access the content.
5. Assign Content for Homework: Students will access content through videos, interactive slide presentations, hyper-linked documents, and much more.
6. Students Work on Problems in Class: Students get to work on an application of skills in class, while a teacher walks around the room helping individual students to make progress.
7. Independent Learning: Students learn how to learn through an independent learning processes.
8. Peer-to-Peer Tutoring: Advanced students help others who are struggling to work through the lessons.

 

Learning Goes On While Sheltered at Home

With this technology, it is easier for students to adapt to learning while sheltered at home. Parents are more easily engaged in the learning process. Teachers connect with students through virtual classroom technology to work on problems while everyone is safely sheltered at home.

For those school districts that already embraced this technology, they had an advantage in this pandemic. Others must play catch up, but their efforts will be highly beneficial in the end.

 

Using a Tablet in the Classroom: A Foreign Educator’s Experience

A teacher from Germany shared some of her experiences with using tablets with her students. While some of her colleagues and other school officials are more skeptical about the use of tablets in the classroom and worry students will see them as a toy and another means to distract themselves from learning, Emma is a huge proponent of incorporating tablets and technology into her lessons.

• She shares that tablets can help students compete complex math calculations more quickly. While there are times when students need to be able to explain each step in the process of solving a problem, especially younger students, there are also times when students don’t need to get hung up on individual calculations as they solve a more complex problem. If each student has his or her own tablet, they’ll be able to use the calculator functions when acceptable to decrease the amount of time needed to solve a complex problem.
• Another use of tablets she points to is using them to create videos to document learning or create class projects. For example, students could record chemistry experiments and look back at the video to share their understanding of what happened. Tablets can also be used to create class presentations. Individual students or groups of students could create a song, skit, or other presentation to share what they have learned in a unit of study with the teacher or other students in the class.
• When each student has their own tablet, it can also make homework more enjoyable. Since students are more motivated when they have technology, they may be more likely to complete their homework if they can do so on their tablets.
• Finally, the German teacher also shares that teachers can use tables to offer digital praise to his or her teachers. After reviewing an assessment or assignment, the teacher can send a message or email to each student congratulating them on the effort they displayed or the learning they demonstrated.

As Emma shared, tablets are an ideal tool to help students begin to see that technology can help them learn and grow, in addition to being a source of fun and entertainment.

 

A Final Word on Using Tablets in School

Using tablets in school can make education more efficient and effective.

But there are some challenges that have to be overcome when implementing tablets into the classroom.

With the info above, you can get your classroom on the cutting edge of technology so your students can experience the full benefits of using tablets while they learn.

Have any experience using tablets in your school? Comment below to share your thoughts.