Friday, April 5, 2013

Internet access

Thought this was interesting and wanted to share.
The Internet Access Gap in Education

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Feedback

This week, I am testing the Rapid Tab 7's with students.  I have given them the link to the blog and have encouraged them to comment. 

These are the tasks I think a tablet should easily provide.  Students will try to accomplish the following with the Rapid Tab 7.  Click here for an evaluation form.

·         Create Presentations

·         Create Digital Stories

·         eBooks – whether using e-texts or creating eBooks

·         Print documents from their tablet

·         Create videos

·         Improve reading skills

·         Take notes on a tablet

·         Create written content

·         Use White Boards from a tablet

·         Record audio clips

·         Screen Share

·         Do their homework from a tablet

·         Create mind maps / graphic organizers

·         Do research from tablet

·         Create digital portfolios

·         Save and manage documents / files

·         Take pictures

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Rapid Tab's day 2

As I said before, it took nearly three hours to fully charge the tablets.  I spent some time trying to figure out how to use the tablets.  What I observed or experienced on the first day:
  • They aren't "out of the box" ready to use.
  • I was confused as where to begin. 
  • The tablets are easy to lose your way on. 
  • It took me several tries to set the clock and location. 
  • Wifi connection was in and out.
  • The camera is a web camera only and shoots only front shots.  It also is hard to center.
  • Tried to set up my Google account.  It kept taking me back to the Wifi choices page. 
  • On about the 10th try, I was able to sign in to my google mail - about ten minutes later, it is still trying to open.  I hope my battery lasts that long.  Can't perform any other functions while it is trying to load. 
  • Battery is lesss than 25% charged at 10:00 AM the next day. 
  • Kept accidentally hitting screenshot.
  • Gmail is still loading 4 hours later when I returned to my office.  Still not loaded.  The screen message says "Signing in...  I gave up!  
  • There isn't an easy way to trash something.
  • I will assign to some students next week...when I ever see students again.  STAAR testing next week BTW. 
  • Frustrating so far.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Rapid Tab 7

Today Cheryl McKnight brought me four Google Rapid Tablets. 

My first impressions include:
  • Nice size and weight
  • Like that they had a case with a keyboard
  • Don't come out of the box ready to go
  • Not much to go on except prior knowledge of how to use a tablet
  • Didn't have any preloaded apps
  • Lots of attachments to use with the tablet
  • Had 0 charge
  • Must be plugged in just to open tablet
  • Don't have a way to get apps
Here is a YouTube video about Rapid Tab 7.  Just a side note, when I "googled" Rapid Tab - it is a site for buying Viagra and Cialis.  Funny!



I am going to get them charged and have some students and another teacher try them out for a week or so.  I will have my testers write their comments on this blog. 

One additional observation:  I plugged the out of box tablets in to charge around 8:00 AM.  Around 11:00 I noticed the green light was showing.  I guess it takes 3 hours to charge a completely dead tablet. 

More later...