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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

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.

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...