Friday, September 6, 2013

LearnPad Tablets

This past week, I attended a 2-day Certification Training for the LearnPad at Tierney Brothers.  I know what you are thinking, it looks similar to an iPad....and it does. The LearnPad XD is a 10.1" Quad-Core Android Tablet running 4.1.1 with 16GB of storage (plus more with an SD card), and 1GB of RAM.  The LearnPad is created by the SunBurst Company; which has been around for years.

Unlike the iPad and other tablets, it's the only proven tablet built for education.  Let me explain this a little further.  The LearnPad is different because the store only contains educational free apps (paid apps will be coming at a later date).  Teachers are able to create lessons based on worksheets, web, reading materials, apps, etc. I felt that it was a lot easier to take my lessons that I had created and just move them to the LearnPad.  I didn't feel like I was re-creating the wheel when it came to teaching.  Essentially, a teacher will create a folder (lesson) that contains everything the student will need.  One feature I fell in love with is a teacher can have students go to a specific website with the click of a button.  The student clicks on an icon and the website pulls up.  However, you can limit if the student can click on any other parts of the website to go to another site.  Students, unless enabled to, are not able to just "surf" the web or play games unless you give the permission.

Technology Coordinators will not have to have a configurator or any other device to manage the LearnPad.  The teacher is in control of what apps the students have access to, what websites they can see, etc.  There is not a lot that the technology coordinator has to do!  

Students can either scan QR Codes to get the lessons or the teacher can push the lessons out to the LearnPads.  Need special assignments for some students?  Not an issue!  You can easily copy a pre-made lesson and change it to meet the needs of your students.  

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!