Classroom Technology Planning #chromebook #ipad #linux (updated 2/16/14)

In a few weeks or months (gee, I hope I don’t procrastinate that long), I’ll have the opportunity to make more recommendations to schools. Those recommendations? Read on….

Image Source: http://goo.gl/iigBwI

1. Establish computer lab(s) at a ratio of 11 students to 1 computer in a lab. These should be the most durable, least expensive, longest-lasting desktop computers that will suffice for multimedia tutorial software and Pearson high stakes testing. Before you say it, yes, the world is changing but let’s stop pretending we don’t need desktop computers. Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s.
2. Provide classroom teachers with a desktop computer and an iPad, at minimum. And, only after consultation with teachers and checking the budget.
3. Determine the why first. Before buying anything for use with students in the classroom, ask yourself, what is the instructional purpose for that equipment? Map out intended uses.

Once you’ve mapped out what you hope to accomplish with equipment, then take hard look at the kinds of activities that most of us ask our students to engage in. Below is my list of activities and the “tools” (a.k.a. devices) and it would serve me well in these 3 situations:

1. Podcasting/vidcasting to share what students are learning and creating (all tools)
2. Creating slideshows, digital stories/poems to share with a world-wide audience (all tools)
3. Writing and publishing online (e.g. check out the Digitizing the Writing Workshop webinar series) with text, multimedia ebooks, ebooks, print documents.
4. Creating (teacher and students) and accessing flipped classroom videos

Those 4 types of activities fit into my classroom as a language arts educator. But I bet they would work for most educators and students.

Note: The document below is available for editing online.

Classroom Technology Planning

Special thanks to Steve Philp (@frogphilp) for contributions to the Chromebook column!!

Compiled by Miguel Guhlin (@mguhlin)

Possible Learning Activities	Chromebook Cost: $279 + $30 for remote management Check out how long Chromebook models last	Android Tablet with KitKat OS Cost: $399	iPad Cost: : Check pricing options at bottom of post	Laptop (Mac/Win) Cost: $1300	Laptop (Linux) Cost: $1200
“Coding” or Programming	ShiftEdit (for ftp), Gamestar Mechanic, Studio Sketchpad	Scratch Lots of choices	Hopscotch 6 Awesome Code Editors for iPad	MIT’s Scratch Python Lots of choices	MIT’s Scratch Python Lots of choices
Engage in desktop publishing	Lucidpress		Pages	LibreOffice Pages Scribus	LibreOffice Scribus
Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Drawing Tools	GoogleApps for Education	GoogleApps for Education Lots more	GoogleApps for Education iWorks Office2HD Lots more	GoogleApps for Education LibreOffice iWorks NeoOffice Others	GoogleApps for Education LibreOffice Others
Advanced image editing (e.g. layers, lasso tools)	Pixlr.com	Several apps	Tons of apps	Seashore GIMP Inkscape Photoshop	GIMP Inkscape Others
Screencasting (e.g. Flipped Classroom)	Screencastify	???	Reflection on computer + Quicktime/SnagIt	TechSmith’s SnagIt Screencastomatic Quicktime	Record Your Desktop Screencastomatic
Video/Audio recording, editing and mixing	WeVideo. com Twisted Wave	WeVideo Magisto Others	iMovie Pinnacle Studio VoiceRecordPro Hokusai Others	iMovie Moviemaker Audacity Others	OpenShot Audacity
Drill-n-Practice and/or Tutorial programs (e.g. Edgenuity)	HTML5 Flash Web-based only	HTML5 Flash App or web-based	HTML5 App or web-based	HTML5 Flash Program installer Web-based	HTML5 Flash Web-based
TexasSuccess (e.g. iStation, Think Through Math)	Think Through Math	No	No	All	Web-based only
Rich multimedia product creation	Web-based	App or web-based ExplainEverything app	App or web-based ExplainEverything Prezi	Keynote Powerpoint LibreOffice Prezi	LibreOffice
Slideshows	HaikuDeck GoogleSlides	Haiku Deck Google Slides Others	Haiku Deck Google Slides Others	Haiku Deck Google Slides Keynote Powerpoint LibreOffice	HaikuDeck GoogleSlides LibreOffice
Video/Audio Conferencing	GoogleHangouts	GoogleHangouts Skype GoToMeeting Adobe Connect	GoogleHangouts Skype GoToMeeting Adobe Connect	GoogleHangouts Skype GoToMeeting Adobe Connect	GoogleHangouts Skype GoToMeeting Adobe Connect
Cloud Storage	GoogleDrive Dropbox Others	GoogleDrive Dropbox Others	GoogleDrive Dropbox Others	GoogleDrive Dropbox Others	GoogleDrive Dropbox Others

Entry iPad Pricing Options:

Be aware of this pricing:

• iPad Mini – $279 (10-pack pricing),
• iPad 2 $379 (10-pack pricing),
• iPad Air $479 (10-pack pricing).

In my experience, the pricing for the 32gig iPad Air, which is our standard teacher model, is $575.

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Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin’s blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

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