Can Tablet Initiatives Improve Education?

Do you have a computer in your classroom?

If you are a high school student or teacher – or you graduated in the last decade – chances are the answer is yes. Computer use in classrooms has been a growing trend for many years, and is now the norm.

Recently this trend has taken an interesting turn. Grade schools and high schools are now beginning to explore tablet initiatives – programs where every student is provided their own tablet to work from in class.

Working digitally, students can complete assignments, conduct research for projects, submit their answers electronically to their teachers, and even write papers (using the touchscreen or a connected keyboard). A few examples of digital tools classes have used are apps from eSpark, Math content from MobyMax, and assignment submission via Edmodo. In addition, teachers have used programs like Google Drive, Google Classroom, and Dropbox to help manage classroom content.

Although it is a recent technology, current reports estimate that some classes now spend up to 75% of their day working with tablets. Statistics like this may lead one to wonder if digital initiatives are always a good thing.

As with many things, an eye for balance or moderation may be the key. On this topic, some teachers have recommended that tablets should be implemented into classrooms incrementally, to allow classrooms to become familiar with them and assess how well they are working. Another consideration is that it may be useful to balance time spent using tablets with time for activities like class discussions or one-on-one instruction.

Overall, tablets seem to hold great potential for improving the way students learn and how teachers manage their classes. For this reason, tablet initiatives may be expected to become more common in coming years, especially if classes rate them favorably. As an added benefit, they may also make learning more exciting.

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Feature Image Credit: Brad Flickinger