Tag Archives: Android

Forrester HS: The learner perspective

Forrester HS: Learners with Android devices
What do learners think about the learning with devices?

We spoke with some of the S1 pupils about their experiences of the Android device pilot at Forrester HS. They were generally excited and positive about having access to a tablet device all the time in school and at home.  They talked about how everything was now much easier with the device! When asked to elaborate on this they talked about how it had enhanced the way they now edited their writing and how good it was to access tools that enabled them to respond differently to tasks rather than solely using pencil and paper. They talked about how some teachers are using Edmodo to help support homework and WordPress for blogging and about  how they were able to access and download resources such as worksheets. The fact that there was instant access to their device and to the information they were seeking was much much better than having to wait to get their booked slot at the ICT suite. Finally, some of the learners talked about the fact that they come from a world where technology is part of their everyday experience and to have it in school was very appealing. They agreed that these initiatives, such as the Android device pilot, were about helping to develop an appropriate learning culture that met their needs.

First interview with learners from Forrester HS:

Forrester HS: pupil interview 1 Interview 1 with learners from Forrester HS

Second interview with learners from Forrester HS:

Forrester HS: pupil interview 2 Interview 2 with learners from Forrester HS

Forrester HS: Why choose the Android platform?

Forrester HS: Why choose the Android platform?
Forrester HS chose the Android platform

Mark Cunningham (class teacher) explained that the main factor underpinning Forrester High School’s decision to go with the Android platform was that they believed that it was a more open platform than others available and that would allow them to move data about the device as they wanted to do. They also liked the fact that the all the devices they purchased came with a USB slot, which meant that they could use a memory stick to access and move any learner’s data from the device quite easily. The school were of the opinion that with Android they could manipulate the device more than the ‘locked in’ nature of the iOS platform would allow. The affordability of the Android devices was also a factor. Mr Cunningham was keen to stress that the school felt there was very little difference between the platforms that they considered and that they would have been happy to go either way at the end of the day.

Mr Cunningham commented that at the time the school made their decision to go with Android the iOS platform was the slicker of the two and that there was clearly a much more comprehensive range of apps available for that platform; however, he felt that the difference between the two systems was now much less than it had been and that the range and spread of apps available for Android via the Google Marketplace was constantly improving.

Forrester HS: Why Android Mr Cunningham (Class Teacher) discusses the reasons why the school chose the Android platform

Finally, Mr Cunningham stressed to us that the school were always looking to review the platform and the equipment that they were using and that they were prepared to change if they believed that would best suit the needs of their learners.

Mearns Academy: Sharing and managing devices

Mearns Academy: Learning tools
Sharing devices at Mearns Academy

We spoke with Stewart Fleming (class teacher) at Mearns Academy in Aberdeenshire about how teachers at the school planned to manage and share the devices that they had available to them in their Android pilot. Mr Fleming stressed that the school was still in the early stages of the pilot and that initially they had decided to focus mainly on using the browser as the means by which learning tools could be accessed. At the time we visited the school no concrete decision had been made about the ways in which the devices would be managed centrally in terms of accessing and installing apps, although they had been looking at Learnpad and Splashtop for this purpose. Mr Fleming was of the opinion that a shared and managed device scenario might make it a bit more challenging to address the personalisation and choice agenda but where he could accommodate this he would.

Mearns Academy: Sharing and managing devices Interview 1 with Mr Fleming

Mr Fleming stated that the principles for curriculum design for Curriculum for Excellence were such that it was important that the school explored different ways in which technology could play an integral part in the learning and teaching experience. He also discussed the importance of teachers and schools recognising the appeal that digital contexts have for learners and how methodologies can be adapted so that positive outcomes for learners can be maximised.

Mearns Academy: Embracing new tech and ideas Interview 2 with Mr Fleming

Mearns Academy: Android pilot overview

Android devices at Mearns Academy

Mearns Academy in Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire is currently trialling Toshiba Android tablet devices. We paid them a visit towards the end of 2012, not long after their pilot had begun, to see how things were starting out. The school had access to 29 devices and had decided to make them available to staff via a booking system. If a teacher wanted to use them then they would book them out in advance.

Mr Stewart from the Social Studies department was one of the teachers we spoke to about his early experiences of using the devices. He told us that they were being used by pupils mainly to access short video clips, for exam revision and for accessing research notes. He commented on how much better it was to have devices that were instant on in the classroom as opposed to having to access the computer suite.

At that time the school was not focusing on using apps that were available for the Android platform, but they had decided to use the browser to access the learning materials/resources that were recommended by the staff.

Mearns Academy: Mr Fleming gives an overview of the pilot Interview with Mr Fleming

The school was keen to have us back later in 2013 to see how progress was being made once the pilot had been given time to bed in and develop. Look out for further posts from Mearns Academy.