The Rise of Tablets in Education: Weighing Productivity, Connectivity, and Portability

In recent years, tablets have become increasingly popular among students, particularly those who value mobility and flexibility. According to Apple's sales data, over twenty-five percent of America's population could have owned an iPad in 2012. These devices, along with other tablets like them, are booming due to their proclaimed productivity, connectivity, and portability. However, it's essential to consider whether these characteristics translate into actual productivity in the classroom.

One of the primary selling features of tablets is portability. They are small, thin, lightweight, and only require a screen portion to use. These features make them perfect for students who are always on the move and can't carry heavy backpacks. Griffin, a student at IU Southeast, expressed her appreciation for the size and weight of her iPad: "I like the size and the weight of the iPad. It's quick, light, and I can bring it anywhere." Amber, another student at IU Southeast, also praised the mobility of tablets, stating that they are great for "mobility and minimalism." She noted that carrying an iPad in her backpack was like carrying around a notebook or folder, which was much less heavy than most textbooks.

In contrast, laptops are often bulkier and heavier. According to Toshiba's website, laptops can weigh at least 5 pounds and have a 15-17 inch screen. Medlock, a student who uses both an iPad and a laptop, noted that carrying a laptop was more like carrying a heavy textbook than a notebook. For students whose primary needs are mobility and keeping things to a minimum, a tablet is an excellent choice.

However, owning and using a device that prioritizes portability and immediacy requires having a more powerful computer to back it up. This can be a desktop computer at home or a laptop computer to alternate with the tablet when needed. Medlock used her iPad for quickly reading PDFs or PowerPoint presentations and occasionally taking notes. She preferred using her laptop for writing papers, stating that tablets are great for quick on-the-go communication and reading but aren't designed for more intensive work.

Another concern about tablets is their lack of file management capabilities. Windows Surface Tablets feature Windows Explorer, the desktop file management software featured in all Windows operating systems, making file management easy. However, Android OS tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab do not have such software. Carry, a Psychology freshman at IU Southeast, noted that she liked having all her notes organized and clean. She had purchased a laptop during her first semester at IU Southeast, which became essential for all her classes.

In some cases, students may find that they need more intensive computer power and file management capabilities than their tablet can provide. Griffin took on an extra class in the 2013 spring semester and had to purchase a MacBook Air laptop to go with her iPad. She noted that the extra course required a lot more computer power and file management than she previously needed.

Despite the appeal of digital inking capabilities, slate tablets are not very useful for note-taking. The touchscreen on most slate tablets is designed only to recognize touches from human fingers, making it difficult to write precisely or quickly. Griffin stated that handwriting on slate tablet PCs was "very difficult" and provided almost no control or precision compared to using a finger to write.

Finally, many tablets do not come with keyboards, which can be an additional expense. The needed accessories to make a tablet handle useful often combine with the cost of the device itself, making it an expensive investment. Medlock noted that owning a portable computer required considering all of her needs for the device, whether in the classroom at home or on the go.

In conclusion, while tablets offer many benefits, including portability and connectivity, they may not be suitable for students who require more intensive work or file management capabilities. As with any investment, it's essential to consider your specific needs before purchasing a tablet or laptop. By weighing these factors carefully, you can make an informed decision about which device is right for you.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthe next generation iPads are here get the latest Windows surface tablets we've got more features to make your life better and more productive the past decade of technology has been all about one thing smaller is better we've progressed from bulky laptop computers the thinner lighter ones to tablet notebooks and now to keyboard less slate tablets they've gotten more powerful and much more portable features include webcams on both sides tons of flash storage space Wi-Fi 3G and improved in notification systems these features all come with one promise if you upgrade the next tablet will make your life better but is that really the case for classrooms Joanne Griffin professor of English at IU Southeast purchased an iPad because she thought it would give her the connectivity and functionality I needed with the least possible weight she said teaching at two schools and not having a lockable office means that Griffin needs the lightest possible load to carry with her how much an item weighs becomes a big consideration in whether I really really needed with me everyday or not she said today there are many more tablet models trying to grab buyers than just iPads a template PC is a notebook computer with a screen which users can write on through a process called digital inking according to tablet PCs in K through 12 education and publication by the International Society for technology in education these are often referred to as hybrid models or convertibles as they combine regular laptop functionality with that of a slate tablet such as an iPad a slate tablet PC is just the writing tablet part of the computer with no built-in keyboard external keyboards may be used to increase functionality though examples of these are iPads and Windows surface tablets and their main purpose is to be lightweight and portable and give you full control with the touchscreen tablet sales have gone up over 300 percent since they've became popular in 2010 according to Buzz data four point nine million iPads were sold in 2010 and over 16 million were sold in 2012 by those numbers twenty five percent of America's population could have owned an iPad in 2012 these iPads and other tablets like them are booming due to their proclaimed productivity connectivity and portability it's easy to confuse connectivity and portability with actual productivity though while it's clear these devices are becoming more and more popular especially among college students and question still remains our tablet's more productive than laptops in the classroom tablets are expensive so it's important to know what you're getting into before investing in one the main selling features of tablets and revolve around portability tablets are small thin lightweight and you only need the screen portion to use it these features make it perfect for those who are on the move and can't take a lot of weight with them I like the size and the weight of the iPad Griffin said I also like the cellular surface option on the iPad with a laptop if I'm not in Wi-Fi range I can't check emails or send files she added amber mid-block biology freshman at IU Southeast also used an iPad in combination with a laptop for her score I like to use my iPad because it's quick light and I can bring it anywhere she said tablets are great for mobility and minimalism they are a very lightweight and very small a current iPad model is 9.5 inches tall 7.31 inches wide 0.3 7 inches thick and only weighs 1 point 4 6 pounds according to specifications on Apple's website carrying an iPad in the backpack is like carrying around a notebook or a folder and is much less hefty than most textbooks laptops on the other hand are much more bulky they come until Sheva satellite laptop has a 15 to 17 inch screen in weighs at least 5 pounds according to Toshiba's website carrying a laptop is more like carrying a heavy textbook than a notebook for students and professors whose primary needs our mobility and keeping things to a minimum a tablet is the perfect choice however owning and using a device that prioritizes Portability and immediacy requires having a more powerful computer to back it up this can be a desktop computer at home or a laptop computer to alternate with the tablet when needed Medlock says that she uses her iPad for quickly reading PDFs or PowerPoint presentations and occasionally taking notes I prefer using the laptop for writing papers she said tablets are great for quick on-the-go communication and reading but aren't designed for more intensive work one of the many complaints about tablets are about their lack of file management capabilities the windows surface tablets features Windows Explorer the desktop file management software featured in all Windows operating systems which makes file management easy but I've had xin Android OS tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab do not have such software I like having all of my notes organized and clean says carry on Psychology freshman at night us young bought a laptop during her first semester at IU Southeast she now uses it for all of her classes Griffin took on an extra class for the 2013 spring semester and had to purchase a macbook air laptop to go with her ipad I took on an extra course that entailed a lot of extra reading and grading she said that extra course required a lot more computer power and file management than she previously needed the I've had just isn't intended to do that much intensive work with documents it's too cumbersome to move them around edit them upload them and save them she said I find my laptop more helpful in school paper writing and researching Medlock who uses an iPad and laptop together said despite the appeal of digital inking capabilities of slate tablets they aren't very useful for note-taking either the touchscreen for most slate tablets today are designed only to recognize touches from human fingers there have been certain types of style that's made for these tablets but in order to be picked up by the tablet screens they have large round blunt ends unlike more precise writing pins or stylus used for convertible tablet PCs the blunt end of the stylus makes it writing very difficult providing almost less control and precision than just using a finger to write this handwriting on Slate tablet PCs is very difficult especially when doing something quick like note-taking slate tablets also do not come with keyboards you can purchase wireless Bluetooth enabled keyboards for most tablets like the iPad or Microsoft sells their own attachable keyboard cover for the windows surface tablets but at a premium cost of around $150 the needed accessories to make it handle useful combined with the price of a tablet itself ends up becoming a very expensive investment with no default keyboard and difficult handwriting capabilities Televisa's are not very effective tools for taking notes without paying much more than most want to invest in a portable computer the very youth students you interviewed with won an iPad 4 so when you're investing in a tablet or a laptop please make sure that you are taking into consideration all of the needs that you will have for the device be it in the classroom at home or on the gothe next generation iPads are here get the latest Windows surface tablets we've got more features to make your life better and more productive the past decade of technology has been all about one thing smaller is better we've progressed from bulky laptop computers the thinner lighter ones to tablet notebooks and now to keyboard less slate tablets they've gotten more powerful and much more portable features include webcams on both sides tons of flash storage space Wi-Fi 3G and improved in notification systems these features all come with one promise if you upgrade the next tablet will make your life better but is that really the case for classrooms Joanne Griffin professor of English at IU Southeast purchased an iPad because she thought it would give her the connectivity and functionality I needed with the least possible weight she said teaching at two schools and not having a lockable office means that Griffin needs the lightest possible load to carry with her how much an item weighs becomes a big consideration in whether I really really needed with me everyday or not she said today there are many more tablet models trying to grab buyers than just iPads a template PC is a notebook computer with a screen which users can write on through a process called digital inking according to tablet PCs in K through 12 education and publication by the International Society for technology in education these are often referred to as hybrid models or convertibles as they combine regular laptop functionality with that of a slate tablet such as an iPad a slate tablet PC is just the writing tablet part of the computer with no built-in keyboard external keyboards may be used to increase functionality though examples of these are iPads and Windows surface tablets and their main purpose is to be lightweight and portable and give you full control with the touchscreen tablet sales have gone up over 300 percent since they've became popular in 2010 according to Buzz data four point nine million iPads were sold in 2010 and over 16 million were sold in 2012 by those numbers twenty five percent of America's population could have owned an iPad in 2012 these iPads and other tablets like them are booming due to their proclaimed productivity connectivity and portability it's easy to confuse connectivity and portability with actual productivity though while it's clear these devices are becoming more and more popular especially among college students and question still remains our tablet's more productive than laptops in the classroom tablets are expensive so it's important to know what you're getting into before investing in one the main selling features of tablets and revolve around portability tablets are small thin lightweight and you only need the screen portion to use it these features make it perfect for those who are on the move and can't take a lot of weight with them I like the size and the weight of the iPad Griffin said I also like the cellular surface option on the iPad with a laptop if I'm not in Wi-Fi range I can't check emails or send files she added amber mid-block biology freshman at IU Southeast also used an iPad in combination with a laptop for her score I like to use my iPad because it's quick light and I can bring it anywhere she said tablets are great for mobility and minimalism they are a very lightweight and very small a current iPad model is 9.5 inches tall 7.31 inches wide 0.3 7 inches thick and only weighs 1 point 4 6 pounds according to specifications on Apple's website carrying an iPad in the backpack is like carrying around a notebook or a folder and is much less hefty than most textbooks laptops on the other hand are much more bulky they come until Sheva satellite laptop has a 15 to 17 inch screen in weighs at least 5 pounds according to Toshiba's website carrying a laptop is more like carrying a heavy textbook than a notebook for students and professors whose primary needs our mobility and keeping things to a minimum a tablet is the perfect choice however owning and using a device that prioritizes Portability and immediacy requires having a more powerful computer to back it up this can be a desktop computer at home or a laptop computer to alternate with the tablet when needed Medlock says that she uses her iPad for quickly reading PDFs or PowerPoint presentations and occasionally taking notes I prefer using the laptop for writing papers she said tablets are great for quick on-the-go communication and reading but aren't designed for more intensive work one of the many complaints about tablets are about their lack of file management capabilities the windows surface tablets features Windows Explorer the desktop file management software featured in all Windows operating systems which makes file management easy but I've had xin Android OS tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab do not have such software I like having all of my notes organized and clean says carry on Psychology freshman at night us young bought a laptop during her first semester at IU Southeast she now uses it for all of her classes Griffin took on an extra class for the 2013 spring semester and had to purchase a macbook air laptop to go with her ipad I took on an extra course that entailed a lot of extra reading and grading she said that extra course required a lot more computer power and file management than she previously needed the I've had just isn't intended to do that much intensive work with documents it's too cumbersome to move them around edit them upload them and save them she said I find my laptop more helpful in school paper writing and researching Medlock who uses an iPad and laptop together said despite the appeal of digital inking capabilities of slate tablets they aren't very useful for note-taking either the touchscreen for most slate tablets today are designed only to recognize touches from human fingers there have been certain types of style that's made for these tablets but in order to be picked up by the tablet screens they have large round blunt ends unlike more precise writing pins or stylus used for convertible tablet PCs the blunt end of the stylus makes it writing very difficult providing almost less control and precision than just using a finger to write this handwriting on Slate tablet PCs is very difficult especially when doing something quick like note-taking slate tablets also do not come with keyboards you can purchase wireless Bluetooth enabled keyboards for most tablets like the iPad or Microsoft sells their own attachable keyboard cover for the windows surface tablets but at a premium cost of around $150 the needed accessories to make it handle useful combined with the price of a tablet itself ends up becoming a very expensive investment with no default keyboard and difficult handwriting capabilities Televisa's are not very effective tools for taking notes without paying much more than most want to invest in a portable computer the very youth students you interviewed with won an iPad 4 so when you're investing in a tablet or a laptop please make sure that you are taking into consideration all of the needs that you will have for the device be it in the classroom at home or on the go\n"