Android usage within education?

[3001]

Anyone know about any current usage of Android for education(I'm assuming higher education would utilize a more advanced piece of tech than an elementary schol)?

I am very interested to see how they're being used if they're being used. I believe there are many practical uses, and with the open ended nature of the device, applications can be written easier, with more features than something like an iPhone, and with the ease of use of the Android OS, and cross carrier element, seems like it can be done, with little cost for the student.

I know the iPhone is being used, well more aptly iPods, iTunes university and such.

Google had something with education, I'm wondering if it transferred over to the any ideas with Android...I'd kind of almost expect it with how forward thinking and moving Google is.



Oh yea, and the "cell phone in the classroom" talks. I dont think it really matters. They're going to be used, whether your like it or not. It's like having computers within a classroom and really thinking the professor has control over what the user is doing. So might as well get used to it and embrace it.

 

[ari-free]

I see the smartphone as a laptop that you can take anywhere. Take notes, video record lectures, organize your school records, etc.
One thing I would really really like is a version of Mathematica/Maple, etc so that we can use it for math/science problems

 

[3001]

Yup, also some of the things you can do: send/recieve lecture recordings, control electronic whiteboards via bluetooth/wifi, do on the fly electronic quizes/tests, mathemetical problems, and evaluate the results to see whose understanding concepts, peer review of writing.

It seems pretty exciting. I've worked with a bunch of professors on how to apply technology usefully to teaching practices, and it's interesting to see how some of the most simple stuff can be most effective. that seems like a hard obstacle, being able to scale back the advanced tech aspect

the small size factor is a great advantage, in the classroom, you can have things sent to you easily while working on paperwork(often laptops, and especially desktops can take up too much deskspace).

I think oen of the best aspects is the ability to easily transfer information back and forth from student/professor and also have the ability to communicate with your classmates and instructor easily and effectively. maybe with 4g and even 5g, there'll be good real time collaborative software out there great possibilities

 

[Benjie]

Check with the school. Bunches have gone with the iPhone due to its popularity.

 

[mcatdtDROID]

are you talking universities/colleges.... I swear, I would have loved it in college, but laptop technology, even 10 years ago when I graduated college, just wasn't where it is today.

however, I teach highschool.... I don't know about openly accepting that at that level... I just don't think, overall, that it would be successful at my school. I think some could handle it, but lets be honest here, in college, people are paying for that education whereas public education is taken for granted. If you want to surf facebook in college, instead of notetaking, listening, whatever, it's more on you than it is if a 16 y.o. does.

second reason, my school is pretty rural, my reception on the droid is ok in my room (I'm on the edge of campus) but in the center of campus, it isn't reliable enough


I have heard of schools assigning the entire student population a Droid phone where assignments are to be emailed in, classroom facebook pages, etc.... they are trying it in innercity schools. I simply think it's another "open classroom" fad that will fall flat on its face. Education theory often sounds great while being just asinine ideas but educators get sucked in very easily when admins, inservice directors uses the term "for the kids". Lots of times, you are made to feel that if you don't buy into whatever 'flavor of the month' idea someone is trying to sell you, you aren't in it for the kids, especially if an out of touch from education reality principal likes it, or wants to seem (to the community) that he cares and will try anything "for YOUR kids".

I am all for accepting technology, but I am a firm believer in back to the basics approach to education. You can learn with paper and pencil.

I am also a firm believer, in a public school setting, that it doesn't matter what the assignment is, kids will try to slack off. I have often said, if the subject was xbox360-Guitar Hero 101 and the homework assignment was to play the new Guitar Hero game and beat 5 songs, you would still have kids who refused to do the work and fail and would still have administration question the teacher on why the classroom wasn't "fun enough" to encourage 100% successrate.

so unless your highschool is a magnet highschool, a private/charter highschool where stricter standards can be enforced, Droids/iPhones instead of paper/pencil just wont work in my professional opinion... Giving droids to innercity schools.... well, I've worked in 1 for 3 years.... what happens when a kid's mother sells that droid so she can make rent money that month? not to mention when they are lost, stolen, broken, wet, etc....

what happens when they download a virus from looking at porn.... in class. An issue we had when picture messages were becoming popular, was kids showing kids porn pics they uploaded.... that's technically distributing porn to a minor..... 18 yo junior showing a 14 yo freshman who's in the same history class the 16 y.o. g/f naked opens up a huge can of worms that the school district is now liable for. and don't think the 16 y.o. girl's parents won't come after the deep pockets of the school district for providing the tools to take the picture, upload and distribute that 'child porn'.

 

[andycullison]

Android for Academics develops free Android apps for teachers and professors.

We currently have four apps on the market: Grade Book, Attendance, Grade Rubric, and Grade Ticker.

We also post tips and tricks about using mobile devices to aid in teaching or research.

 

[mikedt]

Android for Academics develops free Android apps for teachers and professors.

We currently have four apps on the market: Grade Book, Attendance, Grade Rubric, and Grade Ticker.

We also post tips and tricks about using mobile devices to aid in teaching or research.

I'm a TEFL English teacher in a large state middle school. The only way I use my Android phone at the moment is Google Calendar for timetables and schedules. I also use it for contacts as well.

Could be some useful stuff here, however I don't get involved with grading or attendance at the moment.

I currently use a Linux Mint netbook for Powerpoint and PDF presentations to large classes of around 50-60 students, using the classroom VGA projector. I also use the netbook for showing documents to small 'English Corner' meetings, maybe 4-6 people. I could possibly use an Android device instead of the netbook, however it must have a physical keyboard, VGA port, Ethernet port and a USB port.

No Android device at the moment AFAIK can replace the Linux netbook for my particular requirements.

 

[novox77]

I've read that iPads are becoming standard issue in schools these days. To me, a smartphone is still too small to be practical. The tablet is the perfect size. This is where I feel tablets have a huge niche market. In time, Android-based tablets will be more prevalent.

 

[Lockjaw]

As a music teacher, I use my phone a lot. Instrument tuner, metronome, video, still pictures, scan to pdf, wordpress mobile to update class website, etc....

sounds corny to say - but I love my phone!

 

[operant]

I use my iPad for college and it's great. The reason I got an iPad was it was out before there were viable android options.

However, though android will eventually make it, the tablet scene doesn't have near the amount of educational apps that iOS has at the moment.

 

[NatesMom]

Brainchild introduces the educational Kineo Android tablet - Uberphones

This has a lot of potential since, unlike the iPad, it is built for endurance and Android has been tailored specifically for educational purposes. It looks like it allows for stylus input ala Flyer as well as touch input.

Love the fact the little boy declares "It's kind of like an iPad, but BETTER!".

 

[operant]

Explain what you mean by endurance.

 

[NatesMom]

Explain what you mean by endurance.

Able to endure whatever 'abuses' children can put it through. Can't imagine you'd want an iPad to go through the rigors of a classroom environment.

UPDATED: To the OP's quote: Anyone know about any current usage of Android for education(I'm assuming higher education would utilize a more advanced piece of tech than an elementary schol)?

The Brainchild product sees the potential of Android in education markets geared towards younger kids. iPads are known of being consumer products; so this is the antithesis of that where the device encourages learning rather than distracts from learning. Or at least that's what I think the marketing blurb should be!

 

[operant]

True but I'd rather give a kid a 500 dollar iPad than a 800 dollar Xoom .

To the op though, you gave me an idea for an android app I could create, thanks .