iPad evaluation criteria

visit here to view the BHCS iPad evaluation criteria.

Ipad Policy Thoughts

The main policy areas that I think we need to be concerned with will include:

Ownership of the device

• Does the device belong to the school or the pupil?
• Who pays for it initially?

Damage and Loss

• Will the school carry insurance for the device?
• Will parents be liable to replace it or cover damage?
• Who decides when damage is chargeable?

AppleCare

• Should we purchase AppleCare for the device?

Out-of-school use

• Will students be allowed to take the device out of school?
• Will students be allowed to take the device home?
• Will students be allowed to install software of their own choosing? (Games...)
• Will the school be liable for illicit usage of the device?

Some schools use a probation period, after which the pupil will be allowed to take the device home if they are deemed responsible enough.

Acceptable Use Policy

• Will the school monitor content on the device?
• Will the school monitor email/web surfing?
• Will our existing AUP documents cover a more personal, portable and off-campus device like the iPad?

Some schools take a spot-check approach in which certain pupils' devices will be checked every week. Unacceptable content is dealt with in the usual disciplinary way. If browser history has been wiped, that may be treated as an offence.

Supply of a case or bag

• Should students supply a case?

Storage in School

Schoolbags are often badly abused. Electronic devices will not survive long in such an environment.

• Can we provide secure storage?

The Wiki Man

Glenn came across an interesting article by UK Spectator writer Rory Sutherland.

Click here for the for the full article

Rory Sutherland writes "In the end I ignored my own advice and bought an Apple iPad, purely, as I explained to my wife, ‘for the purposes of research’. The very same ‘research’ that has by now filled two or three desk drawers with a ridiculous assortment of electrical chargers, the devices they once charged mostly lost, burnt out or forgotten.

Weeks later, my verdict on the thing is curiously complicated. What I mean by this is that the Apple iPad is a magnificent, life-enhancing device, which in many ways lights a future path for technology... and I really do like it: but I’m just not quite sure that you should buy one."

iPad wannabes

I thought I would put up some links to iPad alternatives that are being released by various vendors. Some are already available others are yet to be released.

ExoPC

An 8.9 inch Multitouch display running Windows 7

Fusion Garage Joojo

12.1 inch Multitouch running proprietary Linux

ICD Ultra

7 inch running Android 2.0

Notion Ink Adam

10 inch running Android 2.0

Lenovo IdeaPad U1

Hybrid Laptop / Slate device

HP’s Slate PC

8.9 inch running Webos

Archos 9PC Tablet

8.9 inch running Windows 7

Dell Streak

5 inch running Android 2.0

Multitasking

One of the features or lack there of with the iPad is it's lack of multitasking ability. I came across the following article which discusses the possible pros and cons of prolific multitasking in everything we do.

View The New York Times article here

Ipad Apps

I am creating a list of useful apps I have come across for the iPad.

Click Here

This is a growing list so let me know if you come across any I haven't listed and I will add it in.