What can a tablet do for you?

As we begin to see more and more tablets arrive in the market, it is important to try and see the potential of the devices in education. Apple has already done a great job getting into the field as they have developed a ton of great apps and devices to help out with teaching and learning in the classroom.  A quick trip to the app store and you can find a great educational app for almost any subject or person. Android tablets are slightly further behind but are definitely beginning to dip their toes in the water a bit in regards to education. The Android market is now starting to provide its users with more and more educational tools. The apps themselves are self explanatory when considering their use in the classroom, but how else can these devices be used to help engage the students and help with student learning and differentiated instruction? One of the main uses for the tablets that is now starting to creep into the classrooms is its replacement of interactive whiteboards. Most tablets can now run a desktop sharing tool, where the teacher can control his or her computer from their tablet. This allows the teacher to remotely access files, pictures, videos, presentations, and other visual aids straight from the tablet. This is  important because the teacher can then project the material onto a wall or screen to help aid in instruction, as long as the host computer is plugged into a projector or large television. This also allows the teacher to always be facing the classroom and providing more one on one attention to his or her students. Another great use for the tablets is to put the technology in the students' hands. It is amazing what students are capable of accomplishing when given the right resources. They can use these tablets to look up information, create projects, and even research. All of this right from their desks in the classroom. Of course this also opens up collaboration opportunities between the students if they all have access to a tablet or computer. Students can share documents with Google docs, they can create videos through a variety of different sources, they can create maps and diagrams, they can participate in backchanneling and the list goes on. Because of all of these opportunities that tablets can give to students and teachers alike, it is definitely worth taking a look at them for your classroom.