As I travel around the world, something has become very apparent to me. Schools that have Chromebooks WITH access to iPads – via a cart or check out system, or a few for each class – are able to create savvier and digitally fluent learning environments that can be missing from the Chromebook or iPad ONLY classrooms.
In those classrooms that have iPads, even access to a few Chromebooks helps empower learning and visa-versa. This device-agnostic approach allows students and teachers the ability to create and learn with the device that is right for the intended learning scenario. It also ignites real creation for students. And it allows us to use the best of both worlds while becoming digitally fluent thinkers.
For example, I think Book Creator works better on a Chromebook and I just could not imagine a world without access to Apple Clips for student creations.
The Solution?
I find that I am now recommending for every school I work with that they have a bank of the “other” device (the one they don’t have a class set of) for teachers and students to access. Simply put, if they have Chromebooks – they have a bank of iPads. If they are iPads they have a bank of Chromebooks. And yes, even if you have touchscreen Chromebooks you still need iPads and here is why.
Some Things to Consider:
- For the price of a WeVideo district, subscription schools could purchase 3 or 4 iPads for every class or a cart for teachers to share. This is beneficial because iPads come with the native iMovie – easy to use video creation tool – and can more easily take advantage of Green Screen apps like DoInk and native sound creation like Garageband.
- For Americans, iPhones are the mobile phone of choice, and students need to become digitally fluent on this type of device outside of daily consumption and Tik Tok creations. The rich media elements from native iPad apps can be saved and used on the Chromebook and help students learn to use the apps that are the same as the ones on their phones to make their thinking and learning visible and create really powerful learning and reflection artifacts.
- If you have a Chromebook classroom or iPad classroom – given to you by your district – consider using Donors Choose to get that bank of the ‘opposite’ devices.
- Truth be told, In today’s world, I just can not fathom having a class set of Macbooks and not instead of having both iPads and Chromebooks – for about the same price.
So when you make your buying decisions coming up – please, please consider this model. It creates a much richer experience for students and allows for more powerful creation and learning experiences.