Making the tablet computer "classroom-ready"

With all the recent conjecture about the rumored Apple tablet (nee "iPad") I found this email particularly interesting.

Confessions of a teacher, parent and wanna-be tech geek by John H. Julian

I've taught since 1980 and the people to get involved in development of a tablet computer are classroom teachers, from Kindergarten through University.

The needs for hardware and software change at every stage of development. Apple, Dell, HP or whoever wants to create the next major revolution in education needs to get a massive amount of input from classroom teachers.

Here's mine...

1. Grades K-6. If not permanently attached to a desk or table a tablet computer deployed in a K-6 classroom will need special body armor as well as age and course-appropriate software. Think "Tonka-Tough."

I teach band and I have seen the destruction that can be wrought upon a piece of metal or wood by a slightly negligent 12-year-old. Most kids don't have much conscious control of their muscle movements even when they are thinking. And how often does a 12-year-old think? Not as often as I think you think they think. Girls are slightly more adept at that age.

Tonka-Tough may not be tough enough for boys. "Full Metal Jacket" might be more accurate. If not permanently secured to a desk or table, any mass distribution of tablet computers is going to fail to launch, or they will launch only once if not built to withstand abuse. After the school district starts piling-up even a moderate bill for replacements and repair, this project will be dead. Paper and pencils are still cheap and reliable.

Think back to those old Samsonite suitcase and gorilla commercials. If a tablet PC can't survive a 10 foot drop, they won't sell in a classroom environment -- unless they're designed to be permanently docked.

2. Grades 2-6 This is the time to introduce some very, very simple "programming" skills. With the right kind of Sesame Street, Sponge Bob or Dora the Explorer "programming games," like "help Elmo get home," incorporating not only  coding, but also some math, geography, spelling, etc., kids might get addicted to learning, reading, math all  while having a blast. If k-2 is done correctly, 3-6 can start adding more age-appropriate features.

3. 7th and 8th Grade The external shell still needs to be able to stop a .387 magnum if not permanently docked, but also needs to be resistant to greasy, oily and sometimes acidic hands. About 20 percent of the population has acidic hands (like mine), and they will eventually eat away metal or metal plating. The answer is easy (of course): plastic.

If said tablet PCs are to be checked-out for home use they need a battle condition structure. If in a backpack, at least one  tab a day is going to get smacked into the head or body of another student, or get kicked over a couple of desks. You have to know your audience. It happens to cellphones and MP3 players everyday.

4. High School Now we can relax a little. Students should be in a learning groove. Learning by "virtual reality" should be ingrained -- and should still be fun. Not necessarily games at this point, but from about grades 3 on up we can gradually introduce "real-life" situations. They can still be fun situations, i.e., "Using the chemicals and formulae from Chapter 7, design a combustible liquid that will release 7.8 BTU of heat in a four second burn-time.  I Obviously don't teach chemistry, but you get the idea.

5. College Survey the students, across the board. Not just geeks or engineering majors, but a large sampling from all levels, community college through Harvard. A series of Internet surveys, each refined from the previous, should tell you exactly what features are most desired and needed. Some Computer Science PhD candidates may have already designed (and even built) advanced tablet PCs.

A note on theft This is a troubling issue for band directors. Each year we  issue instruments with value sometimes upwards of $3,000 to sixth graders. Parents have to sign a contract, of course, but sometimes instruments do find a new life in a pawn shop. With tablet or notebook PCs, theft could be dramatically reduced by installed RFID and/or GPS chip so that any computer can be located if lost. I would suggest that no student information be embedded into that chip. Personal information is already stored in the school database.

I suggest this for two reasons. The first is privacy. I am vehemently opposed to being monitored by Big Brother. The teacher should be able to access all information on the tablet at all times, as its access to the cloud would be through the school server with appropriate filters. The RF/GPS chip would only be used if the device is lost or stolen. The tablet should be able to connect to the Internet via WiFi or a wired (USB/Ethernet) connection but restricted to the school's DNS. Teachers could check in anytime and students can submit their assignments over the Internet. We do this already at school. It's simple.

A district choice could be that the machine is docked at school, and never moved. There are security options, as well as usage fee, damage and replacement contracts or parents could purchase one for home.

I would love to be involved in the development of educational products that meet the needs of our students through tablets, desktops, programs, and especially virtual reality. We currently have the technology to change our entire approach to education. It is within our grasp if someone will develop it.

The market is astronomical. Billions of dollars are out there for education. Students and teachers want this. Almost every classroom has computers these day and most schools have full-on computer labs.

But no one has a complete system. I want to design and implement the digital infrastructure to make learning not only fun, but relevant and with depth.

We have the tools We have the technology We have the money We have the need We have the audience

Let's make it happen.

What do you think is the key to making a successful tablet computer for the classroom?