TL:DR software support is more important than any other factor so start with an operating system. Choose a mid-tier device and make friends with the cloud. Even the best computer powerhouse isn’t suitable for everyone
During 2020 something huge happened. It’s not relevant to discuss what it was here, but it exposed a lot of problems with how we’ve been integrating technology in schools. These range from the inequality between schools, to the specific implementation by different teachers using the same technology.
Decisions made to save money and meet a bare minimum requirement before the crisis rapidly became a new problem; throw more money at the problem or accept significantly diminished learning outcomes.
$750.
— Shannon Carey (@scmaestra) September 28, 2020
The exact amount I paid to buy a stupid computer so I could remote teach public school because our district’s chromebooks couldn’t handle zoom. pic.twitter.com/fBuGD0vZrG
The increased use of cheep, low powered chromebooks and windows laptops following the typical “price over performance” mantra that is budget discussion has been put into sharp contrast. So when making the choice of what to buy, what are the priority.
Operating system comes first.
If you’re in the IT industry this seems obvious, but it’s surprising how often I’ve spoken to people in charge of making decisions who chose a device without considering the current software state of the school. Changing from laptops to tablets it has come as a surprise to some that the office suite they were using is still available, but tools and features have disappeared. Notably among them is Microsoft Office. Though the mobile and browser versions have come a long way, there’s a number of advanced features that are still only available on the desktop app.
For this reason it’s important to talk to your staff across departments where this device will be most utilized, particularly art and tech departments, to make sure that they are prepared for any major changes to their curriculum and workflow.
Ongoing or One-off?
How long can you expect students to hold onto a device? As a general rule changing devices is a pain, but does result in an improvement. This leans most groups towards apple products, for which there’s a strong argument. Long term support is better than most PC and Chromebooks so it’s understandable why so many schools choose them. The flip side is that an iPad is not a laptop, and like many new devices the iPad pro is still changing significantly with each generation; in size, compatibility and functionality.
But what about the cloud?
Without nuance: the cloud is a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist in schools. The main role of cloud services is in a business context where a user being able to access information from multiple locations, and data redundancy is mission critical. This simply isn’t the case in most school contexts. If a student has an assignment and they loose it do to a computer fault a good teacher should be empowered to give them a plan for resubmission.
If you are expecting students to carry their device to every class, and maintain it, then they should be responsible for managing files responsibly as part of your ICT policy. In the world post school most organizations require an understanding of file management that cloud services can obscure and deny. Treat this as an opportunity students integrate their school experience with life after school.
Someone wants something special.
There will always be a teacher, student, or class that want’s a different, often more powerful device. The first solution to this is to minimise the number of people asking by providing a better base line device.
The solution to those that remain is a good basis. Apple and Microsoft solutions have solid tiers of performance that allow an individual to improve performance and power while maintaining a consistent experience. Just be sure, as with everything, to make sure your ICT group can manage multiple computers effectively.