The Problem with Google’s Android in Education

----There are no name brand Android devices that can only be used with a Wi-Fi connection. *

----While the app market is getting stronger, education apps are far behind when compared to Apple. *

*there are exceptions

There are many types of technology devices that our used within our schools.  There are three main ways that teachers and students connect to the internet.

1. Ethernet
2. Wi-Fi
3. Mobile Network

Ethernet and Wi-Fi are the two most common ways to connect to the internet, but when it comes to mobile devices Wi-Fi is the number one choice for schools.  I do use my Android phone in the classroom for many reasons and these are listed in my other posts, but I am not very comfortable handing MY phone over to a 6^th grader.  (Don’t get me wrong, I have some very trustworthy students…it just isn’t the best solution)

There are some districts that have allowed phones into the classroom, but they are much smaller in numbers when compared to Wi-Fi.  School districts are hurting so bad financially that I do not see a big jump to phones in the classroom.  Monthly fees and massive budget cuts do not help.  Why can’t the kids just bring their own phones to school?  Most districts, that I know, want to have control of the devices. (What they do and where they go)  There are also many safety concerns with a gadget that has freewill.  So what is the problem? Google and the electronics manufacturers do not have a name brand Wi-Fi only device at this point in time. (September 6, 2010)

I am looking for this device.

So………Apple has the iPod Touch and the iPad. Google has the Archos.  Of course all of us know Archos???  You can find an Archos device at Best Buy, Radio Shack, and online at Newegg, but I am not comfortable with buying an off-brand device.  Dell has the “Streak,” but I can’t find one that is Wi-Fi only.  I have seen some people buy an Android phone on eBay.  They don’t activate the phone and they just use the Wi-Fi.  All of this seems too complicated for the education world to commit to.  The future looks bright for Google if they can produce a nice tablet that fits the needs of most schools.

Can you see it?  A tablet that works seamlessly with Google docs, plays flash video, and has all the educations apps just like Appl…….cough…cough.  Wait a minute.

Google has a lot of apps. Don’t they have wonderful education apps like Apple?  The short and simple answer is NO.  Android’s marketplace doesn’t have a category dedicated to education like Apple does.  There are app review sites for Android, which help in finding some good apps. (There are some reviews on IEAR too and I hope this will grow soon)  The biggest problem for Android education apps is that there is no device that is well suited for the classroom.  Apple has devices in the classroom and developers create for that market.  Small numbers of Android devices in the classroom equals small number of apps in the Android marketplace.  It seems like elementary math to me and as many number crunchers Google has, you would think someone at Google could calculate this.  I am just a lowly 6^th grade teacher and I was able to make this calculation!

To answer a Scott Meech question from the IEAR Podcast  #3.  Is there a return policy on Android Apps?  Here it is from Google-

Refund policy
You have 24 hours from the time of purchase (not download) to return an application purchased through Android Market for a full refund. You may only return a given application once; if you subsequently purchase the same app again, you may not return it a second time.

As always…if you have any questions you can contact me.

Zack Gilbert

also posted at-   www.normaledtech.com

http://twitter.com/zgilbert



Tips and Tricks - 3 - Setup w/ Google Education Apps

I have put a lot of time into thinking about how we are organizing our iPod Touch initiative to enhance other educational initiatives in our district.  For example, we have implemented "Google Education Apps" for our 3rd through 8th grade students. These accounts are very beneficial in many ways.

1.  Each of our iPod Touches has a default Google Education Email associated with the device.  This allows us to report out app results, send and collect screenshots, and do other interesting activities with these devices.  Check out Tony Vincent's work as he has a great strategy for email and these devices on his website Learning in Hand.  Change the name field for each email to reflect the name and number of the iPod Touch device. 

2.  Our Google Education Email is set up with a filter system and we only allow the email to go to our student and teacher's domains.  This allows for a layer of security for this reporting process with emails.  Students can access their Google Documents easily.  Hopefully, we will see Apple and Google playing more nicely so that we can edit those documents more effectively. Currently, I am under the impression that you can only edit the spreadsheets.  Even that editing is limited to pretty much data entry.  

3.  Furthermore, there are some apps that we are going to be able to more fully utilize because of this email installation and our overall use of Google Education Apps.  gFlashPro (Direct Itunes Link) is a very good example.  We can input data into apps like this from our student accounts.  Jeremy Brueck did a nice review of gFlashPro for IEAR.org already.  Check it out here.

While flash cards are not the end all be all of education, and some would argue they are a waste of time, I do think there is a lot of value with technology initiatives that enhance other initiatives.  Students can create their own flash cards with their Google accounts.  Teachers could create a review list and share them out for all the students.  There are lots of possibilities here.  

The limit on using these types of apps is often the creativity in which you see some possibilities.  I could see students using this app as tool for presenting and or speech making with their notes visible. Additionally, these flash cards could be talking points in a discussion that the teachers would like the students to go through in some sequence.  The flash cards could represent the steps in a math equation or the steps in a science experiment.  There are numerous creative ways to use this application beyond rote memorization activities. Delivering key information to the students via gFlash, Google Education Apps, and an inexpensive mobile learning device can make a large impact in a classroom in a very subtle fashion.  

The steps for creating a gFlash card link with Google is easy.  1.  Create a Google Spreadsheet like the following example:  http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tpn91z4DFFJxpkkSUSKU6wA&output=html.

Make sure you only use 2 columns of information. The first column will be the top of the column and the second column is the bottom or back.  Open gFlash, in the main menu, there is an option for "Get my Google Data".  Enter your log in information and your spreadsheets will show.  Choose your flash card spreadsheet from the list. One key feature to use for security sake, "choose clear my Google Login" after adding it to the library!

I look forward to finding more apps out there that can be mashed-up with our other initiatives.  Any and all comments are greatly appreciated!

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