The AT&T amiGO Jr. Tab is designed specifically for younger children. The ruggedized tablet has features to meet a variety of educational needs, while offering teachers extensive control over students' usage. Designed with safety and functionality in mind, the amiGO Jr. Tab provides a balanced and safe digital experience for young users.

AT&T amiGo Jr. Tab: Getting Started

Setting up the amiGO Jr. Tab was very straightforward. I found the process helped me provide an easy-to-manage secure environment for students.

Once I had the tablet unboxed and fully charged, I powered it on and followed the onscreen instructions for setup. Since this is an Android-based tablet, connecting it to a Google account is an option.

For the review, I was provided an Android device to manage the tablet with the amiGO App, which can be installed on any Android or iOS phone or tablet. Once I had it installed, I followed the instructions to link it with the amiGO Jr. Tab.

After I had it linked, I used the amiGO app to set up the controls, including safe browsing parameters, contact approvals, and playtime limits. The curated pre-loaded content includes educational and entertaining apps.

AT&T amiGo Jr. Tab: Best Features

The amiGO Jr. Tab stands has several features designed for young children and classroom use in mind:

• The device is designed for safety and durability. It is clad with a resilient bumper that wraps the device and includes a holder at the top corner to make it easy for young hands to use.
• The free Google Kids Space access has "teacher approved" apps, games, and videos.
• The pre-installed amiGO app allows control of almost all aspects the students experience, including safe browsing parameters and time limits.
• The pre-loaded suite of apps is curated by teachers and content experts.

AT&T amiGo Jr. Tab: Pricing and Basic Specs

The amiGO Jr. Tab is priced at $165.99. It is wifi-enabled but can also be connected to the AT&T cellular network.

It features:

• High-definition 8-inch touchscreen
• 5MP rear-facing camera, 5MP front-facing
• Octa-core MediaTek Helio P22A
• 4GB RAM
• 4,080mAh battery

AT&T amiGo Jr. Tab: Key Takeaways

The amiGo Jr. Tab is safety- and education-focused with content curated by experts. This tablet gives teachers and young students a great balance of learning and entertaining activities. The controls built into the amiGO Jr. offers teachers access to most of the features of the device, reassuring them that their students are working in a safe and monitored digital environment.

The amiGo Jr. Tab has been designed for both safety and collaboration. AT&T specifically partnered with the American Association of Pediatrics to ensure the tablet was designed with the latest child safety guidelines, such as a special Eye Care mode for filtering out harmful blue light.

Overall, the amiGO Jr. Tab by AT&T is a thoughtfully designed tablet that combines safety, education, and entertainment, making it a valuable addition to any elementary educator's classroom.

Related:

• Educator Edtech Reviews
• Best Tablets for Students

The best tablets for teachers are a valuable resource when it comes to being digitally connected in class, while staying mobile and available for all students. Ideal for sharing one on one with students, or for controlling an interactive whiteboard from anywhere.

While tablets are now plenty powerful enough to replace laptops -- many coming with keyboards and stylus pens -- one can also be a useful extension of other devices. That can mean a more affordable tablet does the job of helping teachers interact digitally with students from anywhere in the class, without breaking the bank.

Tablets comes with a wealth of hardware to be taken advantage of in class, including cameras, microphones, speakers, motion sensors, and more. So from making video calls in a hybrid class to taking students on an interactive augmented reality experience, the uses are myriad.

It's worth thinking about how large you may need your tablet to be -- will students be looking from afar as a group, or is this mainly for one-to-one interactions? And how tough does it need to be -- are you using this alone or will it be left with younger students to handle too? Battery life could also be a consideration if you want to go all day without carrying a charger too.

So read on to find the best tablets for teachers available right now.

• Best Laptops for Teachers
• Best 3D Printers for Remote Learning

1. Apple iPad (2022): The best tablets for teachers top pick

The Apple iPad (2022) is the very best tablet for teachers right now -- in fact it's the best tablet outright. As such, being Apple, you can expect a steeper-than-many price tag. But it more than justifies this level because of its hardware as well as the backing of some of the best apps available in the world. 

The 10.9-inch Retina display packs in a 2,360 x 1,640 resolution on the touchscreen for a clear and bright image. All that means a super clear and detailed display both for close-up and far viewing in the class. Whatever you need, the A14 Bionic chip will make short work of it with instant responsiveness. You also get a 12MP Ultra Wide selfie camera for video calls, and a 12MP rear snapper for sharing class materials and super realistic AR experiences.

Thanks to multiple microphones and high-quality speakers, you can use this for video interactions, video playback, and even recording and video editing as needed in class and for lesson prep. In fact, this is a viable laptop replacement with keyboard and stylus options. Plus, you can expect to get all-day use out of this with 10 hours on a single charge. 

While this isn't the top-end iPad Air model, this offers nearly all the features that does without quite as high a price. In short, this offers more than enough excellent hardware, app support, and build quality to suit nearly all teaching needs -- as well as personal use outside of class.

2. Samsung Tab S7 Plus: Best PC-style tablet

The Samsung Tab S7 Plus is a tablet that blurs the line between laptop PC and portable touchscreen device. This is largely thanks to the DeX mode that allows you to enjoy a desktop-style interface on the otherwise Android 10 operating system – including outputting to a TV – ideal for at-home use when a monitor isn't available.

This tablet packs in serious specs with a stunning 12.4-inch Super AMOLED display capable of HDR10+ and 120Hz, which all translates to lifelike clarity and smoothness – perfect for video teaching. The camera supports this well too with an impressive 8MP selfie snapper that works well in all lighting thanks to HDR smarts. 

The inclusion of the S Pen stylus is another big draw here, ideal for marking digital work, making notes, and drawing. You will have to pay extra for the keyboard case and this is already a pricey tablet, but as a genuine laptop replacement, with a 14-hour battery, it justifies the cost.

3. Amazon Fire 7: Best affordable tablet

The Amazon Fire 7 (2022) is a super affordable 7-inch tablet, making it a very practical option for many teachers. The build is rugged so it's ideal for the classroom, although the screen does lack the full HD resolution of some competitors. That said, at its size, the display does the job well enough – just don't expect an entire video classroom on that 1,024 x 600 screen.

This device runs Amazon Fire OS, which is Android-based, so there are lots of apps available, just not as many as Apple and Android devices offer. It is a great one-handed tablet that offers easy access to Kindle reading and comes with built-in Alexa voice assistant.

Battery life is relatively poor, and you'll need a charger nearby for any extended use over five hours. The 2MP cameras, in front and back, do a decent enough job of handling video calls and basic photography, but don't expect too much at this price. 

4. HP Chromebook X2: Best tablet that doubles as a Chromebook

The HP Chromebook X2 is a great option for anyone who wants the freedom of a tablet without losing the functionality of their Chromebook – ideal for schools already supporting Google programs and hardware. The anodized aluminum tablet section is a 12.3-inch detachable display that sports an impressive 2,400 x 1,600 resolution and daytime capable 403 nits of brightness. It attaches to a leather-texture keyboard with trackpad and also comes with the HP Active Pen stylus accessory.

Audio is excellent thanks to built-in B&O Play sound onboard, which makes this very capable for video lessons, as does the 4.9-megapixel front-facing camera and built-in microphones. The 12-hour battery means no need to carry a charger and the Intel Core i5 processing makes it more than capable as a full computer, too. The only downside is this is heavier than some tablets – but then again it is a lot lighter than many laptops.

5. Lenovo Smart Tab M8: Best for battery life

The Lenovo Smart Tab M8 is another tablet that falls into the affordable category while remaining compact. As such, it features an 8-inch display that tops out at 1,280 x 800, but packs in lots of color and a daytime useable 350 nits of brightness. The design is attractive and the inclusion of a charging dock, which angles the tablet perfectly, makes this a useful tablet-top video classroom device.

Despite 2GB of RAM and a quad-core MediaTek processor, this device does struggle with more processor-heavy tasks. That is likely because it is throttled to help battery life, which is an impressive 18 hours -- making this one of the best, especially for its size.

While we'd like a newer operating system than Android 9, this may get an update and in the short term does just fine. Plus, it offers plenty of apps to make it a very useful tablet in the classroom and for remote learning.

6. Microsoft Surface Go 3: Best Windows tablet

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a tablet that also gives the full Windows 11 experience, allowing it to double as a laptop replacement – if you have the attached keyboard cover. This crams in the power with an Intel Core 10th Gen i3 processor backed by up to 8GB of RAM, making it capable of nearly any task a teacher could ask of it.

While the Touch Cover that features a keyboard and trackpad isn't included, the price of the tablet is relatively low for what you do get. Expect powerful performance, bright and clear 1,920 x 1,280 display, and an excellent 5MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video that's ideal for video teaching. 

7. Apple iPad Pro: Best premium tablet

The Apple iPad Pro 12.9 is one of the best tablets out there, bar none. This does it all and it does it in style. As such the price tag reflects that. You get all the premium build quality of an Apple tablet, that impressive app store, a full keyboard, and the ability to use a super sensitive and smart stylus in the Apple Pencil.

Expect super speedy performance, lots of storage space, even if you go for the smaller device, and everything shown off on an eye-wateringly good screen. This just works, it works well, and will do for a long time to come. And with the inclusion of Lidar sensors, this should be future-proof even for the coming advanced AR teaching tools of the near future.

• Best Laptops for Teachers
• Best 3D Printers for Remote Learning

To share your feedback and ideas on this article, consider joining our Tech & Learning online community here

Lenovo™ (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is introducing its new portfolio of technology for education at the 40th annual Future of Education Technology Conference® (FETC) in Miami. New solutions include the Lenovo VR Classroom 2, as well as laptops and tablets specially tailored for learning and teaching. 

Lenovo education technology experts are also presenting insights on new experiences and trends at FETC®, including the development and benefits of esports in education, as well as smarter classroom orchestration. 

Lenovo is introducing VR Classroom 2, a solution that allows teachers and administrators to integrate virtual reality lessons into their curriculum. 

Lenovo VR Classroom 2 is a complete solution for teaching with VR, providing fully integrated hardware, content, training, and support designed specifically for middle schools and high schools. The solution comes with a new headset and content management system, as well as diverse curriculum-mapped experiences, including STEM, virtual tours, and career exploration. 

Online ­and­ onsite training plus all-in-one support­ take­ this VR education solution to the top of the class. Optional hardware, accessories, and professional development are available. 

The Lenovo VR Classroom 2 will be available in Spring 2020. 

An all new Lenovo 10e Chromebook Tablet is the latest addition and a tool for K-2 students to begin their education journey with problem-solving games, assessments and hands-on learning apps.

Highlights of 10e Chromebook Tablet:

• Specifically designed to withstand the rigors of a classroom environment with rubber bumpers and a super tough DragontrailTM Pro Glass that meets MIL-STD-810G testing
• Powerful but efficient MediaTek processor that conquers daily classroom tasks
• ·Versatile detachable keyboard folio case with anchored and water-resistant keys1
• Eight years of auto-updates2, world-facing camera, Universal Stylus Input support and access to tons of creativity tools and learning apps. 

The latest ThinkPad™ 11e Yoga™ is  thinner and lighter than ever (19.9mm and 3.1 pounds).

Highlights of ThinkPad 11e Yoga:

• Durability of ThinkPad Education design specifications that meets MIL-STD-810G testing with rubber bumpers and Corning GorillaTM Glass
• Powerful Intel® processor that meets the needs of any students or teachers
• Versatility of Pencil Touch Technology allowing students to use a No. 2 pencil to interact directly with the screen, and an optional garaged active pen when more precision is required
• Optional World-Facing Camera making it easier to record and take pictures and videos in all modes

Lenovo is also refreshing the 2nd generation of 100e, 300e and 500e Chromebooks and 100e, 300e Windows with the latest processors. 

Pricing and Availability:

Lenovo 10e Chromebook Tablet will be available from March, starting at $269.
ThinkPad 11e Yoga Gen 6 will be available from February, starting at $699.

Chromebooks:
Lenovo 100e 2nd Gen Chromebook will be available from now, starting at $214.
Lenovo 300e 2nd Gen Chromebook will be available from now, starting at $319.
Lenovo 500e 2nd Gen Chromebook will be available from now, starting at $399.

Windows:
Lenovo 100e 2nd Gen will be available from now, starting at $299.
Lenovo 300e 2nd Gen will be available from now, starting at $349.

See a demonstration of Lenovo’s technology for education at booth #2400 during FETC in the Miami Beach Convention Center January 14-17, 2020.

ChromeOS systems aimed at the classroom come in all shapes and sizes these days from all-in-one desktops all the way down to small tablets, like Acer’s Chromebook Tab 10. It’s cost, size and battery life emphasize the role it can take in early education.

At 0.4- by 6.8- by 9.4-inches and 1.1-pounds, the Tab 10 is one of the smallest and lightest tablets around. The rounded corners help make the system rugged, but it lacks anything like Gorilla glass to protect the fragile display. The back of the pad’s diagonal texturing makes it easier to hold and harder to drop.

Acer’s $40 protective case is a good start and brings the package up to 1.8-package. Like origami, it can be folded to create a tablet stand and allows access to the system’s on/off switch, volume control, USB C port and stylus but not the SD card’s slot. If that’s not enough protection, Max Cases makes a slightly lighter plastic cover that can render the Tab 10 just about indestructible. The $27 rigid clear case has soft bumpers and a pull-out stand, but neither it nor the Acer case include a keyboard.

The Tab 10’s 9.7-inch display is bright and shows the quad-XGA resolution of 2048 by 1536, which makes for detailed images, but is well below the Chromebook X2’s larger and higher resolution screen. Able to respond to 10 independent touch inputs, the bonus is its Wacom EMR pressure-sensitive stylus. The pen doesn’t require charging or a battery and was just as good for showing how to factor equations as it was for drawing maps for a history class.

It might prove to be a little small for the hands of a high-school senior, but the stylus should be perfect for smaller children. While there’s a place to stow the pen when it’s not being used, the Tab 10’s stylus lacks the ability to open an app by clicking the top (as the Surface Pro can) or to be easily tethered to the system or case.

Designed to stand up to the rigors of schools, the Tab 10 is based on a six-core OP1 processor that runs at 1.0GHz. It comes with a comfortable 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage space, which should prove to be more than enough to tackle most educational roles for students and teachers. If more storage is needed, schools can add microSD cards of up to 256GB.

For video conferences, field trips or student movies, the Tab 10 has a 2MP camera facing the user and a 5MP one facing away. Its stereo speakers sound good considering its size but are not loud enough for the whole class to hear.

Over a three-week workout, the Tab 10 never let me down, regardless of whether it was used on its own or connected to a projector. I used it to write out and model sentences and run through different equations with the Desmos graphic calculator. Later, I used the stylus to sketch a timeline with photos and paintings using ArtCanvas.

The system’s 4,500 milli-amp hour battery pack played a variety of YouTube videos for 8 hours and 45 minutes with short hourly breaks, well short of the 12-hour battery life for HP’s Chromebook X2. Still, it should be plenty for a full school day of classes and enough left over for some homework on the bus ride home or at the library after school. On the downside, the Tab 10’s included 45-watt power adapter is large and requires a grounded outlet. The system worked with a smaller power adapter, but it might take longer to charge the tablet. 

Inside, the Tab 10 has WiFi and Bluetooth radios for connecting to an 802.11ac network as well as to accessories, like speakers, a keyboard and mouse. I also used a generic HDMI adapter to stream the Tab 10’s screen to a BenQ projector. On the downside, unlike Samsung’s DeX full-screen desktop emulation, the Tab 10 it filled only about two-thirds of the projected image.

With a one-year warranty, the Tab 10 costs a reasonable $280, about what a basic Chromebook goes for; a year’s extension of coverage adds $115. Overall, the Tab 10 takes a step forward with a small and light Chromebook tablet that has the flexibility to teach a room of students.

Grade: A-

Acer Chromebook Tab 10

Price: $280

Pros

Inexpensive

Small, thin and light

Excellent battery life

Includes stylus

Cons

Case lacks keyboard

Large power adapter

CES is a platform for manufacturers to announce and showcase their latest tech, often giving a glimpse of trends to come within the industry.

For this week’s show, connected PCs (specifically notebooks and 2-in-1 tablets) are expected to be center focus for many vendors. We have seen major PC manufacturers like Asus, HP and Lenovo recently enter the LTE fray with the help of ARM-based Qualcomm Snapdragon CPUs, joining vendors like Microsoft, which has made cellular versions of its Surface line since 2014.  The move to offer these always- connected devices speaks to the proliferation of smartphones as a daily (sometimes hourly) tool and our always-connected lifestyles.  

The introduction of Qualcomm Snapdragon chips looks to bring this feature to more mainstream audiences, and possibly give Intel a run for its money down the line. Qualcomm recently upped the ante, announcing its new Snapdragon 8cx Compute Platform, specifically designed for PCs and now supporting Windows 10 Enterprise.

There still does not seem to be a consensus for what to call notebooks and 2-in-1 tablets that are capable of connecting to the Internet without WiFi in the same fashion as our smartphones. Some of the terms you will see from retailers and manufacturers include mobile broadband, LTE, cellular, and always-connected, which may hinder some consumers from understanding what the device is capable of, and why they are expected to pay a premium compared to non-connected devices.  For these devices to succeed, they not only need to solve a problem — staying connected on-the-go — but to market that solution effectively to consumers.

For Qualcomm, the genesis of mobile computing goes back to the end of 2016, when it announced a partnership with Microsoft to create Windows 10 mobile computing devices powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors.

In spring of the following year, Qualcomm announced its plan to bring its ARM-based Snapdragon-powered PCs to market, touting longer battery life due to a more energy-efficient chip design, lighter and thinner form factors aided by a reduction in battery size, and the ability to connect to cellular networks.

Asus, HP and Lenovo were the first OEM partners to announce devices equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, making headlines at the Computex trade show in summer 2017.  The devices would not hit the U.S. retail channel until well into 2018, with slow adoption among brick-and-mortar retailers.  However, recent adoption at Best Buy suggests 2019 will see more of these always-connected device hit shelves.

Qualcomm Snapdragon chips are not the first or only chips to allow for LTE-connectivity on mobile PCs, but are helping to usher in cellular capabilities to mainstream consumer devices.  A current drawback for the CPUs are their current lack of power (considering similar chips power smartphones), which makes it hard for consumers to justify spending the same amount on an always-connected PC as they would for a mid-range notebook with an Intel Core i5 processor.  

However, Arm holdings, the company whose design is used to create the Snapdragon chipsets, made an announcement last year that could potentially prove to be a major disruptor down the line. The company released a roadmap for its processors covering the next two years, showing a performance trajectory of its x86 chip that is directly compared with Intel’s Core i5 series, with a predicted jump in Arm’s performance in 2019 and 2020 with the respective releases of its Deimos and Hercules chips.  If this comes to fruition, we could be looking at lightweight, always-connected PCs with all-day battery life that match, if not exceed, the performance of mid-range chips like the Core i5.

As smartphones continue to push against the dominance of PCs, vendors will continue to push back with innovations aimed at keeping the devices essential in productivity and entertainment. Portability, all-day battery-life and uninterrupted connectivity, all features we associated smartphones, will continue to proliferate within notebooks and 2-in-1 tablets this year.  Consumer demand, adoption and satisfaction remain in question, but its looks like Qualcomm aims to tackle these head-on.

This week at CES 2019, look for Qualcomm to put its newly announced Snapdragon processor front and center, and to promote partnerships like its recently announced venture with Mozilla to bring FireFox to its Snapdragon-powered PCs.  Vendors will likely be taking advantage of the timing to announce their own lines of always-connected PCs equipped with Qualcomm’s latest processor, touting thinner and lighter devices capable of running all day, while also keeping users connected on the go.

Dustin Downs is an industry analyst at Gap Intelligence.

Acer today announced the launch of its new Acer Chrome Tablet Seed Program, which gives businesses of all sizes and K-12 schools across the United States the opportunity to test an Acer Chromebook Tab 10 running Chrome OS for free, without obligation to purchase.

Participants in the program will take part in two brief conference calls with Acer representatives. The first call will confirm program details and discuss the specific needs of their organization. The second call will take place 30 days after delivery of the system to discuss their impressions of the Chromebook. After this call, customers may explore further options with Acer or return the system. There is no fee or obligation to purchase the seeded product or any other Acer product at any time.

[Find Lost, Missing School Chromebooks]

To participate in the Acer Chromebook Seed Program, schools and businesses can fill out this form. 

The Acer Chromebook Tab 10, the first tablet running Chrome OS, provides battery life of up to 9 hours and fully supports Google Play.

For more information, organizations can contact Acer at us.reseller@acer.com or 1800.848.2237.

Today, Microsoft announces Surface Go, the most portable and affordable Surface product to date.

[Make the Most of Your Budget with These Great Products: Makerspace Product Roundup ]2018

Key features include:

• Starting at $399.
• 10” high-resolution PixelSense display, Windows Hello, pen and touch capabilities, well-suited to education, work and those on-the-go.
• The Intel Pentium Gold processor, in a device weighing 1.15 pounds.
• Will be available August 2 running Windows 10 Home in S mode.
• Schools purchasing in the commercial channel may select either Windows 10 Home in S mode or Windows 10 Pro to fit the needs of their classrooms and goals.

if you don't pay attention, I'll steal this tablet right out of your pocket!

Many critics of contemporary schooling practices have noted that, if a teacher from the 19th century was magically transported into a typical classroom today, she would feel very comfortable with how things look. The room itself would be very familiar.

(Whether that teacher would be comfortable with today's students is another matter entirely, given that they probably look a little different than they did 'back in the day' -- to say nothing of how they might act and some of the opinions they might have!)

Contrast this, such critics note, with the situation of a surgeon from the 19th century teleported into an operating room today -- he would be bewildered, and perhaps disoriented, by all of the technology on display.

Few would deny that, in many fundamental and obvious ways, technology has revolutionalized medicine and healthcare.

Why hasn't it done so (yet) for learning and education?

One way that critics illustrate and reinforce this question is to share pictures of 'typical' operating rooms in the 19th and 21st centuries, alongside pictures of 'typical' classrooms from both centuries. The classrooms in such examples usually do look quite the same, with a teacher standing at the front of the room and neatly lined up rows of students intently (if metaphorically) drinking from the fountain of the teacher's knowledge. The chief noticeable difference (again, apart from the students themselves -- and the teachers as well) is that there are now computing devices of some sort on display in the 'modern' classroom, sometimes (depending on the country) lots of them, although the room essentially looks and functions the same way. The arrangement and nature of these ICT devices don't fundamentally alter the architecture of the room, nor what occurs inside it. In others words, the changes are additive, not transformative. (It is of course possible to provide pictures of some of today's 'innovative' classrooms that complicate this simple and popular narrative, as well as to ask some fundamental and important questions about what such pictures may obscure and what they illuminate, but I'll ignore such inconvenient complications here.)

Side note: Over a dozen years ago I visited the launch of a computer lab at a school in Cambodia. The headmaster had proudly transformed a room formerly used for sewing instruction into a 'technology lab', with a new PC atop each desk in place of the 'old-fashioned' technology of the sewing machine, with neat rows of students facing forward toward a teacher who was energetically shouting instructions.

Let's also put aside for a moment whether all of this technology 'makes a difference' (as well as perhaps more relevant questions about how and under what circumstances ICTs have an 'impact'). Let's ignore discussions about whether or not today's classrooms are a legacy of a 'factory model of education' that once existed but is no longer useful, or about the potential need to re-think school architecture in the age of ICT. Let's also ignore related 'big picture' issues around policymaking and planning.

Let's focus instead just on the technology itself.

Many regular readers of the EduTech blog are no doubt familiar with scenes of ICT equipment sitting unused in schools, locked away in computer labs or even still resting peacefully (and undamaged!) in unopenedboxes. Often times, getting teachers and students to use such equipment, let alone to use it 'productively', can be a rather tall order, for all sorts of reasons. Nevertheless, education ministries, local educational authorities, and schools around the world are buying lots of technology: PCs, laptops, tablets, projectors, and lots of other devices and peripherals.

What are they doing to make sure that this stuff doesn't get stolen?

No matter how strategic an investment or policy on technology use in education might be, and whatever side of the fence you find yourself on related to whether or not ICTs in education are 'worth it', there is little disagreement that such purchases are indeed *never* worth it if the equipment itself is stolen. You can't use this stuff if it isn't there. (Nor, it should be noted, can you use this stuff if it is there but not usable or accessible, but that's another issue.) Increasingly, the most valuable parts of a education system's IT infrastructure will not be found in the physical equipment itself, but rather in the data transmitted across and stored in the system at various levels and places. That said, as numerous recent news reports from countries around the world demonstrate (here's one from South Africa, for example), securing the equipment itself remains a rather important and acute challenge for many schools and education systems.

For what it's worth, and based on conversations with government officials, IT personnel, vendors, teachers and headmasters and visits to hundreds of schools rolling out ICTs over the past decade in scores of countries, rich and poor, and in urban, rural and suburban environments, here are:

Ten common (and a few uncommon) approaches to preventing the theft of computers, laptops and tablets in schools around the world

1. Lock it down and/or chain it up (physically)

For all of the (important) talk, policymaking and planning related to computer security within education systems, of preventing things like data theft, identity theft, and unauthorized access to networks, systems and data (all areas where almost all education systems could do *much* better, in my experience), in lots of places there is still also a lot that needs to be done to combat the old fashioned kind of computer theft: when people just pick up something that doesn't belong to them and walk away with it.

One obvious way to help prevent this sort of thing is pretty straightforward, and so most schools do it to varying degrees -- they buy and install lots of locks, of various types, in various places. For example, it is quite common to see schools do the following things in order to protect ICT equipment from theft:

• Lock the door to the room where ICT equipment is kept.
• Lock the windows and/or put bars on them.
• Designate a special storage room for ICT equipment. Store equipment there when it is not in use -- and lock the room!
• Install (and use) specialized physical locks for desktops and laptops and other equipment (e.g. locking desktop PCs to the desks on which they sit).

One argument often made *against* the purchase and use of devices like laptops and tablets in schools has been that the small and portable nature of such devices make them especially vulnerable to theft. This holds true for smaller devices as well: phones; interactive voting devices, or 'clickers'; probeware and sensors that can be connected to such devices, etc. Fair enough! But such things are presumably not going to go away nor become less useful any time soon (nor presumably will the increase in size). Within classrooms, charging stations for laptops or tablets can also serve as secure storage for a variety of devices.

It is worth noting that chargers themselves may be attractive targets for theft -- as well as non-ICT equipment that is vital for the use of computers in many places (the fans and air conditioners that help keep computer labs cool, for example).

Less attention is sometimes paid to the security of devices while they are in transit within the school. Some schools transport laptops or tablets between rooms using a dedicated mobile carts (sometimes referred to as COWs, or 'computers on wheels') which can be locked -- and lock up the carts in a separate room when they are not in use. (One side note about COWs: Because these things can be used by thieves as a convenient means by which to take lots of your laptops out of your school quickly, you may not want to store them near the entrances to the school -- and you may want to consider ones where the wheels can be locked.)

2. Lock it down and/or chain it up (electronically)

In addition to physical measures to prevent theft, a variety of electronic measures are possible.

At a basic level, requiring the people log into machines before they can be used is almost always a good idea. There are many ways this can be done, which provide different levels of security (at the level of the operating system, the BIOS, etc.).

It is possible to create electronic 'ring fences' around schools (or parts of schools), so that if computer equipment leaves this area, it no longer functions (in whole or in part).

It is also possible to remotely disable computers, should they be reported stolen (provided they connect to the Internet somehow, of course). Alternatively, it is possible to require that the computer connect to the Internet or a network at certain intervals in order to keep functioning fully.

Such measures don't always really prevent the physical theft of equipment, of course, but they make the equipment itself much less valuable, in that it can't be used once it is stolen. Of course, there are potentially ways around such electronic 'locks', depending on how good they are and the sophistication of the thieves. And: Thieves who are unfamiliar with such measures may not be deterred from stealing equipment in the first place (even if there are later unable to use or re-sell it).

3. Hide it -- or at least obscure it

No matter how many (or how few) physical or electronic/digital 'locks' you have on equipment, there are a number of simple and low cost ways to make theft less likely. Storing equipment in inaccessible (or less accessible) places (like a locked computer room) is of course one example of this, but there are many others as well. Simply closing the shades (and not placing equipment near windows) can help. Places tablets in desks or laptops on computer carts when they are not in use can help. Leaving empty computer boxes stacked outside the school after new equipment is delivered essentially advertises to potential thieves that there is something in the school that might interest them -- don't do this!

There are many other potential signals to thieves that computers are in the school -- and where they might be. In many hot climates, the presence of air conditioners attached to windows for some rooms, but not others, may suggest where the computer room might be. Bars on the windows and locks on doors can send similar signals.

If you have a choice, not locating school technology labs or computer storage rooms on the ground floor or near the front entrance of the school can be a wise choice.

(Side note: In some schools and district education offices, the rooms which were previously used to 'safely store' textbooks -- which may as a result have gone unused in some cases -- have been converted to 'safely store' computers -- which, as with the textbooks previously, then also remain unused.)

4. Take special care after hours, on weekends and during school holidays

It should be obvious that it might be useful to consider different approaches to security when school is in session, and when it is not.

During long holidays, many education systems physically repossess many devices in schools so that they can be stored safely in a central, secure location. At this time they can also do a number of other things, including take a general inventory, update software and load new content, as well as make any needed repairs.

It is perhaps worth noting that the transportation of equipment between schools and district/ministry offices for safekeeping can represent a particularly opportune time for thieves to strike, so plan accordingly.

5. Keep an accurate and up-to-date inventory

It can be easy for equipment to disappear if you don't have a record that you have it. Keeping accurate and up-to-date lists of your inventory can help you quickly identify when things may have gone missing. Also, the fact that you take such inventories regularly can signal to potential thieves within your schools or education system that you are paying attention!

Keeping track of serial numbers is standard practice in most places these days (and something that should always be done). Affixing bar codes to individual items and then using scanners to assist with the inventory process is increasingly common as well. (A side note about scanners: You might consider using a mobile phone app instead of buying separate scanners, which break down, go missing, or even get stolen themselves. One clever way for insiders to facilitate regular small-scale theft is to 'lose' the scanners, which makes it difficult to keep up-to-date inventories; by the time new scanners are procured and delivered, some of the equipment may be long gone.) RFID tags are increasingly in use in some education systems as well.

Note that this issue of inventorying can be complicated in practice in many instances by the phenomenon of schools keeping multiple sets of 'ICT ledgers'. I have visited more than one school that keeps an inventory list that it shows to the central ministry which only includes the equipment that was centrally provided, omitting equipment that was e.g. donated locally, purchased by parents, bought by the school itself and/or provided by local educational authorities. Schools may be disinclined to include equipment obtained via other means on the 'official' list, as they might worry that this would signal to the central authorities that they may not need additional equipment. I once spoke to a school IT administrator who kept separate lists that he showed to the parent-teacher association, the district education office, a local philanthropic donor, and the national education authorities. The actual master list was a closely guarded secret, only shared with the school principal.

In addition to taking physical inventories, you can take 'virtual inventories' at a distance as well. If, for example, a device hasn't logged onto the network for a long time, you might want to investigate.

Make sure that you keep your inventory lists in a safe place -- and have back-ups. If someone steals your list, you might be in trouble! (And: Do you really need to publish your inventory list on your school web site in a place accessible to the public?)

6. Watch over it closely

hey check this out, I think someone is stealing our pico projector!

People are an important part of any an approach to preventing the theft of ICT equipment of schools. Posting guards outside computer facilities is an expensive or drastic approach, but, where there are guards in schools already (for better or for worse), instructing them to pay particular attention to places where computer equipment is found is a rather good idea.

Installing security cameras can help (although even considering this sort of thing should bring up larger questions about 'surveillance' in schools), whether the resulting video feed is viewed within the school itself or at some remote location. Cameras that aren't actually connected to anything can even provide some level of deterrence. (I have been in schools where they took old web cams and pointed them at the technology room. "These don't actually work", an IT guy at a school once told me, "but the kids and teachers don't know this!")

As mentioned, conducting regular inventories can be an important way to help monitor equipment.

While it may not prevent the theft of equipment (especially if thieves don't know it has been installed on devices), tracking software ('find my phone' is one well known example of this general type of thing) can potentially help you figure out where the equipment it after it has been stolen.

Alarms (on doors, on equipment) can help alert people to where a potential theft may be in progress or has recently occurred.

Designating teachers (or even students) with special responsibility to make sure equipment is not stolen can be another useful, low cost way to help prevent theft. (If no one feels responsible for ensuring that equipment doesn't disappear, no one *is* responsible as a practical matter.)

7. Know who has the key(s)

Your security plan should include attention not only to where the equipment is, what it is, and who is looking after it, but also who has the keys (and master passwords) that can provide access to it. Change keys and/or passwords at regular intervals, as might be possible/appropriate/affordable. Have a policy about key possession, use and duplication and the access to master passwords -- and the storage of 'extra' keys.

Side note: A clever thief may use a key and then break a door only once he is leaving, as a way to throw suspicion away from people who have access to the keys. While a heist is in progress, a broken door would certainly suggest to passersby that something might be wrong.

The people who know best how to steal your equipment are probably those who work with it most often. Here's an exercise to try: Ask them where there are holes in the security procedures and systems. IT people are often especially good at 'hacks', both physical and digital. Ask some of them how to hack your security and then plan some related defensive measures. (Education systems in rich countries may hire an outside security firm to do 'penetration testing', i.e. engage a group that tries to steal equipment so that education officials can learn what isn't working and make any needed changes to their policies, practices and procedures. This remains relatively rare in most places, of course -- although, where related insurance is available, this might be a function that could be performed by the insurance company).

8. Make it look distinctive

Where countries procure very large numbers of educational laptops or tablets at a national or regional scale, ministries of education may wish to consider requiring the manufacturer, assembler or distributor to ensure that the devices looks distinctive in some way. (Maybe they have a red cover, for example, or a picture of national flag on them.)

Even where the equipment itself doesn't look distinctive, it is quite common for logos to be burned, embossed or etched into equipment marking it as e.g. property of an education system or school and/or for stickers (less permanent, obviously, but better than nothing) with the same message to be affixed to the equipment.

Side note: When the OLPC XO (the famous "$100 laptop") was first being marketed, some of the leaders of the sponsoring organization liked to note that the design of the little green and white devices was so distinctive that, if they were stolen and made available for re-sale in local markets, people would immediately know that these had been stolen from schools, as there was no other way to get them, which would help with theft prevention. (Based on anecdotal evidence, I believe that this was often actually been the case.) I have heard proponents of the use of iPads in schools in very poor countries where the devices were not sold in local markets make similar claims. (What making such arguments, OLPC folks sometimes referenced the appearance of postal trucks in the U.S. "No one steals postal trucks in the U.S.," went the argument, "because they are so unique and easily recognizable by everyone". I always thought that this was a clever comment ... even if the metaphor was often not immediately understood by policymakers in other countries who were not at all familiar with the distinctive jeeps used by the U.S. Postal Service with the steering wheel on the 'wrong side'!)

9. If you don't own it, they can't steal it from you

One way for schools not to have computer equipment stolen is not to own any of it in the first place -- or to own as little of it as possible.

In some more 'advanced' economies, leasing (not purchasing) equipment may be an option, and, as part of leasing arrangements, responsibility for security can potentially be transferred (at least in part) to the company that actually owns the equipment.

The growing trend in many education systems towards 'bring your own device' (or 'BYOD', sometimes this is referred to as 'BYOT', with 'technology' substituting for 'device) policies and approaches, where students and/or teachers bring their own ICT equipment to schools and use it, instead of using equipment provided by the school itself, can dramatically change the security dynamic when it comes to preventing the theft of such devices. If you own the device yourself, you may be much more incentivized to make sure that it is not stolen than if it belong to the school or education system! (BYOD policies don't necessarily lead to less theft in all circumstances, of course. In some circumstances, someone may be more willing to steal a tablet from another student than from the school itself.)

The difference between stealing a computing device that is being used in a school setting, as opposed to a computer that belongs to a school, may seem a semantic and legalistic distinction of little practical relevance, but it can be a compelling one to certain groups within educational bureaucracies. (The most important thing for teachers and students is that the equipment is there, not who owns it!) That said, it can be useful to note that who owns a particular device can impact whether or not it is stolen -- and who cares.

10. Educate your users and personnel

There are many additional measures that can be utilized to help prevent the theft of ICT equipment from schools that can be boiled down to one word: education. Training of IT personnel, school administrators and teachers -- and students too! -- about theft prevention and general related 'good practices' can help a lot. Posting signs supporting such messages can be useful. Including items related to security as part of standard 'acceptable use policies' is a good idea. (Standard in many education systems, AUPs serve as informal contracts of sorts, laying out rules for students, parents and teachers that must be agreed to in order to utilize ICT equipment).

Many other things can be done to help to prevent the theft of ICT equipment in schools, of course. All such measures carry with them various costs -- of money, accessibility, and usability. Schools and education systems have to consider important related trade-offs between prevention, policing, and accessibility. Given enough time and energy and smarts, dedicated thieves can probably find their way around all of these (and other) anti-theft measures. As with approaches to security in general, a multi-layered approach is typically best. A combination of measures, big and small, involving a variety of different people, incentivized in different ways to be part of the process, can help where any one single approach is insufficient.

Note: The image at the top of this blog post ("if you don't pay attention, I'll steal this tablet right out of your pocket!) comes from the Project Gutenberg archives via Wikimedia Commons. The image used at the end of this post of the locked gates at Harvard Yard is courtesy of Occupy harvard also via Wikimedia Commons. Both are in the public domain. The second image (of a locked door at the Tajjar Building in Pakistan provided by the Wikipedian Soban) also comes via Wikimedia Commons and are used according to the terms of its Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. The image of two children outside a closed door ("hey check this out, I think someone is stealing our pico projector!") was provided by Deutsche Fotothek of Germany's Saxon State Library / State and University Library Dresden (SLUB) to Wikimedia Commons as part of a cooperation project. It is used according to the terms of its Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany license.

cross posted at blogs.worldbank.org/edutech

Michael Trucano is the World Bank's Senior Education & Technology Policy Specialist and Global Lead for Innovation in Education, serving as the organization's focal point on issues at the intersection of technology use and education in middle- and low-income countries and emerging markets around the world. Read more at blogs.worldbank.org/edutech.

Although those of us with declining eyesight might be holding out for larger-than-life-sized monitors, our students have embraced smaller-is-better as they pop their devices into their back pockets and backpacks. And so, in our effort to prepare our students for the increasingly mobile world they already inhabit, tablets may be the best choice of hardware purchase. But which tablets? Is there a magic formula to finding the one that your students and teachers will use? Let’s see what some of your colleagues have to say.

MIAMI-DADE (FL) PUBLIC SCHOOLS

What tablets are you using?
HP Elite 900 for secondary students; HP 210 laptops for elementary students.

How many do you have?
Approximately 31,000: 5,000 for 7th-grade civics and 26,000 for 9th-grade U.S. history.

How long have the students had them?
Since August 2014.

What do teachers have?
The HP Elite 1000, which comes with Mericast capability.

Three best things

❉ Ease of use
❉ Extremely rugged
❉ Easy to use when reading

Three worst things

❉ Charging
❉ Cases
❉ Managing images

Any tips for finding the best tablet for your students?
Best price and best fit for existing infrastructure (applications and operating systems). Take advantage of cases and gorilla glass, as well as local battery swapping.

CINCINNATI (OH) COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

What tablets are you using?
Microsoft Surface Pro 3

How many do you have?
225; 1:1 for grades 5-12.

How long have the students had them?
Since August 2014, but the school has been 1:1 since 1996.

What do teachers have?
Teachers who were due for a new tablet received Surface Pro 3 tablets.

Three best things
Flexibility: It’s a full-powered laptop running a full OS that can be used as a laptop or tablet. It removes all constraints and allows us to fit the tool to the task—not the other way around. We have access to the desktop version of OneNote, which has been a game changer in terms of collaboration, engagement, and organization.

Three worst things
They need a bumper case to prevent damage.

Any tips for finding the best tablet for your students?
Choose devices that allow for creativity and creation of content. You need to have pen, touch, and a keyboard. Decide on objectives and then choose devices that allow you to achieve them. Too many schools pick the devices first and then try to figure out how to use them.

EANES (TX) INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

What tablets are you using?
iPad2: 16GB; Wifi only.

How many do you have?
8,000 (1:1 K-12).

How long have the students had them?
Between 3 and 4 years.

What do teachers have?
Teachers have the same models, although we are starting to replace some with upgraded models to replenish our student swaps.

Three best things

❉ Ease of use (not much technical training needed)
❉ Unanticipated creativity (students creating amazing films and designing their own apps)
❉ Mobility/versatility

Three worst things

❉ Transitioning from traditional teacher-led instruction to a more student-centered approach
❉ The battle with IT over the thought that everything has to be standardized and that education is an enterprise system
❉ Waiting for textbook companies to play catch-up and then being disappointed in their “digital” solutions

Any tips for finding the best tablet for your students?
Do not make it about the device. It should be about the learning. Too often, districts start with a device in mind and then try to make pedagogy and curriculum fit—based on what they choose. Think about what you want to do and a device that aligns with those ideals will naturally rise to the top.

HOLY REDEEMER SCHOOL IN MARSHALL (MN)

What tablets are you using?
LearnPad XD (the 1st model).

How many do you have?
Approx. 540, one for every student.

How long have the students had them?
Since the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.

What do teachers have?
Every teacher has a LearnPad Quarto.

Three best things

❉ Having the ability to control what the students see and do and not worrying about them misusing the devices
❉ Being able to assign differentiated work on the device and receive completed work through the “hand-in” feature
❉ Having the ability to see exactly what all of the students are doing, at the same time, so I can work in small groups while monitoring the entire class

Three worst things
We occasionally come across Web sites or apps that we wish we could put on the LearnPad, but we know in time they could become available.

Any tips for finding the best tablet for your students?
Find a device that will help you manage your classroom and design lessons that are specific to what the students are learning.

BROCKTON (MA) PUBLIC SCHOOLS

What tablets are you using?
Acer Iconia W510 and Acer Aspire Switch 11.6- inch tablets.

How many do you have?
Approximately 2,000 tablets (for the five schools participating in PARCC testing).

How long have the students had them?
Between 3 and 18 months.

What do teachers have?
The teachers were provided with the same tablets.

Three best things

❉ Space saver: When managing more than 9,000 devices, this is a big bonus.
❉ Battery life expectancy: It seems to be more in line with listed specs and battery longevity is better than laptops of old.
❉ Versatility: Our tablets came with detachable keyboards, which gives us the freedom to use them like a laptop when needed or to enjoy the true portability of a tablet.

Three worst things
Life expectancy: With regular maintenance, we are accustomed to getting 5-7 years from our devices. It is more difficult to keep track of devices in this form factor. Deploying tablets requires much more planning and staff participation than desktops.

Any tips for finding the best tablet for your students?
All of our tech decisions have been a joint effort between the curriculum team, which identifies the need, and our technical team, which comes up with product suggestions. Typically, vendors are eager to lend or give discounted prices for a pilot, so take advantage of that opportunity and bring in several devices to kick the tires. We look for technical merit and whether the device fits our immediate and long-term needs.

PINELLAS COUNTY (FL) SCHOOLS

What tablets are you using?
Dell Venue 11 Pro tablets (with Dell Slim Tablet Keyboards & Active Stylus pens).

How many do you have?
400 for grades 9-12.

How long have the students had them?
Since the start of the 2014-2015 school year.

What do teachers have?
Some use the Dell Venue 11 tablets but most use the Dell XPS 13, which can be used as a laptop or a tablet.

Three best things
❉ Form factor: It allows them to be truly mobile and—thanks to Office 365—enjoy 24/7 learning opportunities and collaboration.
❉ Exceptional battery life: A full charge allows the student to use it the entire school day without issues.
❉ Versatility/manageability: Tech staff can preload an image on it, complete with the necessary applications, and manage it through Active Directory Group Policies and push down and install additional applications if needed. With the corresponding dock, we can take full advantage of a two-screen experience. With a bit of imagination from the teacher or student, the tablets are adaptable for every single course.

Three worst things
❉ The glass touchscreen has a tendency to crack when it is stuffed into a backpack with a load of textbooks. We think uneven pressure from the textbooks against the glass screen is causing this. A raised or reinforced bevel or a protective case would fix this.
❉ None of the adaptive styluses seem to work, which makes digital inking an adventure in frustration. (Dell is working with us on replacements for all the first-generation styluses.)
❉ It is imperative to keep the firmware current, and since firmware can’t be pushed down via management tools this means we have to eventually touch every single tablet.

Any tips for finding the best tablet for your students?
Choose the device that makes the most sense for the age group and circumstances of your situation. You must take into account: infrastructure, manageability and its cost, pedagogy, and peripherals. Put the devices under consideration into the hands of the people to whom it matters most: the students. My student assistants reviewed every single Windows 8 tablet for strengths, weaknesses, and relative costs of each.

LEXINGTON COUNTY (SC) SCHOOL DISTRICT TWO

What tablets are you using?
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Education tablets and 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 tablets with a kid’s mode interface.

How many do you have?

More than 5,000 tablets for students and staff in grades PK through 12.

How long have the students had them?
We began the first phase in November 2014.

What do teachers have?
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2014 edition, which has the Samsung S-Pen.

Three best things

❉ Ease of provisioning and set-up with Google management console
❉ The ability to use Samsung School for classroom monitoring and collaboration (a truly transformative software)
❉ The ability to manage tablet content with the Google Play for Education store and Samsung School

Three worst things
Unpacking the mountains of boxes preparing the tablets for use by students, and—as with any technology—dealing with help desk issues.

Any tips for finding the best tablet for your students?
First look at your level of staffing and support. Certain devices/tablets require a greater level of support to manage and provision. But the driving force should always be transforming the learning environment. Create a vision for the learning environment you want for your students and let that be the measure in the search for the right device.

SOME OF ÖZGE KARAOGLU’S FAVORITE APPS

■ Adobe Voice is free and it gives the chance to children to use their pictures or their text and record their voices with music at the background.
■ Biscuit lets users create their own vocabulary list and includes definitions.
■ FriendStrip lets kids pick a story and personalize it with pictures and texts.
■ PicCollage lets students write and add props in a picture.
■ QR Code Scanner and Creator—Kids love it!
■ Tellagami helps you to create your own avatar, choose a background and record your voice for your animated avatar.
■ Videolicious is a great tool to create videos from your pictures, by adding music and your voice.