Just moments ago at SXSWedu, the edtech startup Amplify unveiled a new tablet. You may be thinking ‘why do we need another tablet – there are already too many!’ You’re not wrong. But there are some notable features that are pretty interesting. Basically, the Amplify tablet is specifically built for classrooms. Here are the bullet points to know about:
- The teacher has the ability to monitor everything happening on the rest of the tablets in the classroom. A teacher can conduct lessons with a small group or the entire class right from his or her own tablet. The main teacher tablet can do screen-sharing so students can see exactly what the teacher is looking at … when he or she is looking at it.
- There is a ‘teacher dashboard’ that lets teachers conduct instant polls, prompts students to raise their virtual hands, and more.
- There’s a new tool that lets the teacher send out an ‘eyes on teacher’ announcement where all devices tell the student to look up at the teacher.
- The tablet costs $299 for the Wi-Fi version and is $349 for the Wi-Fi + 4G model. There’s a little more though. Each tablet requires a 2-year contract much like a cell phone plan. Those plans run $99 per year (Wi-Fi) to $179 per year (4G model).
- The tablet features content from Khan Academy, CK-12, Google Apps, EverFi and Desmos, and gives teachers the ability to monitor how students use the device.
- Amplify and others are hoping the tablet gets students actually creating rather than consuming. Personally, I have idea if this tablet accomplishes that but feel this idea is the future of education as we advance toward a ‘maker’ movement and students start showing even more willingness to get their hands dirty (digitally or in-person). It’ll be interesting to see how this Amplify tablet does in terms of sales and adoption in the education world.
- A bit about Amplify from our friends at Education Dive: Amplify Education Inc. was formed following the purchase of education start-up Wireless Generation by News Corp., and its CEO is former New York Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.
Amplify Tablet Images
Well, this sounds like a fabulous tool…for continuing outdated sage-on-the-sage model teaching, keeping the focus on the teacher, and otherwise limiting what students can do. From the list and the screenshots, there is a remarkable low ratio of creation tools to content distribution tools on this device, especially for a device the manufacturer hopes will get kids creating rather than consuming.
I’ll keep recommending open and flexible tools…when this matures into a real tool instead of a look-alike that is designed to keep students locked down, I might consider it.
I am not sure I get the continued sage on the stage model based on what I read.
That you can monitor students?
That you can have students listen to directions?
You can have students raise their hands virtually?
Seems like this is all relevant. You’re not coming down in favor of not monitoring students and students not listening to directions are you?
Would love a lock down feature too. Where students could only visit the site(s) I want for say a set amount of time and where I could lock the computers when I am giving instructions or when we are doing things orally.
All this said, I too am not sold on this… I think it is prohibitively expensive – see “the contract.”
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who had been conducting a little homework on this.
And he actually ordered me lunch because I found it for him.
.. lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for
the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending
some time to discuss this subject here on your internet site.
Wow – it lets me control my class, and even restricts what we can do on it. What is more I can use it to test them on what they have been force fed via the content I have ‘allowed’ them to access. The line “As we advance towards a maker movement” made me laugh out loud! This sort of device is designed to appeal to those are terrified of letting their class be creative in any way. It smokescreens the lack of creative function with a plethora of buzz words and jargon (with even the Khan Academy thrown in to make it look ‘hip’) Sorry, the proof of this will be that kids will hate it because it is one more way to bore them, rather than inspire them and make them into makers.
Ummmm, no.
If I want students working with the slave narratives. That is what I want. I don’t want them on FB, Twitter, etc. And if I want them openly researching then that is a different story. As my writings will show – search my name and world history connected – I am not against creativity. But being focused is not against that. Would love a lock button too.
Personal story. I come from a family of 10. When we traveled and stopped at say a McD’s my Mom would say this is what you can order: a,b,or c. So, no need to search the whole menu. Just a, b, or c. Sometimes there is a desire for the teacher for creativity and sometimes there is a desire to focus. These are not mutually exclusive.
Seems like what we need on some of these options.
Would like all tablets to do the same.
See my comments below.
That should say above!