Overview

The entrance of e-reader or tablet technology into schools is arguably the most effective, feasible improvement to the field of education available today. Equipped with the right software platform, these devices can have a significant impact in a number of important problem areas in contemporary schools. With the costs of touchscreen technologies rapidly dropping, the moment for schools to truly benefit from the digital revolution has arrived.

eduk8 Tablet PE

 

The eduk8 platform uses this technology to deliver instruction and other content to students, as well as provide a channel for both services and communication to administrators, teachers, and parents. This networked approach to content management reflects the reality that student success requires teachers, parents, and school administrators to collaborate as a team around a common goal. eduk8 was designed with each of these stakeholders in mind, and developed around the firm belief that:

  1. Teachers must be given the means to succeed. Rising class sizes and contemporary trends in youth culture have introduced significant classroom management challenges which significantly interfere with teachers’ ability to focus on individual student progress. Also, teachers must constantly contend with the availability of content: whether a missing textbook, a jamming copy machine, or a missing resource, teaching is hindered by the logistics of making sure everyone has what they need, when they need it. In an eduk8 classroom, content would be delivered to tablets instantly, and stored there—so students always have everything they need, whether it’s their textbook, their homework, or a permission slip. Also, teachers can create a schedule, or calendar, of tasks for students to work on independently, keeping classes more engaged and giving teachers the freedom to put their focus where it’s needed.
  2. Schools must be able to build a budget that works. School systems all across the country have been in a perpetual budget crisis for decades. Municipal fiscal constraints often place per pupil spending well below true operational costs, forcing administrators to make hard and unpopular decisions which often lead to still more challenges for everyone: students, teachers, parents, and staff alike. The eduk8 platform frees schools from the exorbitant costs associated with printed content—which is enormously expensive to print, package, and ship—by creating a digital marketplace for publishers to deliver content directly. Instead of spending up to $100 on copies of dated texts, which can only hope to survive five years in circulation, schools can select which stories, articles, novels, and lessons they want to use, then buy that content as it is needed. This eliminates the need for schools to pay for, inventory, and assign bulky, impractical texts, giving them more funds for other areas of their budget, and more time to focus on student progress.
  3. Parents must be given the tools to be involved. arents are often left without the time to be as involved as they would like in their child’s education, and frequently rely on the child to characterize their day at school. But eduk8’s web portal brings parents right into their child’s tablet, allowing them to look through their completed work; view their task list; see grades; and send messages to their child, to a teacher, or to another parent in the class. All without disrupting any part of the school day. They can also get automatically cc’d a copy of every announcement, consent form, and calendar the school produces. Outside the classroom, parents can use eduk8 to find recommended supplemental materials and services for their child, then download them directly to the tablet: everything from additional readings, to videos, to worksheets and games, to real-time tutoring. If parents are to be informed, enabled partners in the education process, they need the right tools.

The eduk8 system also provides an avenue for quality, third-party content to be shared or sold in an open marketplace. Teachers can scan or upload their best lessons, assessments, and other original materials. Media companies can index their licensed content by subject, age, grade, or interest, and accept micro-payments for limited use. Parents can easily locate and purchase materials recommended by their child’s teachers, education experts, or other parents. And trade publishers can deliver their content straight to the consumer, bringing them higher revenues while also lowering the cost of individual texts.

It is the student workspace, however, that truly distinguishes eduk8 as a centerpiece of the digital classroom. Students can be greeted with a welcome message, a simple agenda, or an opening task, allowing the teacher the necessary time to organize the lesson. Teachers can use the platform to supplement guided instruction with digital handouts, slideshows, or short videos while students take touch-notes on a virtual pad. During periods of independent work, teachers can arrange weeks or even months worth of extra readings, worksheets, documentaries, or assignments that students can work through at their own pace, allowing faculty to meet students at multiple ability levels simultaneously and effectively. Or they can use the metrics from an assignment to pair students who have mastered a concept with those who still need a little help.

The teacher interface can be used to quickly assess a student’s progress, download past work, or to provide detailed metrics to parents, administrators, or other support staff. Teachers can also pre-record video or audio announcements for students to receive any time: when they have a common question, when they begin their homework for the night, or when they are preparing to return from a holiday. eduk8 also allows teachers to transfer and adapt content from one semester or school year to the next, eliminating massive amounts of tedious preparation time so that they can focus on bringing their students the best content, in the best ways—which is what teachers should be doing anyway.