Archive for the ‘iPad for Education’ Category
How Apple can help Technophobic Teachers
Sunday, February 19th, 2012With interactive whiteboards, residential video cameras and Apple iPads common features in many UK schools nowadays, it is clear to see that technology is now seen as being an integral learning resource. Of course, we live in a high-tech world and therefore it is essential that children learn how to interact with computer interfaces and Internet applications at an early age as they will need to use these skills in many different areas of their lives as they grow up.
However, as helpful and engaging as high-tech devices may be for children, the idea of using an Apple Mac or iPad for education can sometimes be a little concerning for teachers. After all, products are being upgraded all the time and some teachers who are less inclined to keep their fingers on the pulse of technological developments may find it hard to keep up.
Happily, coming to us here at Albion Computers can reassure even the most technophobic of teachers as we can provide excellent products and Apple support that can help them get the most out of their technological teaching aids.
In fact, with our unrivalled knowledge of Apple for schools, we can help anyone to quickly see that what may seem complicated from the outset is actually quite simple and consequently can be taught in a straightforward fashion to children who are keen to learn.
To find out more about our exceptional products and services, email our friendly customer services department at service@albion.co.uk.
Make Studying at University Easier with iPad
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011Being a student today is completely different to how it was ten years ago. In those halcyon days, portable computers and mobile communications were still in their infancy so laptops and mobile phones that did anything more than ring were still something of a novelty. Furthermore, tablets and Kindles were the stuff of science fiction so students needed to source many (and I mean many) piles of textbooks and reading list books from their university bookshop each semester to keep up with their studies.
Of course, everything is very different for students these days as the iPad for education brings electronic textbooks within easy reach of every student. Instead of making those trips to the university bookshop every semester, today’s students can simply download whatever course materials they need straight to their iPad. The number of textbooks currently available in electronic format is growing so fast that electronic texts will become standard within a few years. Indeed, the fact that text books can be updated cheaply and immediately with new editions means that universities are falling over themselves to share in the many benefits that iPads have to offer.
In addition to all this, the business internet connections available on iPads enables students to keep in touch with their friends, families and favourite Student Union bartenders whenever and wherever they like.
It all sounds too good to be true – if only we had iPad and Apple support when I was a student…
iPads for Students
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011If you are looking to invest in a new computer or laptop for university, you will soon see that your choices are somewhat limited. A desktop (or large laptop) can provide decent performance but not portability, whereas a netbook is very portable yet often lacks in performance.
Thankfully there is an easy solution to this situation and that is to invest in an iPad.
Not only does an iPad for education enable you to effortlessly word process and surf the web, it also provides you with a whole host of features that can help greatly with your studies. As well as being sleek and lightweight, the screen automatically rotates from portrait to landscape to help you produce essays, view images and surf the web in a way that will suit your needs. The sheer number of apps available will ensure that you are always equipped to deal with everything that Uni can throw at you. For example, the iBooks app will allow you to effortlessly meet your set reading goals without having to carry around piles of textbooks in your bag.
Quite simply, an iPad will allow you to keep in touch with your family, send queries to your tutors and keep up with the latest campus news, as well as research and write your assignments wherever you happen to be.
In your own way, you’ll always have an Apple for teachers!
Browse our pages further to find out more about our excellent Apple for education products.
iPad for Business and Education
Monday, November 21st, 2011The Apple iPad has been one of the most innovative and exciting developments in computing in recent years. Indeed, it has single-handedly revolutionised the world of mobile computing and communications by providing an ultra portable tablet that can effortlessly carry out a wide range of functions. Regardless of whether you use an iPad for business or education, its vast range of applications can help to make your life not only easier but also more enjoyable.
Apple for Business
With quick and reliable Internet access, an iPad can let you stay in touch with your clients as well as carry out research by browsing the ‘Web. This unlimited access to the internet can be put to especially good use when you are commuting to and from work or are on the move between meetings.
Apple for Education
An iPad is also the perfect tool for educational functions as it enables you to word process and peruse your set texts in a whole new way using the iBooks app. In addition, the multi-touch, automatically-rotating screen enables you to use your iPad whichever way you choose, thereby making it a truly flexible device. Furthermore, the sleek, lightweight design makes it far more portable than a cumbersome laptop.
Five years ago, people had the choice of either a portable yet frequently under-performing netbook or an adequate yet bulky laptop to address their mobile computing needs. Today, no such choices need to be made – an iPad can meet all of your business and educational needs.
Considering an iPad for Education?
Friday, November 4th, 2011The role technology plays in schools, colleges and universities has rapidly evolved in recent years. Students no longer learn how to use computers in a vacuum; more often computers are being used to aid students’ learning by helping them get to grips with concepts, develop projects and assess their own progress. With new technologies coming onto the market faster than ever before, it is only natural that educators should review the ways in which new hardware can be incorporated into the classroom, the laboratory or the lecture theatre.
Professor Mark Warschauer, a leading expert in technology and learning, has predicted that, in the classroom, Apple’s iPad will replace not just desktops and laptops, but also textbooks. He claims the iPad is better for reading, is more interactive due to touchscreen technology and costs a lot less than the cheapest Mac. The App Store also offers over 300,000 apps that can be used to aid learning and teaching, such as Google Earth, Math Magic and Grammar App.
With over twenty years’ experience as providers of Apple products and solutions, Albion Computers offer expert advice to schools, colleges, students and teachers on how Apple products can improve the learning experience and increase students’ productivity and creativity. If you are considering purchasing an iPad or a Mac for education, Albion can help find the product that will best suit your needs. The company also offers education discounts to publicly funded institutions delivering education to the 4 to 18/19 age range, prior to university.
The iPad Is No Blank Slate When It Comes To Education
Sunday, October 16th, 2011Often when buying educational hardware and software for the classroom there is the monumental problem the teachers face of learning the interface. With many products specifically designed for education, the interface can be laborious and the hardware unpredictable. When teaching, technical issues are the last thing you need. Gone are the times when teachers would simply have to skip an interactive technology section in class because of unreliable or overcomplicated technology. Or at least these times should be gone because today’s commercial solutions have become so adaptable and so well thought out that they now automatically beat any education specific solution. And on the top of that pile sits the iPad. Choosing iPad for education instantly cuts down on the learning time because the intuitive interface is already so second nature anybody can pick it up no time.
Here at Albion Computers we know that Apple for education brings seamless classroom integration and reliable technology that will not let you down, meaning you don’t have to forgo the interactive technology section of the class. In fact the more and more you use Apple for schools, the more and more freedom you will feel with it and teachers will not see it as an unnecessarily complicated way to teach something simple. Pupils will find that the iPad looks great, keeps their attention and gives them all the chance to give feedback. It is also a doddle to use, meaning that they can learn how to interact with a computer the way it should be interacted with: hands on.
Creative Education and New Technology in U.K Classrooms
Thursday, October 6th, 2011The future of education is something hotly debated on a continuous basis. But perhaps one of the most significant changes could take place in the next decade or so.
The technological revolution has already seeped to the core of educational establishments in the U.K. Since Derek Allen’s revolutionary educational software game, Dread Dragon Droom, became popular in 1980s U.K classrooms, educators have seen the conspicuous field of play available through educational technology.
Tablets
Long at the forefront of early educational software, the place of Apple in education is nothing new. However, the development of hardware like the iPad looks set to enable educational institutions to further extend the scope of their learning. Tablets like the iPad make it incredibly easy for schools to focus resources and update learning materials easily. When once a score of new textbooks was required, tablets like the iPad require little more than a simple content update. Apple support also means schools are covered in a far more comprehensive manner than via textbook suppliers.
Holographic Learning
This would primarily enable long distance tutorship in a more real environment than VDU screens. It would also be invaluable in creating realistic recreations of long lost environments and so on. The potential is really quite limitless. Students could see the sphinx degrade in 3D over three thousand years, be lectured by a life-size Anne Frank, or even be captivated by a vivid display of the atom being split in brilliant 3D holographics before them.
Tablets and Education in Struggling Economies
Monday, October 3rd, 2011Effective, ongoing educational schemes and resources in the third world have long been on the debate table. And in the past decade or so the subject of computers and their place in such learning environments has been hotly debated. So what are the key goals and issues?
Funding
The need for highly educated teachers (university level) in struggling economies such as the third world is often crippling to higher education programs. There is simply no money (or very little) to pay even diminutive salaries to university level teaching staff, making such people (i.e. those willing to work for little or no pay) a highly sought after commodity. Long distance learning (via the internet) could help rectify this shortfall.
Resources
This leads to the question of simple resources, or lack of. Few classrooms in the third world boast even enough pencils for students. Supplies often taken for granted by more prosperous nations – pens, paper, VDU systems etc – tend to be scarce in third world classrooms.
The Internet
Internet access would open a vast gateway for students in the third world. Online education – teaching staff, reading material etc – could be accessed for free. A heartening number of charitable organisations are dedicated to bringing internet access via tablets, laptops and even recycled smartphones to third world classrooms. Visit the likes of an informed Apple consultancy and they’ll likely inform of a comprehensive list of reasons why the Macbook and iPad in education can provide a valuable tool, regardless of fiscal background. A huge proportion of these reasons can be applied to education in the third world.
The iPad Represents A Revolution In Teaching
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011iPads are an affordable solution to create a truly interactive classroom. With an iPad for each student you can increase class contribution and make sure that no pupil is left behind. The iPad combines intuitive use with seamless wireless integration to your network meaning that using them is simple and intuitive. Many educational companies have their own pieces of hardware and software but often this can be complex, come with verbose instructions and are unreliable. With iPad for education all of that ends.
Since the iPad is a commercial product with millions of users already, the platform is stable, has benefited from some of the most cutting edge hardware and software innovations, and most importantly, it simply works and works simply. Apple for schools truly does pass along the wealth of advancements that have stemmed from the commercial world and presents this power to teachers. Most tellingly, the iPad has thousands of educational applications available from the App Store so whether you’re looking for a new way to teach numeracy, or a more visual representation of some literature, the iPad can easily deliver.
You can now buy the easily affordable iWork for iPad. This suite of professional programs has been especially adapted for the iPad to make it more visual and more simple than ever to create professional grade documents, spreadsheets and presentations. With this level of interactivity, stability and a wealth of options, Apple for teachers really does represent a revolution in classroom technology that you could be a part of today.
GarageBand’s Uses In Education
Saturday, September 17th, 2011Apple has already garnered a popular following with its wildly successful iPod and iPhone, so it makes sense to invest in Apple for schools. So many pupils are already familiar with the intuitive interfaces that various Apple OSes provide that they can pick up using Macs and other pieces of Apple hardware very quickly indeed. And with the innovation behind both Apple hardware and software, as a teacher or headmaster there are already a myriad of possibilities to extend your teaching power.
Albion champions Apple in education because it comes with out-of-the-box solutions that offer professional grade quality. For instance, with iLife you get GarageBand, a flexible program that is deceptively powerful. Inclusive software really shouldn’t be this good, but it really shows Apple’s commitment to quality that you get so much. Technology already plays a vital role in music and at the heart of most multi-million pound recording studios you will find an Apple computer. GarageBand is a great taster for budding musicians and even comes with fantastic learning features such as “How Did I Play?” which grades you on your accompaniment and Basic lessons for piano and guitar.
And yet this only scratches the surface. More professional grade features include amp modelling and groove matching which can truly turn your Mac into an instrument in its own right. With features like this, Apple for education makes sense – in order to compile this many quality programs and effects on another platform would cost the earth.
