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This is a question that I have been asked many times, "What type of device should I get for my child?" When you're thinking about buying a device to support your child in their educational environment and their daily school tasks, the first things to consider are:
- how they will be using this device?
- what they need to achieve/goals for tasks they
need to use the device for?
- what type of systems are being used in their
own school environment/school board?
Written Output Needs for Desired Device:
If this device is simply for written output a tablet or laptop both will do the job. One thing I do recommend though, if you decided buy a tablet, get one that has an external keyboard option or buy the external keyboard accessory.
The touch screen keyboard that is embedded into most tablet devices can be used but when your child has an assignment or have to do note taking especially if they are grade 6+, it can be much slower with the touchscreen keyboard and even frustrating compared to having an external keyboard to type on.
My child struggles with reading and writing:
If your child is struggling with reading and writing and you are buying the device to support those skills you'll want to look into different apps or software that can support helping your child with reading and writing. Different assistive technology software that you look could look into for support reading and writing are:
- text-to-speech
- speech-to-text
- word prediction
- optical character recognition (OCR) programs
- graphic organizing programs.
The assistive technology software I described is available on both laptops and tablets. Both types of devices actually have features built-in some of these programs and also you can buy separate apps or software.
My child has a physical disability:
If your child has a physical disability or struggles with fine motor skills, a iPad or tablet can be much easier for them to manipulate. Also looking into other devices, like a specialized mouse or stand can help with moving around and using the device.
What types of devices and computer systems does my child use at school? Are they using the cloud?:
Does your school or entire school board use certain type of devices? You can have different device because this is your own personal device you are buying for your child but when it comes to planning an assignment or doing daily having some of the similar features at the school board are using will make it much easier for your child completing and handing in their daily school work.
One big thing to think about, does your school board using cloud systems and especially do they use it on a regular basis? More and more school boards are slowly integrating to cloud systems, choosing either Google apps for education (GAFE) or Microsoft Office 365 (MS365). It will be important to get a device that is compatible with these clouds system because if your child is using a cloud system in class our regular basis they will be doing work, handing in assignments, doing group work, teachers will post their schoolwork there, etc. Both Microsoft and Google cloud systems are browser-based which means they a run on Internet browsers for the most part. As long as you get a device that can connect to Internet, you can buy any type of device. There are certain device that work better with certain cloud systems.
If you want more of a laptop/computer option for your child that is very compatible with there school boards cloud system:
Google apps for education (GAFE) have created awesome Chromebooks. They are extremely affordable and work amazing with the GAFE cloud. You can also buy any type of laptop as long as you have a chrome browser loaded because the GAFE cloud was built around the chrome browser.
Microsoft Office 365 (MS365) You can buy almost any laptop that runs Windows and purchase office 365. One thing I really do like about the office 365 is it has a few more options for off-line syncing compared to Google. If you want a really good system and are willing to spend a bit more money, you should look into the Microsoft Surface. It is a laptop and tablet all in one. I got to use a Surface for four months and liked it quite a bit.
Is there any funding that my public School board or other agencies offer to support my child with Special Needs?:
If you're child has an official diagnosis from a psychologist, there is a possibility that they could be eligible for specialized funding from the school board or other agencies. For example, children with learning disabilities and varying other disabilities in Ontario can apply for SEA (special education allotment) funding. Every school board is different and the process can be a little bit different applying for this funding. I recommend talking to your Special Education Resource Teacher or even a professional who deals with your children's needs for more information on how and what funding is available to your child.
Now, what do I buy? Is one device better than the other when comparing a laptop to a tablet?:
I would not say one device is better than the other comparing a tablet to a laptop. It really depends on what your child's needs are for this device.
One thing I will say, is very important to set rules and monitor screen time especially if you have a child that likes to play games. When the child receives the device, they must know that the 1st purpose of this device is to do schoolwork. Some students can't make this connection or refused to and the device becomes the things they play games on all the time. And for some students this will make it especially hard to get them focus when they need to do their school or use it appropriately when they're at school.
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