Texas District Selects Android Tablet for ESL Students
A Texas school district is deploying 100 education-oriented tablets across several middle schools specifically to assist with ESL programs.
Garland Independent School District will distribute Brainchild’s Kineo tablets for use with the company's Achiever! software to help English language learners prepare for STAAR testing, the Texas state assessments.
The ESL students will use the tablets for individualized instruction. When Achiever! is used online, students can view lessons in both English and Spanish. The company's remedial software, Mechanics, will also be used with some students to help build fundamental skills.
School staff can also upload web-based reports on student progress to help them differentiate instruction further.
The Kineo is an Android-based tablet that gives students restricted access to the web, as well as Flash capabilities and the choice between a number of e-readers. According to the company, it features:
- A 7″ 800p x 480p touchscreen display
- 800MHz Dual Core Processor
- 2 GB internal storage
- 256 DDR RAM
- 802.11b/g WiFi Connectivity
- 10-hour battery life
- MP4 Movie Player
"Districts are finding many challenges with implementing a successful mobile learning experience into the classroom," said Brainchild’s vice president, Jeremy Verret in a statement. "We not only provide the Kineo tablets, we also provide the software and professional development to ensure success."
About the Author
Stephen Noonoo is an education technology journalist based in Los Angeles. He is on Twitter @stephenoonoo.