Looking for information on Google Play

[Lori Abrahams]

http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/11/13/google-rolls-out-tablets-with-google-play-for-education.aspx?=THE21

Would love to hear if anyone has tried or is using. 

thanks

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Lori Abrahams
Information Specialist
Frederick School
CCSD #46
595 Frederick Rd
Grayslake, IL 60030
Main Office: 847-543-5300
Information Center Office: 847-543-5317
abraha...@d46.org

[George Sorrells]

I have had my district signed up for the last couple of months.  To be honest, I was very surprised they took it off beta so soon.  

Quite a bit of bugs, and no good way to purchase apps and push out apps, yet.  We have never been able to get Books working correctly.  I have to admit the provisioning of the tablets is really slick.  Was able to deploy 60 tablets in 1/10th the time it took to deploy 6 ipads!

Biggest issue comes back to the apps.  We were really hoping for something different than Apple, where the app stays with the device, not the user.  So far it is the same as with apple.  This is only going to work for a true 1:1.  Won't work very well for carts, or shared devices. As you can only have one user per device.

To me, this IS NOT ready for prime time.

That being said:  the kids and the teachers using them absolutely love them. 

George Sorrells 

We shouldn't be teaching technology, we should be using technology to teach!                                          
Director of Technology
Winneconne Community School District 
Learning Today ... Leading Tomorrow

920.582.0911 
Google Apps for Education Certified Trainer
Google Apps Certified Individual

[Melissa Benson]

That's disappointing to hear about the apps staying with the device :(.

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Melissa Benson
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[George Sorrells]

The group app provisioning has been part of the problem.  It is no big deal if the app is free, but with the paid apps....... 

What happens is that you send the app out to the group, so you pay for the number of people in the group.  Our experience has been that one or more kids may not get the app, and then you have to send it out the individual, paying for it once again.

I think the final issue I have with it as play has been rolled out, is the management.  Even though you have to pay for the devices you do the management through the mobile device section of the dashboard.  What does that mean?  Well at an ES not much, because these kids are not bringing in mobile devices, but at the MS and HS level where you have kids bringing in their own tablets, or phones, and they want to connect to their google stuff.   You now are using the same settings for individual devices as well as the devices owned by the school.  So the only reason you have to pay the management fee is for the provisioning.  (It is pretty nice, but not nice enough for $30.)

George Sorrells 

We shouldn't be teaching technology, we should be using technology to teach!                                          
Director of Technology
Winneconne Community School District 
Learning Today ... Leading Tomorrow

920.582.0911 
Google Apps for Education Certified Trainer
Google Apps Certified Individual