Recommend a laptop for a teacher

dixiefly wrote: »

I was wondering if any teachers have done recent research on laptops especially as an assist for teaching both in the classroom and from home.

My wife is a secondary school teacher of Business and Accounting and likes to use a visualiser to display content that she writes for display on the screen.

Is Microsoft Surface Pro a good option for this?

Any other similar options or alternatives that are,perhaps, not as expensive.

We use Microsoft surfaces in school. Not sure which model? I think it might be the latest one. We have used them for years.
Originally I found the battery life dreadful but the new ones seem to be good. I have had no hassle with it. It was a Godsend during lockdown as I could correct homework with my pen etc on it.

I wouldn’t be very tech savvy now in fairness. I bet there are cheaper alternatives around!!

Mardy Bum wrote: »

I'd ask the school for one before buying. The IT grant should be used for this in current circumstances.

Oh gosh I agree! My school provides ours

Dave0301 wrote: »

I got a Surface Pro at the start of the year and it was great. It really made things easier for remote teaching then once schools shut.

They are a bit more expensive than other options though.

In terms of classroom teaching, I feel that they wouldn't be that effective unless you have a strong wifi connection so that you could connect it to the overhead projector, speakers etc. which in my school and some others that I've worked in wouldn't have.

I have been using my own laptop in school but will not be using it this year if I'm going from classroom to classroom, opening closing it etc. The school must provide for ICT, otherwise it's chalk and talk.

I wouldn't buy anything until September until I know the lie of the land. There could be school deals by then. I wouldn't mind a 50/50 laptop.

mtoutlemonde wrote: »

In terms of classroom teaching, I feel that they wouldn't be that effective unless you have a strong wifi connection so that you could connect it to the overhead projector, speakers etc. which in my school and some others that I've worked in wouldn't have.

I have been using my own laptop in school but will not be using it this year if I'm going from classroom to classroom, opening closing it etc. The school must provide for ICT, otherwise it's chalk and talk.

I wouldn't buy anything until September until I know the lie of the land. There could be school deals by then. I wouldn't mind a 50/50 laptop.

What do you mean effective? Surface pro’s are high quality machines

A slightly less elegant option is a something like a Dell 2in1. These come with a keyboard and built in ports already so you only need to add the pen and straight away save a few hundred euro. It will save a few bob but not as easy to handle as they are heavier and the keyboard folds up on itself rather than detaches on the cheaper dell models.

krissovo wrote: »

The surface can use a USB C hub with the ports that you need.

Had to look this up - a handy little gadget. Does the surface have a USB port? Couldn't find one in the ones we bought in school for SEN students. Maybe cover was covering it.

Dave0301 wrote: »

Yes they should have...or at least my one does.

Agree regarding the classroom set up though. As a result of Covid-19 we are gearing up for blended learning and have been told that all IT related concerns are being worked on during the summer (this is in the UK).

I had one myself a few years ago and it had a port but I couldn't find it in the new one.

There is no IT department to deal with our problems - that's the responsibility of each school and with no budget (or one that goes elsewhere/not enough).

mtoutlemonde wrote: »

Connecting to projectors/speakers wirelessly - there are no ports on the new surfaces. It's easier to put cables into a laptop. This is the situation in my place.

You can get a wireless adapter similar to a Chromecast but for a Surface that links with the tablet without any cables.

DELL XPS 7390 2 in 1.
It has good performance, screen, thin and light and most importantly you can use a stylus to write on the screen and project. The only downside is it has a limited number of ports. Just 2 USB-C ports. So need to carry a dongle to connect to the projector. The dongles cost 20-30E in amazon

and Dell has an onsite warranty service(upto 4 years if you choose) with the premium warranty. They are very responsive as well.

Surface pro has usb-a and usb-c ports.
I’ve used one for years and wouldn’t be without it!