Integrating the iPad into the classroom

I discovered a very interesting article by Dian Schaffhauser about an organization that has been integrating iPads into every academic program and they offer great insight into what they have learned. If you have any interest in using the iPad in your course, give this article a read.

7 Lessons from a Systemwide iPad Program

Not only can you learn a lot from their experiences, but they also provide some golden nuggets along the way in the form of individual instructors' experiences with particular apps or a particular method of using the iPad. Look for the grey textboxes at the end of the lessons learned:

Here are the apps featured in these snippets:

Flashcards+  a fast, fun and free way to review your own flashcards or use the millions of existing flashcard decks

Socrative Student  initiate formative assessments via quizzes, quick question polls, exit tickets and space races

EasyBib  create accurate MLA, APA, and Chicago style citations just by scanning a book bar code to by typing the name of a book

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Doceri

Doceri is an easy to use app for the iPad or Windows tablet. It acts as an interactive whiteboard and screencast recorder with sophisticated tools for hand-drawn graphics and built-in remote desktop control. A few fancy words that say a whole lot.

Use it for working problems, drawing diagrams, group brainstorming. That's just for starters. You can present in real time, or record and edit the presentation for later use. The editing and voice over tools are impressive for such a free/inexpensive product.

Although you may create them on your tablet, the presentations can be saved and shared on YouTube, email or other media.

See for yourself - a whole series of videos gives you a better idea of Doceri's range of capabilities

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Making your iPhone battery last longer

Make your iPhone battery last longer

Anyone who has had a device that needs charging should be aware of these issues - some have been around for a while and some are relatively new to the iPhone/iPad. 

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Which Tablet Is Right For You?

Are you considering getting a tablet this year?  Mashable put out a great infographic to help you decide what is right for your needs.  Check out the article, and see what might work for you below. 

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Great iPad Apps for Educators

Do you have an iPad?  There's a whole treasure trove of free and inexpensive apps for a variety of learning situations.  St. Oliver Plunkett School came up with a great list of apps to help other educators find them. While the school is a K-7 school, many of the apps can be used for a variety of age groups.  You can view the original .pdf by clicking here.  Enjoy!

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Have an iPad? Love Google Drive? Read this!

So, you have an iPad now.  And, you've been using Google Drive on your work and home computer but are unsure of just how to use it on the iPad.  Have no fear.  Read this short guide on how to use Google Drive on your iPad, and you'll be off and running in no time!

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Read This if You Like "To-Do" Lists!

Do you live by a to-do list?  Are you perplexed by all the new "to-do" productivity apps?  Are you looking for a to-do list tool that works across all your devices such as an iPad, Web, and Android?  Give Wunderlist a try.  It is a free task management tool that syncs across devices and is easy to use.  Check out this link to find more information and applications for education.

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Powerocks Magicstick

Rapid Buyr has the Powerocks Magicstick available for $27 and this includes shipping. The site states that the regular price is $50 but I found them for $39.99 on Amazon. This did not include shipping though.
The Powerocks Magicstick is a backup battery charger that works on any device that is USB-chargeable. This means you can have a bckup energy supply for your iPhone, iPod, iPad, etc.Check out the video to see just how you might use it.

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Feedler for Keeping up with Blogs

This post is courtesy of an email from Shanna Zimmerman.
"I just discovered an iOS app that I'm totally in love with for keeping up on blogs. It is called Feeddler and is compatible with both iPad and iPhone. I know there is a lite and a paid version. For some reason I upgraded to paid. I don't remember why or how much it ($4.99) was, sorry. Check it out!"

iPad Insight lists these features of the Feeddler Pro app:

• Support Google Reader.
• Cache RSS feeds. 
• Support sync all subscriptions, and sync subscriptions in a folder/tag. 
• Smart Sync shortens syncing time. First-time full sync may take some time. 
• Smart update to determine auto-refresh or read-from-cache for a feed. 
• Able to star/unstar, like/unlike, share/unshare, mark unread any RSS story. 
• Able to mark all read for any RSS subscription. 
• Use built-in browser for full articles and web pages. 
• Support in-app e-mail sharing. 
• Support Facebook sharing.

You might want to try the free version of Feeddler before deciding to purchase the pro version.
Thanks so much for sharing, Shanna.

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Ever Wondered about Evernote?

Evernote is advertised as a great note-taking and bookmarking tool.   Ever wondered how to use Evernote? Ever wondered why Evernote is so special?  Never wonder again…A new 34 page free guide has been released by “Make Use Of”. This guide will help explain how to use Evernote on your computer and phone with instructions for both iOS and Android devices.  Check it out here:  How to Use Evernote, The Missing Manual.

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ANGEL on your iPad

Do you use your iPad to work in ANGEL? If so, we suggest using the Atomic Web browser. It appears to be very stable.

Also be sure to enter the course you wish to work in before changing to PDA mode. Users are getting an exception error if they change to PDA mode before entering the course itself.

Please let us know if you have further tips for using an iPad to access ANGEL.

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iPads and literature

Virtual book clubs? It was inevitable, I suppose.

This site provides inspiration for using literature with eReaders inside the classroom and independently. The site includes links to the best known sites for free eBooks, and  tools for a reading discussion group

• determining the readability scores for online articles
• notetaking apps
• cloud storage/exchange apps
• discussions apps

One of the intriguing parts of this site is the section on the use of roles (tracing travel, gathering background information, illustrator) and list of apps that facilitate those roles. Many of these ideas are aimed at K-12, but could easily be adapted to higher ed, or independent reading groups. At any rate it is an example of how technology can be used with imagination.

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Bridging the Gap Apps!

I stumbled onto a wonderful site called BridgingApps.   The purpose of this site is to “bridge the gap between technology and people with disabilities.”  The website contains pathways of information organized according to whether you are a parent, therapist, teacher, institution, doctor, or have a disability.  The focus of the website is to provide information on how to use mobile device with apps to help accelerate learning and advance skills.  The website also has a place to sign up for a newsletter as well as information on new app reviews and some wonderful success stories.  This site could be one you want to save as a favorite!

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iPad Apps for Educators!

I recently got an iPad. I love it. I have visions of all the wonderful things I will do with my iPad, but searching for apps takes time. So that is why I am a teeny bit addicted to articles that tell me about great apps because it saves me some disappointment. This morning I found an article that highlights great apps for educators, so I wanted to share this knowledge with you!

Also, if you know of some great educational apps, we would love to hear from you. Has anyting particularly helped you with teaching online or are you excited about trying something new this fall?

Great iPad apps:

• 20 Apps for Educators
• 10 Apps for Teachers AND Students
• 6 Apps for Business (the business teachers out there might want to utilize these!)

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Side by Side for the iPad

If I ever get an iPad, I think I would want this app. If you have an iPad you might want to check out this one. Not only does it allow the user to view 4 screens but also supports Dropbox. By the way, did I mention that it is free?

From the website: "Side by Side is a multiple-window reader/browser with offline reading and note taking capabilities. It turns the iPad into multiple resizable reading devices working in parallel. You can browse webpages, download files, read documents, or take notes on each split screen".

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