iPad vs. iPad 2

I would be remiss if I did not mention the iPad2 with its recent launch, and what it has to offer education! I am one of the crazies who stood in line waiting for the iPad2, and I must say I am not disappointed.

So what does the iPad2 have to offer that is so much better:

CAMERAS!!! -- I think the biggest upgrade for the iPad2 is the front and rear camera. This turns the iPad into a camera to take pictures and video, but also makes it available for applications like Skype and Face time.

This could be a big help to schools who implement iPads into their curriculum, it adds a another whole aspect of learning to the iPad.

Another big thing is the iMovie App. Now you can edit film on your iPad using the ultra user friendly iMovie.

A side note:

I don't know a lot about processors and speed, but the new processor in the iPad 2 is extremely fast and efficient.

While the iPad is great, the iPad 2 offers even more opportunities for use in the field of education.

Software Update 4.3.1

There is a software update for the iPad, 4.3.1, which is in conjuction with the release of the iPad 2. In order to update your iPads, it is quite a process, you must plug them in like you normally would to sync them. The kicker is that you can only update one iPad's software at a time, each update takes 5-7 minutes per iPad times 30 iPads = a lot of time! One thing I found helpful when doing this is to only plug in one iPad at a time. When I sync iPads i plug 7 in at a time using an adaptor. Since you can only update one at a time, there is no need to plug in more than this, if you do it just gets confusing, you don't know which ones have been updated. The update should: Fix graphics glitch Resolve bugs when connecting to a network Fixes image flicker when connecting using AV adaptor Resolve authenticating with some web services Although none of this means much to me, I am sure they will make the iPad run smoother, and I am updating all of mine, even though it is taking a little bit of time:)

iTunes U

iTunes U is something I was not familiar with until I started using iTunes in education. iTunes you is all FREE content. It is usually published or sponsored by a college or university, and contains videos, books, lectures, and audiobooks. More than 800 universities contribute to this collection. The only thing you need to remember is when you are syncing, go to the iTunes U tab at the top, and make sure your iPads are set to sync all new content from iTunes U. It is not a default setup, you have to choose it. Then it is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

We mostly use videos from here. Since students cannot access Youtube from their accounts, we find videos and load them onto each iPad. Then all the student has to do is open up iTunes.

The process:

To open up iTunes click on the iTunes app in the bottom row of your iPad

Once in iTunes click on the iTunes U tab on the side of the screen

To learn more about iTunes U:

http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/

Websites and Blogs

Below are links to websites and blogs I look at regularly to update apps and other information on the iPads:

iPad News Updates
http://www.ipadnewsupdates.com/
Contains the latest information about the iPads. Includes tips and tricks as well as updates for the iPad.

iTunes Store: Top Free Apps
http://www.itunes.com
Recommends an app for education daily.

Mobile iEducator
http://mobileieducator.com/
Not all posts have to do with the iPad, but lots of app reviews and uses for different apps.

App Sites for Schools

Apps categorized by function:
http://ipadschools.wikispaces.com/

Apps for high schools:
http://palmbeachschooltalk.com/groups/ipadpilot/wiki/70925/High_School_iPad_Apps.html

Apps categorized by subject area:
http://teachwithyouripad.wikispaces.com/Grade+9-12+Apps

Applying apps to activities in your classroom:
http://www.apptivities.org/

Spring Break March 14-18

Our Spring Break was March 14-18, I will continue posting when we come back.

Our first Paid Apps!!!

So excited, last week we were able to purchase apps from the app store for the first time. After going through the painfully excruciating process of being a part of the volume purchasing program for education, it has finally paid off!

The Process
The process could not be easier. I send a list of apps we would like to our tech director.
He purchases them through our district volume account.
He sends me the link for the purchased app.
I click the link.
It opens up a window in iTunes.
I enter my account password.
The app is downloaded into my iTunes Library.

For more about the volume purchasing program check out this link
http://www.apple.com/itunes/education/

AND THE BEST PART IS...
All apps purchased through this program (if you buy 20 or more copies of each) are 50% off!!!
To read more about this check out this link or go to the Apple website
http://appsineducation.blogspot.com/2011/02/volume-purchase-program-50-off-apps-for.html

My Top Ten Apps

So as I promised, here are a list of the Top Ten Apps for our uses. Some are subject specific and some are reference tools.

Idea Sketch

A mindmapping tool. You can email final products to yourself for viewing and printing. A great way to organize your thoughts for any assignment.

Google Earth

What more can I say, great for Geography, Google Lit Trips in English, and even math when measuring distances.

The Constitution for iPad

We use this in debate for researching Supreme Court cases as well as in Government.

Lit Charts: To Kill a Mockingbird

These are great and available for many other books as well. Provides themes, summaries, character sketches, entire book by chapter, and lots of other things all in one place.

Flashcardlet

Uses Quizlet flashcards you create or that are already created to study particular subject areas.

Collins Math: Algebra

Provides an overview of every topic covered in Algebra I. Includes practice problems, video solutions and tutorials, as well as step by step instructions.

Shakespeare in Bits: Romeo in Juliet
Also available in other Shakespeare plays. My absolute favorite!!! Provides entire text, modern translation, video of the play, one tap conversion of phrases to modern english, themes, quotes, summaries, and lots more!

Google

Provides easy access to all the Google applications you use daily, such as Google searches, Docs, Blogger, Reader, etc
Access My School Library
Amazing, access to all the Gale databases in one spot. Login in with your school information once, and it is always remembered. Great resource for "reliable" sources.

Animoto

Just like the website only the app version. Make great, professional looking movies from your iPad anytime for free, just login to your account.

Response to Blog (What tools are essential)

On the Educational Origami Blog, there is a post discussing iPad, iPod, iPhone, and iEducation. In this post the writer discusses what he would place on his class set of iPads.

Once big difference here is that he has a class set of iPads. What I have, is a rotating set. That means each student does not have one iPad assigned just for him/her. I think this makes a big difference when purcahasing. You have to realize there will be 350 students using these 30 iPads. They cannot save their work, because the next user could easily erase it.

With that being said, here is the list he reported and what I have to say about it:

Pages, Keynotes, and Numbers -- these are the comparable pieces to Word, Excel, and Power Point. Because we have 3 other computer labs, I don't see these as a necessity (plus at $9.99 a pop per iPad, it can really add up!) When students need to do these tasks teachers just sign up to use the computer labs instead. I think the iPads are fairly hard to key on anyway and they encourage bad typing habits, so for these types of activities I think we will stick to computers!

iThoughts HD (mindmapping tool) -- while this may be awesome, I have never used it, again it is $9.99 per app. There are plenty of other ind mapping tools out there that can be used that are less expensive, and in some cases, free. The one we use with our iPads is Idea Sketch , and it is free.

Adobe Photoshop Express (image editor) -- This is a free app. I have not looked into a photo editing app, but with a reputation like Adobe has, I am sure it is the best of the best. We don't do a ton of photo editing, so I had not gotten this far in looking at apps, but I am putting it on my add list as we speak.

Good Reader (file management tool) -- THis app looks awesome, and would be great if each students had thier own iPad and could save and keep what they did. However this is not the case for us. That being said, I am going to look into this app, becuase I am sure you can email work to yourself, this may be a way around that problem.

Comic Strip CS -- This is a pretty cool app and would be nice to have, but not a necessity. It is only$0.99, so it would not be a huge monetary investment. The only thing I see about this is taht there are so many free comic strip makers online that you can use. However students definitely prefer to use the iPads, so it may be worth looking into.

Video Editor -- We do not have a video editor yet, again, we don't do a lot of video, but when we do we use Flip Cams. Since the iPads haev no USB port, it is easier to import the video onto a laptop. I am sure it would be great to edit video using the iPads though, just not feasible for us right now.

iTranslate -- This is one we do have and use frequently. It is an easy to use translator, that translates into or from whatever language you choose.

Google Earth -- FANTASTIC!!! We use this all the time for Geography class, as well as other classes. Great FREE app.

Audio Notes -- Again since everyone does not have their own iPad, we don't have a huge need for a note taking tool.

Projector -- not really sure what it does or how we would use it, plus it is$29.99 per app!

Skype -- This is a great tool. Would be even better if the iPad had a camera, if only we could have waited! (iPad 2 coming out in April is supposed to have 2 cameras!)

Extras:
Definitely agree with the need for headphones for each iPad. We have 30 and could not survive without them.

Would be nice to have USB adaptors for importing video, will look into this, wouldn't need 30, we only have 7 cameras.

SD card adaptor, we have one, but I haven't needed to use it yet, it is sometimes easier just to email.

While I don't have a need for a lot oft he tools mentioned, I am sure if we had classroom sets, or a 1 to 1 initiative I would feel differently about this. We would be using them everyday for every task; note taking, sharing files, typing, creating presentations, etc. Right now we are just using them as a tool to enhance what we are already doing. Every teacher probably gets the set about once every 2 weeks:(

I will follow up with a list of my own, what I feel are the most essential apps for our purposes.