Some "Spot On" Thoughts about iPad 1:1 Learning

In July, one of our techie superstars, Alison Kline-Kator, held a Mercy 2.0 Boot Camp for our new teachers and staff. This included three mornings of immersion in ways that technology currently does and soon will integrate with our curriculum.

As an opening exercise, Alison divided her minions into small groups and rotated them around the room to brainstorm answers to general questions about technology and education and write then on big sheets of post up paper.

I was particular taken by the responses to What excites you about working in a 1:1 environment?

*All students can be involved and engaged.

*Students are active learners

*Quick communications among all.

*Helps [with organization]-- teachers and students

*Portability of device [iPad] . . . .

*Availability and extent of resources.

*Learning new ways/shortcuts to do things

*Part of technology, learning life cycle.

*Collaboration, two-way learning opportunities

*Accessibility to multimedia

*Learning from students.

*Always changes and evolves-- constant learning

*Creativity that students can bring to learning with technology tools

*Types of products and assignments accessibility allows

These struck me as "spot on" and assured me that we had some great new folks joining our ranks.

Cloud Addict

ToDo for iPad

Internet technology changes so fast.  Just two years ago, I led a succession of workshops on Challenge Based Learning.  I remember in one of the introductory sessions I explained the concept of "cloud" computing.  That already seems quaint, considering almost all of those same persons are now using Google Apps or accessing files through their Dropbox accounts.

Nearly all of my computing takes place in the cloud where I have located some pretty sizable storage in Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, and Amazon Cloud Drive.  So I have decided to let this blog post serve as a milestone for taking stock of my workhorse cloud apps.  As I mentioned in My iPad Workflow, I will expound a bit on the first two.
ToDo
The ToDo apps for OS and iOs have become even more essential for organizing my work and personal time than my calendars. Here, I can store all manner of lists and short notes. The "tasks" can be set up for sublists as projects or checklists. For instance, I am working on a project slowly cataloging some of my music. I can set up a music catalog project and nest all the little tasks and self-imposed deadlines inside. Of course I can do the same thing with a major work project, like building an electrical substation.  

Checklists are handy for the grocery store since all of these lists synch across all five of my Apple devices, thanks to iCloud. I usually use my iPhone for these. However, the iPad interface with ToDo is splendid.
Evernote
I have made a major commitment to Evernote as a place to keep all of my files. A year ago, I inherited two file cabinets full of folders related to my job. Since assuming my position managing school "operations", I have only contributed to one drawer. The majority of the the quotes, contracts, and diagrams that I receive, come to me in digital form. And at first I simply printed them out and filed them because I was afraid of losing track of them. In the mean time, I tried two different solutions for project management, before landing on Evernote.

I now store all such files in Evernote for four very good reasons
1) I can access them anywhere. Evernote interfaces well across platforms and can be accessed through apps or online.
2) It is simple to get files to Evernote. Much of the time I simply forward email notes and snapshots directly to my inbox.
3) Notes can be collected in notebooks and notebooks can be collected in stacks. These notes can be cross-tabluated with tags
4) The deal-breaker is the fabulous search capability of Evernote. It can even search text within pdfs and images.  
Dropbox
All of my work files are stored in Dropbox so that I can access them anywhere. This has become an essential workflow app with the iPad for everyone at Mercy.

Chrome
I have just started using Chrome as my default browser. Besides being fast, I have had much better luck with extensions than with Firefox and Safari. It synchs across my computers better than the other browsers as well.

GMail
As a school we've gone to the cloud for our email solution. Count me as one user who has no regrets.
Google Drive
Because they work so well with Moodle I have been along time fan of Google Docs for sharing documents. I continue to use them more than any other word processing software.
iCal/Google Calendar
Where would I be without cloud calendars? Surely at the wrong place at the wrong time

Address Book
It probably goes without saying that many of us now expect our contacts to be at our finger tips wherever we go. Already MobileMe is a long ago painful memory. iCloud has assisted me greatly in terms of synching calendars and contacts.odo app.

Mercy 2.0 Boot Camp

With two recent retirements and and a bumper crop of 9th graders expected in August, we have six new teaching positions posted. These newbies will certainly have an impact on our school environment. And naturally, we are very eager to impact them with Mercy 2.0.

Ironically, we cannot reasonably expect that otherwise excellent candidates will arrive with the tech skills needed to jump in to Mercy's program. For one things, schools of education are behind in such things. For another, we truly are on the leading edge in instructional technology, so even experienced teachers may be unprepared for the breadth and depth of our program. Consequently, rather than listing specific skills as prerequisites, on our job descriptions we stipulated a need to demonstrate both an aptitude and an enthusiastic curiosity toward the investigation of technological tools and their integration across [science, etc.] curriculum

In order to prepare them for Mercy 2.0 we have arrived at a unique solution. In July, we will host a Mercy 2.0 Boot Camp for new teachers. (Mercy staff veterans will also be welcome to audit). The sessions will be led by our crackerjack Religious Studies teacher and tech wizard, Alison Kline-Kator. Over the course of three days, Alison will introduce teachers to such Mercy necessities as Moodle, PowerTeacher, Google Apps, and of course iPad/iPad apps. Most importantly, she will orient them to the engaging teaching methods that these powerful tools enhance.

We have introduced a number of innovations with Mercy 2.0. I consider this to be one of the most critical. We have a lot riding on the staff's enthusiasm Mercy 2.0. After graduating from boot camp, our cadets will be ready to join in the action.

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Creative Commons Photo courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard

Experimenting with a Google Apps Lab

As we shift into a summer mode at Mercy, we are also going to shift our professional development format. In May we presented some "Super Tuesdays" (and Thursdays) -- These were after-school workshops dedicated to the introduction of specific iPad apps like Dropbox, Noteshelf, Evernote, and Explain Everything. These sessions were very well attended even though they came at an exceedingly busy time for our teachers. Volunteers presented the workshops and it was unreasonable to expect them to give make-up sessions or post lots of resources.

So for summer, we will try to slow down and individualize. In June, we will host two "labs". This was the suggestion of our incredibly tech savvy, Alison Kline-Kator (someone you will be hearing more about in an upcoming post). She suggested a "drop-in" environment where folks could come for the 1:1 or small group training they desired. About eight staff members answered my call to serve as "trainers" for these two hour periods.

The first lab will be held on June 4, and it will focus on anything Google. Going to Google Apps was a key facet of our transition to Mercy 2.0. During a Keynote in April, Lucy Gray gave us a taste of all the interesting instructional possibilities for Google Apps. In addition, since across the school we are transitioning to Google Calendar, fluency in that environment will become essential for all staff. About 25 staff members have indicated that they will probably or certainly attend.

Two weeks later we will present a lab for all things iPad. I will be very curious to see how many people drop by, and that will pretty much determine whether we will offer another couple of labs during the summer.

In my next post I will describe a scheme for our newbie teachers that is a little more intense!

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CC illustration found at http://bit.ly/LTaWcl

Revolution, iPad, Google, Baseball and More!

Apps Take Position in the Topps Baseball Lineup

On Major League Baseball’s opening day, Topps, the 74-year-old company in a business with roots in the tobacco cards of the 1800s, introduced two apps intended to appeal to a more techcentric youth market.

http://nyti.ms/HtgGIc


CEO Larry Page & 7 Amazing Stats about Google
Google launched Gmail in 2004 and now is used by more than 350 million people. Over 5,000 new businesses and educational establishments sign up for Gmail every day.
http://bit.ly/HlCbrT

Photo by Suzanne DeChillo (NYT) http://nyti.ms/HtgGIc

10 iPad Photo, Video Apps that Maximize Retina Display

With 3 million new iPads sold (and counting), it looks like Apple's latest version of its tablet computer is a big hit. That's due in large part to the most impressive new feature of the iPad—its high-resolution Retina Display

http://bit.ly/HzJ5vZ

Amidst a Mobile Revolution in Schools, Will Old Teaching Tactics Work?

People are talking about this being an inflection point,” said Elliot Soloway. Soloway is a professor at the School of Education at the University of Michigan, and a longtime proponent of mobile learning. “It feels like something major is about to happen. It went from a silly idea, to, ‘Of course it’s inevitable.'

http://bit.ly/HzVpLX

H.P. Attempts to Take on Amazon's Cloud Service

Within two months, Hewlett-Packard will offer a large and powerful cloud computing service similar to Amazon Web Services, but with more business-oriented features, according the head of the project.

http://nyti.ms/I7Bbfu

Apps in Education: 10 Productivity Apps

There are certain apps that just make your day easier. These are apps that I have been using regularly as part of my daily workflow. There is a nice variety of apps here, some are for use at school exclusively others  I like because it gives me the freedom to just come home and continue with my lesson preparation. Have a look and see if any of these might be useful for you.

http://bit.ly/HugKWw

The iPad Unboxed!

On Tuesday, Staff members became acquainted with their new iPads with an after school orientation an orientation by  Dean Haratsaris from Macprofessionals of Novi.  This was done in anticipation of a more conceptual "workflow" professional development experience that will be conducted next week by Lucy Gray.  

Macprofessionals will be a partner for some MHS training.

Dean covered the following at the session:

The Basics 

• iPad Hardware: Front/Back/VGA Adapter/USB cable
• Powering on/off
• Putting to sleep
• Opening/Closing Apps
• Returning home
• Spotlight
• Moving apps/Deleting Apps/Organizing Apps into folders
• Multitasking
• Orientation Lock
• Keyboard Overview
• Cut and Paste
• Screen Shots

Multitasking Gestures 

• Pinch to zoom
• Double tap smart zoom
• Two fingers zoom
• Rotate
• Home button
• Double tap
• Slide to right
• 4 fingers up
• 4 fingers pinch close

Navigating in Safari 

• Rotate at any time
• Rotation lock
• System preferences to control switch
• HTML5 vs. Flash
• CNN.com is a good example, is HTML5 video
• Multiple tabs up to 9
• Bookmarks
• Box with arrow
• Add bookmark to Home Screen

General Settings 

• Navigating and adjusting settings on the iPad thru the General Setting App

If there is time these topics may also be covered:

App store 

• Settings to sign in
• Each app checks to see who is signed in when it is launched
• Syncing apps from computer

Syncing 

• Copyrighted vs. non
• Wifi sync
• Pictures movies music calendar notes
• Charging while attached

Camera 

• Switch cameras upper right
• Camera roll lower left
• Options turn on grid
• Lower right switch to video
• Camera roll vs. photos section

iPad Projects (and Management)

We officially have half a dozen school iPads in the building.  We are testing apps and testing out our Apple TVs, projectors, and (soon) our administrative software.

Megan puts on an awesome iPad demonstration 

Unofficially, we allowed several student iPads onto the network so that the girls could put on a demonstration at our Open House for prospective students.  There was a terrific buzz in the Media Center as the did so.


We have so many initiatives going with our Mercy 2.0 plans that I put out a call to my fellow ADEs for help selecting project management software.  I've placed the following projects into my new Basecamp software:


*iPad Deployment -- We want to sell the iPads directly to students through the school web site.  


*Professional Development -- Our president has mandated that robust professional development, precede, accompany, and follow iPad implementation.  We are working closely with a terrific consultant on this challenge. (More later!).


*Leveraging ebooks.


*iPad app selection.  We are attempting to put together an app starter pack for the ninth graders.  Four teachers have been given iPads in order to work this selection with me.


*App Deployment and fee structure.  How will we distribute the apps?  How much should their cost be rolled into tuition?


*Computer Lab.  Our new ninth grade curriculum is calling for a second computer lab.  We may very well have 26 iMacs coming our way this summer.


I don't know how the project management software will work out, but I am certain the projects themselves will provide plenty of content for the Drive-thru.

Exploring iPad Apps

Last week I was the beneficiary of two separate phone conversations concerning Mercy's adoption of the iPad for incoming ninth graders.  I learned a great deal from Lisa Tortorich, principal of Mercy Burlingame about their pilot program with the iPad.  They will be requiring an iPad of all students, next year.  I also spoke with consultant,  Lucy Gray about a whole range of topics.  But both conversations allowed me to ask them off the top of their heads for recommendations of iPad apps that we might consider putting on all staff and student iPads.  Yesterday, I added the ones I had not already explored.  Checking them out will be a fun project.  Here's the list:

Google Search

Google Translate

Places,
Google Earth
Evernote

http://www.mercyhsb.com/

Kindle
Calculator
Chomp
Diigo
Dropbox
Dragon Dictation
Edmodo
Explain Everything
Flashcardlet
Garageband

iMovie

Instapaper
Leafsnap

Blue FIRe

iBooks
Common Core Standards
Flipboard
iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote)
NYT
NPR
Open Culture
Skype
Twitter
NASA
Penultimate
Documents to Go

What would you add to my list?  Do you have any feedback on those listed here?