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

Workflow!

Photo posted at Triangle Coalition http://bit.ly/GPAe40

As we roll out Mercy 2.0, we are taking the matter of professional development very seriously. Our consultant, Lucy Gray, has made a suggestion that I find very compelling. As we introduce the iPad to our staff, it would be tempting to pull everyone together and show off all the cool new things the gadget can do. I certainly hope that mobile devices continual to our instructional paradigm, but I think it makes sense not to end the year and introduce the device by focusing on all the different things it can do.

Instead, when we begin p.d. in April, Lucy is going to meet with our departments individually in order to discuss their particular questions and issues. In advance of those meetings, she is asking them to consider their standard workflow. In other words, let's first consider how the iPad might integrate to greater advantage in the work that you do on a daily basis.  This does not merely mean that we should find ways to substitute the iPad for our current technology.  In addition, we can ask, how might the iPad enhance instruction and support?  As an administrator, I think that this will be a daily eye-opening experience for some of my colleagues who use desk top computers (I've had the advantage of tooling around on my own person iPad 1 for the school year).

Though I am used to going to technology presentations where change is the theme, I think there is a lot to be said for identifying the ways a new tool can improve the familiar. After everyone has had a summer to become acquainted with the device, we will be better positioned to stretch it out and show some bells and whistles when we reconvene in August.  At that point I am imagining that as a collective staff we will be more prepared to reimagining how we deliver and support education with the new iPads.

Quick Takeout from the Drive-thru

"The University of Michigan Athletic Department will paint the FieldTurf at Michigan Stadium with the hashtag #GOBLUE for the upcoming Mott Spring Game . . . . It's believed to be the second time that a collegiate program has painted a hashtag on its football field." -- MGOBLUE.COM

"Progress is a nice word, but change is its motivator and change has enemies." 

- - Robert F. Kennedy

"Companies everywhere are adopting tablets. Forrester Research Inc . . .estimates that about 25% of computers used for work globally are tablets and smartphones, not PCs." -- SHARA TIBKEN, WSJ

 "The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who want to learn." -- Cicero”

"Digital networks antagonize planned information structures. Planned information structures like textbooks and courses simply can’t adapt quickly enough to incorporate network-speed information development."

-- George Siemens

"You hav 2 disrupt something to move forward. eg Youtube disrupted MTV. 1:1 disrupting teacher as knowledge controller." 

-- tweet by Dorothy Burt

More Apple Slices!

Creative Commons Photo by U.S.D.A

There is so much news concerning Apple these days that I decided to post another quick round of Apple Slices.

Apple Sold More iOS Devices in 2011 Than Macs in 28 Years

Apple sold more iOS devices (156 million) in 2011 than it sold Macs (122 million) in 28 years of their existence. 

http://on.mash.to/wCfWkw

Apple Officially Drops 'Mac' Name from OS X Mountain Lion

Though it still used the 'Mac OS X' naming scheme in press releases, Apple called the new system 'OS X Lion'

http://bit.ly/AlSQut

Help Me Understand This

This past week, I received the email I knew was coming. The MacBook was dead. As our reps promised, there was an end of life inventory left, but those units were going to go quickly, so anybody who wanted/needed any had to act immediately. Which, for anyone trying to work outside of a budget purchase cycle, is impossible

http://bit.ly/x4EfPH

How to Delete Unwanted iOS apps from iTunes

If you've had an iDevice for more than a few months, however, it's likely you have deleted many needless apps and free trials after trying them out. The problem is that if you delete an app from your iDevice, the app remains listed in iTunes.

http://bit.ly/zyv6ON

Apple Will Require Explicit User Permission to Access Address Book

After the recent mess around apps like Path that were accessing users’ Address Book data without explicit consent, [Apple] has spoken up. 

http://tnw.co/xftpGe

Yes . . . And!

From creative expedition.com blog http://bit.ly/jt1E4l

When I attended my first ADE Summer Institute in 2009, Rebecca Stockley, The Improv Lady was one of our first presenters.  She put us through a series of initial exercises that helped serve as ice-breakers.  But one in particular served as a kind of theme through the entire week.  We did some impromptu story-telling where a narrative was begun and then within our small group, one after another of us would append a portion of the story that began with the phrase, "Yes, but . . . "  We followed this with another round of story-telling.  This time each of us added a strand that began with the phrase, "Yes, and . . . ."


The point of the exercise was that change can be perceived in terms of obstacles ("Yes, but . . . .") or for its opportunities ("Yes, and . . . .").   The message resonated very strongly with the ADEs because most of us served as change agents in our schools.  Running into "Yes, buts . . . ." comes with our territory.  The "Yes, and . . . ." concept gave us a verbal jujitsu technique for countering negativity.


Last week, at our Apple Executive Briefing in Chicago, one of our presenters referenced Roberta's exercise.  It was startling to be reminded of it in the context of Mercy 2.0.  As we move from the HP Elitebook to the Apple iPad, I can already hear the "Yes, buts . . . ." as my colleagues worry about what they may lose from the change (like keyboards or familiar software).  On the other had, there is some unprecedented excitement surrounding the adoption of the iPad.  More than a few staff members have already verbalized a "Yes, and!!!".  We'll be designing the "Unboxing" and professional development days in April with the "Yes, but . . . ." attitude in the forefront of our minds.

Unboxing the iPad

As we roll out Mercy 2.0 we are trying to communicate with transparency. We also want to give our community face to face opportunities to learn about and explore our new 1:1 device-- the iPad. We have scheduled some exciting events and activities

Flickr CC photo by ~Brenda Starr~

April 17 - Unboxing the iPad. Any staff members who want to become acquainted with their new iPad will have an opportunity to stay after school for an orientation by Dean Haratsaris from the Professional Group.


April 23 & 24 - iPad and Google Apps professional development for Mercy Staff by Lucy Gray.


May 14 - An evening event at school which will allow current and new families to explore the iPad and place an order through our web site. The Professional Group will also be exhibiting (and selling) optional accessories like keyboards.


Summer 2012 - The IT Team will be providing iPad orientations to students on the designated pick-up dates.

Lots of Fun iPad news!

Three days ago I sent this memo to staff:

Our iPads have shipped.

Today I blogged about the apps that we expect to pre-load on the iPads.  We exercised restraint so as not to overwhelm you with too many apps and redundant functions.  I think you might be interested in reviewing the thumb nail descriptions I have included with our list:  http://it.mhsmi.org/?p=333

Tom and Gary did a day's training last week on the software they will use to add apps for your students "on the fly".  We have devised a scheme to completely segregate personal purchases and classroom purchases.  The classroom purchases will go through department chairs and Tom, but they can be deployed within hours to specified iPads.  I will explain this plan at Curriculum on Wednesday.

Personal downloads will be entirely possible for you and the students.  Parents will understand that the personal account will never be used for required classroom apps.  And of course you can explore apps (so many of which are free) on your own this way.  Though the iPad will belong to the school,  your personal downloads will remain yours at iTunes.

I'll stop now, having probably reached the "too much information" point.  But going forward, don't hesitate to ask any questions to the three of us on the IT Team.  We're geeked!

With Tom's and Gary's expertise, the Casper Suite will administer our App deployment