Studies of iPad Use in Education

Richard Byrne (whose blog iPad Apps for School is worth checking) posted a list of studies about research into iPad use in schools. Direct link to the post is here.

iTunesU & the NYCDOE

iTunesU is a built-in "core" app on every iPad. It is a great way to get free courses from many different sources, including many Ivy League Colleges and app developers.

Individual teachers, or as a school, HSLPS can create a channel, and multiple courses and upload content to iTunesU for students to follow along with.

In that vein, the Apple reps for the NYCDOE have set up an iTunesU course full of information directly related to using iPads within the DOE system.

To join the Apple/NYCDOE iTunesU course follow these directions:

HSLPS iPad Survey

If the embedded form below malfunctions please click this link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1DcN_jtOdYfO4plSvcL77pv2RYPtlU2CSoR1ZiA2kSBY/viewform

iPad Student Use Contract

I drafted a contract for student use.  Check it out and post feedback.  Click here to view:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzweUkkM53L-YzEwMmJSbkdSNjg/edit

iPad Pilot Team PD Providers

Chris and Jeff-

I wanted to introduce you to each other and give you a forum to exchange comments in order to avoid redundancy and working at cross purposes.  Here's a place to share ideas or comments and I can chime in if needed.

Jeff will be coming to our school for 2 after-school PD sessions to discuss classroom pedagogy, subject specific apps, and  assessments..  He will also come to our school for 8 half days to work with teachers inside their classrooms and provide planning and observation feedback.

I am hoping Chris will come back for more presentations to teachers and other tech support for us.

Chris, how does your school manage work flow from student to teacher/ teacher to student (assignments)?

Thanks.
Alex

App Recommendations

In order to make it easier for us to find the information we are looking for, I'm starting this new topic regarding App Recommendations.

Post App names, price, a brief description of what it does (even one sentence), and if you've used it in the classroom, maybe you can describe this too.

So far the recommendations made in the previous post:

Jarrod- iPoe (Edgar Allean Poe)

Jimi- iTeacherBook (free last Wed) regular price $4.99.

Alex - Paperless, lite version is free, full version for $1.99- a list maker- you can create check boxes, priotritize, etc. 

Chris- AppsGoneFree, AppShopper, AppPriceDrop by Apple Slice, DiscoverApps - all to find free or reduced priced Apps.

Add your App discoveries!

Free Apps for Free Apps

One of the best ways to get use to the wide variety of possibilities of the iPad is to take advantage of free apps.

Here are a few free apps that alert you to when other, paid apps, are on sale. Once you "purchase" an app, free or paid, you get all future updates for free too. So, if you find a $4.99 app has gone free one day, download it, it's free, and you'll get all future updates for free too. Any app is worth a test run if it doesn't cost you anything...

Here are the ones I use on a daily basis:

AppsGoneFree - daily newsletter of 8-10 apps free for 24 hours

App Price Drops by Apple Sliced - not all free, but tracks price reductions as well

AppShopper - no longer an app, Apple removed it from the App Store (click here if you want to read the explanation), but the website is very useful for creating wish-lists of apps and being notified when apps go on sale

Discovr Apps - It is currently $1.99 but I got it, via AppsGoneFree, when it was free, so keep an eye on it. It's another great app for keeping track of price drops. It also displays apps in a mind-map style, showing related or similar apps to all apps you search. A great way to, literally, discover new apps (hence the name)

This is my very first blog!

Dropbox & the DOE

Dropbox is a great way to eliminate the thumb drive. Save a file in your Dropbox on your home computer, have that file on your work computer. View on your iPad... a great way to ensure your files are wherever you are...

As with anything, there is a quirk with getting Dropbox to work within the DOE network. In order for Dropbox to connect you need to set up the proxies.

Click here for a PDF of these directions

Initial PD follow-up

HSLPS iPad team,
It was great meeting everyone, I'm looking forward to working with HSLPS on your iPad program.

In order to keep everything centrally located on this blog, here are a list of the links & resources from the 3/2/13 professional development session:

Presentation materials, including slide deck:
http://goo.gl/rzxT9

Resource links:
http://www.iear.org/
http://www.appitic.com/
http://ipadapps4school.com/
http://cybraryman.com/ipad.html
http://cybraryman.com/apps.html
http://appsineducation.blogspot.com/
http://ps10ipads.wikispaces.com/App+List


Thanks

Dropbox and School Computers

I was able to create a separate login id on one of the computers in the English office, so that I could access Dropbox at school. It's quite easy...

iPad Pilot Launch Day!

Okay team- Here I go.  I'm a blogger now!

I am truly excited to start this work with you all and I am thrilled about the team of people who have volunteered to launch this effort together.  Don't forget to think about who you can "pull in" as your silent partner.  The expectation would be to occasionally sit down with them and share some apps or lessons, help them learn to use the device and invite them to observe some classes.  Ideally, they will be an extra hand in the classroom as well so they can get some firsthand experience.

I was excited but a little overwhelmed by all the info.  I learn by seeing then doing and without the doing step, I am quite lost.  I will start slowly as Chris recommended.  I will ask you all for help as well!  As one of my first projects for my senior ELA class, I am thinking about creating a classroom wikispace (Chris did a webinar on this at SimpleK12) where we choose some important topics (maybe getting "college ready").  I'm still thinking about content and activities.

So- here's my first questions- choose 1 or 2 and post a quick response...

1) Now that it is set up, the very first thing I'm going to do with my iPad is...
2) In the classroom, I think I'll finally be able to....
3) I didn't realize...
4) I am pretty confused about...
5) Here's something I think you will want to know...

See you in the blogosphere!