Recently ranked in the top 10 iPad apps. Kinda like MobileMe for Google Calendar, but less expensive. MobileMe is $99.00 a year.I use MobileMe, but also use BusyMac for syncing my iCal and Google Cal so I can post of my website.
Supports full editing as well as viewing of shared Google calendars. So if you are a Google Calendar user, you might just love this app, even if it does cost $6.99. http://pocketinformant.com/products_info.php?p_id=pocketinformant_iphone
“Pocket Informant® is an integrated calendaring and GTD®-based tasks solution for the iPad. Our purpose is to fuse together best-of-class calendaring with best-of-class tasks into one great solution.”
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pocket-informant-hd-calendar/id380732176?mt=8#
I have had an iPad since May and this semester (fall 2010) I have a class of pre-service teachers that I was Santa Claus and gave them all an iPad. Boy, was that a fun day in class and a huge surprise for them. Anyway, WE (my student and I) are doing lots of exploring and using of our iPads. We are on the lookout for articles, blog posts and anything we can find about iPad and using them as a teacher, as a student and in the classroom with kids. Today in Ed Galaxy: Where Education and Technology Meet, Kevin Cummins has an interesting post 5 Apps that will make you a more productive teacher. I agree with Kevin when he says there is no shortage of apps and like Keven we are all wondering if it might just replace our laptops in the classroom. What do you think?
Kevin recommends the following apps and to read his full post, CLICK HERE
Numbers for iPad: wow, first on Kevin’s list, but would not be first for me. I don’t even use Numbers or even Excel on my laptop, just not a spreadsheet person, in fact, I run kicking & screaming when somebody wants me to use spreadsheets. But, I also know I am not normal! I am sure I just need to get over it!
GoodReader for iPad: “access your documents including pdf files, MS office documents, iWork, html files, hi res photos, up to 1 gig in size and even audio and video straight from your school or home network in seconds via wireless or USB cable.“ I have installed, but have not used it yet, so no opinion, do you have an opinion?
DropBox for iPad: Dropbox is software that syncs your files online and across your computers. Put your files into your Dropbox on one computer, and they’ll be instantly available on any of your other computers that you’ve installed Dropbox on (Windows, Mac, and Linux too!) Because a copy of your files are stored on Dropbox’s secure servers, you can also access them from any computer or mobile device using the Dropbox website. HINT: read the instructions and watch the tutorial video, it is save you time in the long run. Again, I have installed, but have only used a little.
Omnifocus all in one organization tool for iPad but is one of the more expensive iPad apps at $37.99. OmniFocus for iPad combines the in-depth task management functionality of a desktop app with the advanced mobile experience of the iPad. With flexible viewing options, location-aware task lists, and on-the-fly task entry with voice notes and image attachments, OmniFocus for iPad is the trusted system you need for managing everything in your busy life. Wow, 37.99, I have to come up some really compleeling reasons to need it to fork over that much money.
Pogo Sketch: OK, I like this idea, I bought one of these for my iPhone to make typing text messages easier, but I kept loosing them. But since I got my iPad, I kept thinking I would like a stylus of some type. I also noticed in the Sunday Flyer for Best Buy, that they have a Tagus Stylus for iPad. And of course, there are others, here is a link to the BoxWave site with a variety of different brands, features and prices for iPad Stylus. I think a stylus is in my very near future. And with the Stylus, WritePad looks to be a good handwriting app.
Evernote: I have written about this before and I have to admit that I still have not given it a good try. But Kevin feels it is is a must have app.
By the end of this week (hopefully Friday), there will be a post about the top apps my class has landed on, I hope you will be back to learn what these future teachers have to say.
Click on Comments and tell us what your favorite apps for education or personally are so far.
iOS 4.1 will be available sometime this week for iPhone & iPod touch
Apple just introduced iOS 4.1. Steve Jobs discussed a bunch of fixes and new features, including: (so run your software updates!)
- various bug fixes for Proximity, Bluetooth and iPhone 3G
- High Dynamic Range photos
- HD video upload over Wi-Fi
- TV show rentals
- Game Center
The High Dynamic Range photos is basically three separate images so that it c an gather midranges, shadows and highlights more effectively. As a former journalism and phototography teacher, I love this idea.
iOS 4.2 for iPad
The iPadis getting its own (i)OS update.
- wireless printing for iOS on your iPad
- AirPlay to stream video and audio over Wi-Fi from your iPad
- add apps to folders, just like iPhone, as well as multitasking
The update will be available in November, and it’s free for iPad users.
Students at Florida’s Clearwater High School are using Kindle e-readers instead of textbooks this year as part of a new initiative. The students will have access to all of their texts on the district-owned Kindles, as well as additional features that allow them to take notes and highlight text as well as access word definitions and text-to-speech technology. The school opted for e-readers over laptops because of the lower cost, which is roughly equal to the price of two textbooks, the principal said.
Read the full story, T.H.E. Journal (9/2)
Wow!!!! I am so excited, my daughter lived in New York City a year ago, so I was lucky enough to spend time wandering around in the MoMa multiple times that year when I went to visit. MoMa just released a free App for Apple’s mobile devices like the ipad and iPhone and iPod Touch. You can see the museum’s enormous collection of modern art, along with other interesting museum content. There is a calendar of events that includes exhibitions and film schedules. The mobile tours part is what you use when you actually visit the museum. The Info screen provides museum hours, admission, a floor plan, and much more.
Of course being at the museum in person is always the better, but the Art category of the app is pretty darn good. The catalog of the museum’s collection gives information and high quality images of every piece to ever pass through the MoMA’s doors. Art can be searched by artist, collection, and exhibition. It also has a comprehensive “Art Terms” section. The only downside to the app is that due to its small size, it relies on a Wi-Fi or 3G connection to load the majority of its content.
Boy this could really be useful to an art teacher (which is was at one point)!! Here is the link to the MoMa main website too: http://www.moma.org/
You can download the app here
I subscribe via email to Tom’s blog, so I read it regularly. In the post I opened in it this morning, Tom basically has a open invitation for sharing. See below and Thanks Tom for sharing these amazing resources. I don’t usually post the entire article from someone blog, but Tom’s warranted his complete message to be shared.
by Tom Barrett, EDTE.CH|Inspire, Connect, Engage, Create
Interesting Ways
The Interesting Ways to Use series has been really successful. I measure their success in how useful they are to teachers and other educators in helping with professional development.
They have been a great example of crowdsourcing good quality classroom ideas and it has been great fun connecting with all of the people who have taken time to add an idea. It is remarkable what can be achieved and created together if you give people the right way to do it. Thanks for all the help so far.
It all began with One Idea, One Slide and One Image as a premise for the IWB presentation and that has always remained. I hope we can all continue to create them – let me know if you have any other ideas for a presentation.
I wanted to keep the family together in one place and give you one page to see them all, as so many of you have requested. Don’t forget that if you want to contribute an idea just let me know and I will give you access to share your thoughts.
Interesting Ways to…
- Get to Know Your New Class
- Use a Learning Platform in the Classroom
- Support Spelling in the Classroom
- Teach Reading Comprehension in the Classroom
- Use Web Conferencing in the Classroom
- Make Your Classroom a Sparkly Place to Learn
- Use Audio in Your Classroom
- Use Wallwisher in the Classroom
- Support Writing in the Classroom
- Use Google Wave in the Classroom (although Google has announced WAVE is on thew way out)
- Use an iPod Touch in the Classroom
- Nintendo Wii in the Classroom
- Use a Wiki in the Classroom
- Use a Visualizer in the Classroom
- Use Twitter in the Classroom
- Use Wordle in the Classroom
- Use Your Pocket Video Camera in the Classroom
- Use Google Docs in the Classroom
- Use Google Earth in the Classroom
- Use a Nintendo DS in the Classroom
- Use Search Engines in the Classroom
- Use Your Interactive Whiteboard in the Classroom
- Prezi in the Classroom
- Use Voicethread in the Classroom
- Use the iPad in the Classroom
- Use Google Search in the Classroom
- Use Google Maps in the Classroom
MathGirl Games are developed by Mother and daughter MathGirls, Lynn and Molly Rasmussen and programmer Robert Tegel Bonifacio of Code Robert LLC.
“Teaching math facts has been a hobby for 30 years. Math anxiety is a miserable thing for bright children. I want to eliminate that awful feeling from every child’s experience. I have discovered that there are a few missing steps in the math education of people who think they are ‘bad at math.’ No child leaves my kitchen without being asked, ‘What’s 8 times 7?’ We ‘play numbers’ until the answer is easy.”
“In the 1980s, when my children were small, I tried to build math cards and games but they simply didn’t work. Apps provide interactivity and instant feedback. Now all kids can experience my kitchen methods.”
From the designer, Molly Rasmussen: “Games for girls can be cute and fun. Why can’t math be cute and fun too? Too many math games are like homework. Math Games can look and play like real games. After graduating from Cornell University, I designed swimwear in Los Angeles for 7 years, including the Hannah Montana brand. I love the shift to education and app development. We’re taking the current trends in design and color, and current trends in gaming, to build a new way to teach math, one that appeals to girls’ senses and how girls like to play.”
From both of us: It’s fun to work as a mother-daughter team, to be able to work long distance, and to be able to make a difference in people’s lives.
Apple (Re)paves the Street By Don Mayer Small Dog Electronics
Apple sold a record 3,470,000 Macs during the three months ending in June. This helped to generate $3,250,000,000 in profits (I like seeing all those zeros!). This represents a 77% year over year growth in Mac sales! I guess all those prophets of doom saying that the Mac was neglected for iOS4 and the iPad just don’t get it.
Add in the 8,400,000 iPhones, 9,410,000 iPods and an astounding 3,270,000 iPads and you have $15,700,000,000 of sales! The biggest increase in sales came from the Asia/Pacific region with 71% overall growth but the big news is that Mac sales saw double digit growth in each geographic area.
Apple hoarded another $4 billion in cash, swelling their war chest to over $45.8 billion of nickels and dimes hanging out. I guess giving away a few iPhone cases is not going to make much of a dent in that cache. When asked about “antennagate” and the impact on sales of the iPhone, Tim Cook simply answered, “Let me be very clear: We are selling every unit we can make.”
The Mac Business
Apple smashed the old 3-month sales record by 100,000 Macs by posting a 33% year-over-year increase. There is a move towards mobility with increases in laptops sold versus desktops, a trend that Apple has recognized very early on and has planned well for with significant offerings in the portable market.
The iPhone Business
Over 60 percent of the Fortune 500 are deploying the iPhone and 400 higher education institutions have approved it. With over 8.4 million sold in the three months, this is a healthy business for Apple. Over 5 billion apps were downloaded from the Apple App store.
With the transition to the iPhone 4, there were greatly reduced shipments in June; however, Apple still ended the quarter with a 61% growth in sales and it was over 90% if you factor in the model change.
Returns for the iPhone 4 are running below that for the iPhone 3GS and there has been no impact on sales due to all the publicity about the antenna.
The iPad Business
I can speak first hand about this one. We are selling every single iPad we can get our hands on with a high degree of customer satisfaction. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: with these numbers, Apple doesn’t need computer business market share if they can continue to simply create new markets.
Apple sold over $2 billion in iPads and would have sold even more had they had more to sell. One thing that Tim Cook is really good at is supply chain logistics and planning. He said that Apple is still “quoting longer lead times than we’d like, and we’re working around the clock to get supply and demand in balance… in the scheme of things, it’s a good problem to have.” He said sales have been positive in every country they’ve released it in thus far. Anecdotally, he believes it’s already beyond an “early adopter” phase. “I think it’s extremely unique and extremely successful.”
The iPod Business
The iPod touch is the hero here with some declines in the overall iPod business but a very strong 48% increase in iPod touch sales year-over-year. The iPod maintains a 70% market share and is the top selling MP3 player internationally.
The Retail Side
I don’t like to talk too much about the Apple retail side of the business because, they are, after all, our competition, but Apple retail had a good quarter, too. Sales were up 73% and Apple opened seven new stores in the quarter, making a total of 280 stores with average revenue per store around $9 million (per quarter!).
During the summer construction season, in preparation for the holidays, Small Dog Electronics will open one store (by contrast, Apple will open 24 stores internationally this quarter).
The greatest story in American business lore continues as Apple continues its streak of posting record earnings, but more importantly, continues its streak of producing a steady stream of products that are in the vanguard of design and functionality.
Congratulations to the entire Apple team—what an awesome quarter of success!
by Wesley Fryer, Moving at the Speed of Creativity
This morning on The Today Show, hosts interviewed a San Diego family which was challenged to give up cell phones, computers and TV for an entire day. In addition, Tony Schwartz (author of “The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working: The Four Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance” addressed the need we have to take proactive control over the technology devices which seem to direct many of our lives.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
The statistic from this segment which really got my attention was the following, from Tony:
7 out of 10 families do NOT set limits for text messaging.
To read the full story, CLICK HERE
“more technological power in their pockets than sitting on the desks”
By Brad Flickinger of the School Technology blog.
Yesterday, I went back to school shopping with my soon-to-be 16 year-old daughter, and somehow we ended up in the AT&T store with my daughter explaining to me that the new iPhone 4 was at the top of her list…
- iPhone 4
- notebooks
- pencils
- new backpack
- etc.
Get the idea?
Read the full story, CLICK HERE
Three Oregon schools will begin using iPod Touch devices to help facilitate classroom learning this fall. Students at Ashland High School will use the devices in science class, while students at two elementary schools will use them to improve their reading skills. “We really are rethinking what we’re doing with technology,” the district’s superintendent said, “This is something that will be more affordable for us than regular computers and get us closer to the one-computer-for-every-student goal we have.” Ashland Daily Tidings (Ore.) CLICK HERE to read the full story.
Wesley Fryer has a very interesting post today about his six year old, iPods and books. It is worth your time to read.
Over the years our family has purchased various iPod models, and we tend to pass them down by age. Currently, this means my six year old daughter is the proud owner of a 2 GB second generation iPod Nano purchased in 2006. That was payment for her sister’s work (who was then about to enter kindergarten) in helping me lead a multi-day workshop about podcasting with Garageband for teachers in College Station, Texas. Although Rachel is VERY cognizant of her iPod’s limitations (it won’t play videos) she is also VERY proud of it and loves to use it. Being in a family of readers who not only read paper books and eBooks, but also listen to AudioBooks, Rachel has naturally decided she wants to listen to AudioBooks as well – and she recently realized should COULD do that on her iPod Nano. Last night she announced her desire to buy some AudioBooks in advance of an upcoming car trip to visit family in Kansas, so we explored the iTunes Store together and discovered two suitable titles which caught her interest.
To read the full story, CLICK HERE
MobileMe has a new calendar and an iPad-friendly version of its iDisk iOS app.Yippie Skippy
The iDisk feature of MobileMe is pretty darn handy sometimes. If you have never used it, give it a try next time you need to share a large document, with someone or move it to another computer so you gain access. Pretty slick.
MobileMe, has been getting an overhaul over the last few months. In May, Apple re-designed the webmail for MobileMe, making it look a great deal like the Mail app on the iPad.
The new calendar interface, also look more like the iPad calendar, which I really love. The layout is nearly identical. I have always liked iCal, but this new update really is an improvement.
The new calendar will support sharing with other MobileMe members. You can publish read-only calendars that can be viewed by anyone. This means is that MobileMe will now have the calendar sharing and publishing features and for me, that mean I can STOP sharing my iCal with a Google Calendar so I can publish it on my website. FINALLY!!! Thanks Apple.
If you are not a MobileMe user, you should go to the web page and read about all the USEFUL feature. It really is worth the money in my opinion. There is even a 60 day free trial and I am betting you will continue after the 60 days.
Sorry for the repost, but this came in a newsletter and was just so darn, good, had to pass it on.
SOAPBOX: Distracted Drivers and Technology
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 START SOAPBOX
As we invent more and more ways to communicate with each other, it is also important to establish standards for appropriate times to use that technology. There was a move to allow cell phone use on planes that at first, I thought would be just fine. That was until I imagined myself trying to read a book (I do a lot of reading on airplanes) and being surrounded by people yapping on their cell phones. And why is it that someone wandering around talking into their Bluetooth earpiece is more annoying than someone actually talking into a phone? This year, the Vermont legislature passed a law that bans texting while driving. DOH! That was the good news I guess, but our legislators did not have the courage to ban the use of handheld cell phones because—yes, you guessed it—it is an election year. I reached out to the legislators as a motorcyclist to appeal for this handheld ban. I have taken my own informal survey as I ride my motorcycle around Vermont and I would estimate that fully 15-25% of drivers are talking on their cell phones when they are driving. As I ride by them, I glance into their vehicles and it is clear from their body language that their attention is, at a minimum, divided. Many seem to have most of their attention on their phone conversation and only a little on the road. People in their cages (as we on two wheels call car drivers) seem to think they are invulnerable. Distraction from cell phone use extends a driver’s reaction time as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of 0.8%, according to a study by the University of Utah. Driving while distracted is a factor in 25% of the accidents that are reported to the police. Carnegie Mellon reported that driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%! These are sobering statistics that I can verify as I ride my motorcycle. I have had drivers on cell phones cut me off, swerve into my lane or make other bone-head moves because they are just not paying enough attention and a motorcycle is smaller than a car. I think it is time for legislation that bans handheld cell phones from drivers and stiffens the penalty for their usage. While the use of a hands-free device also is a distraction, it is clearly not as serious a problem. The problem is even more serious for teenage drivers, who have the highest proportion of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes. Texting, looking at email, checking your stocks or any other fiddling with your handheld device is as dangerous as driving while intoxicated and perhaps the penalties with license suspensions should be made similarly strong. END SOAPBOX Chime in on our blog, Barkings! |
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If you are interested in podcasting, you need to check out this wiki:
Podcasting provides an avenue for educators and students to have on-the-go access to audio on the web ranging from curriculum-related content to professional development. Podcasting is also a way for faculty and students to publish and distribute content. In this session participants will learn how educators are using podcasting to enhance instruction; the equipment required for producing podcasts; classroom recording basics and methods for distribution of podcasts.
Project Gutenberg is the place where you can download over 32,000 free ebooks to read on your PC, iPad, Kindle, Sony Reader, iPhone, Android or other portable device.
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Designing Place-Based Mobile Learning Experiences
Please join us for our next MacLearning.org
June 23, 2010
10 am Pacific / 1 pm Eastern
With the widespread, grassroots adoption of location-sensitive mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad, many educators are interested in designing learning experiences that leverage place. This presentation provides a brief background on emerging applications of place-based learning in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, and provides a hands-on demonstration of ARIS, a free, open-source platform for developing place-based learning activities that is available in the App Store.
As always, you can ask questions of the presenters live.
Presenters:
Kurt Squire, Associate Professor and David Gagnon, University of Wisconsin-Madison
To view the webcast:
Go to http://salesguide.apple.com/webcast/
Webcast ID: MacLearning
Passcode: 581037
Learn more about Apple’s free iTunes U at http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u
Google Earth already had an iPhone App, but now there is an iPad App for Google Earth. YIPEE!!
Description
Hold the world in the palm of your hand. With Google Earth for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, you can fly to far corners of the planet with just the swipe of a finger. Explore the same global satellite and aerial imagery available in the desktop version of Google Earth, including high-resolution imagery for over half of the world’s population and a third of the world’s land mass.
With Google Earth, you can:
• Navigate the world with a swipe of your finger
• Swipe with two fingers to adjust your view to see mountainous terrain
• Show the Panoramio layer and browse the millions of geo-located photos from around the world
• View geo-located Wikipedia articles
• Use the Location feature to fly to your current location
• Search for cities, places, and business around the globe with Google Local Search
What’s New in Version 3.0.0:
Native support for iPad, including full resolution imagery and an iPad-specific look and feel.
Road layer added for iPad and iPhone 3GS.
Additional Resources
Google Earth Arrives on the iPad [PICS] from Mashable Tech
Google Earth on iPad…Wow! for Read Write Web
Google Earth on iPad from the Google Earth Blog
Google Earth: iPad Version Released – Best App Yet? from PR Product News
Google Earth 5.2 Offers Embedded Browser, iPad Support from eWeek
This is a great site from Acalanes Union High School that has resources for iPad, iPod Touch, iTunes and much more.
http://sites.google.com/site/learningcontinuity/with-ipads
Try the new iPad in your classroom! This growing list of “Apps” (64 at this writing) are from the iPad section of the iTunes Apps store. Access the iPad Apps list in the iTunes Store here. Also try iPod Touch Apps on the iPads and let us know how they work. The latest iTunes is required to access the links.
Oh my, these digital storybooks are simply amazing!
iStoryTime and DreamWorks Animation have joined up to bring a children’s storybook [iTunes link] based on the final film in the Shrek series, Shrek Forever After, that opened recently. Unfortunately most reviews of the movie I have seen are not so great. But this app sure it EXCELLENT.
The iPad can does amazing things with digital storybooks. My first hook was the Alice in Wonderland.
And how could you not love the FREE version of Toy Story Read-A-Long
I am impressed with the sound effects and character audio from the movies, they even include the voices of animated characters right from the movie. I was completely enthralled! Imagine a kid!!
