Starting out with the iPads

A couple of us got together on Thursday after school and had a good conversation about what to do with the iPads in your classroom and how to manage student work! Things you'll want to try out:

- log into your Google Drive app on your own iPad to give you a place to keep your files organized, and also a way to share files back and forth between your iPad and your laptop computer

- create a Dropbox account as one way for students to share work with you

- download and create an Evernote account to keep student work organized (more coming on this)

- when you can and cannot use AirDrop

- create accounts for Educreations, Showme and Screen Chomp and figure out what each one is good for -- they are similar but not identical! Here's a comparison: http://www.kleinspiration.com/2012/03/interactive-white-board-apps-for-ipad.html

I also had the opportunity to try an activity with Jennifer's second grade class with their iPads. In one hour, they accomplished a lot! Here's what we did:

- showed them what the two buttons did and how to take a screen shot

- showed them how to take a photo and how to navigate the Camera and Photo apps to take still images

- modeled how to use Educreations to combine text, drawing/writing and images to make a single slide

- practiced AirDropping the screen shots to one another and to the teacher

I'm sure you've already thought about this, but in addition to safety & handling of the iPads, you will definitely want to review specific strategies for sharing, words to use, what to do/say when you want the iPad, how to decide who gets it next (we use Rock-Paper-Scissors in the media center), etc. 

Over the next couple weeks, please let me know if there is any task or app you would like them to learn on the iPad. I can model it in ILT and we can practice it here, then they can teach you what they learned.  We'll get them using them, and then figure out what to do next!