After you get your treats at the Mingle Jingle, join us in 239A to learn all the pros and cons of the current tablets available on the market. If you are thinking about purchasing a tablet over the holidays, come listen and ask questions as we discuss everything you should know about tablets. We welcome input and sharing of tablet tips, tricks, and apps among all who attend! Drop in, no registration necessary! This will be our last Tablet User's Group for the Fall Semester.
.jpg)
October 2013 Meeting - iOS 7 New Features and Changes
Apple's new iOS7 was released prior to the October meeting. A review of the significantly different design and features of iOS7 was provided. The iOS7 platform offers many new features that provide direct support to the newest ipad 4 and the iPhone 5c and 5s.
A few of the new features discussed:
A few of the new features discussed:
- The new "flat" 2D design with brighter colors.
- Swipe down from the middle of your home screen to search your ipad.
- The settings area has many reorganization and new feature changes. The cellular screen is at the top level of settings now. You can determine whether or not individual apps should receive data. By default all apps do. If you have limited data, turning off cellular data for some apps, may help conserve your data.
- Go to Settings > Sounds to explore dozens of new system sounds and ringtones.
- Create customized shared photo streams.
- Do Not Disturb Settings has gotten an update. You can now choose to silence calls and notifications only when your device is locked.
- To Switch between opened apps, double-click the home button and click the thumbnail of the app you want to view.
- To close an app, double-click the home button to see thumbnail views of all open apps. Drag the thumbnail up to close the app.
- You can now add an unlimited number of apps to any folder.
- You can allow automatic update of apps: Go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Automatic Downloads to turn it on.
- iOS7 added AirDrop, allowing you to share files directly with devices connected to the same WiFi connection.
- Radio is added in iTunes, allowing you to add and play radio stations of your choice.
- You can close a Safari tab by clicking on the x button, or simply swipe it to the left.
- Enable/Disable Bold Text or Change Font Size System-wide by going to Settings > General > Text Size and adjust the font size to your liking.
- In iOS 7, you can simply use swipe gestures to go back a screen, rather than pressing that pesky back button on the display.
- iOS 7 supports dynamic wallpapers, in short: animated wallpapers. Go to Settings > Wallpapers & Brightness > Choose Wallpaper > Dynamic, and there you’ll see a bunch of animated wallpapers which respond to your device’s movement.
September 2013 Meeting
In the September 2013 meeting we discussed productivity apps for ipad and Android. We discussed the basics of the Android operating system.
2.) There are several versions of the Android operating system. See http://www.androidcentral.com/android-versions for a list and explanation of the different versions.
3.) Manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, etc... can decide which version of Android they want to deploy and on which devices of theirs. Many modify the Android operating system and app store or market to their own version. The manufacturers also decide when to release updates of the operating system and to which devices.
4.) The most current version of the Android Operating system is Jelly Bean. The newest version being worked on by Google right now is Kit Kat, no finish date has been set.
5.) The Android market place where you purchase and download apps is open. Anyone can put an app in the market place. This is different from Apple which requires a $99/yr license to have an app in their store and they also do some filtering of what can be in the store. Knowing this should just make you more aware and careful when you purchase a new app.
One of our Chemistry faculty demonstrated her Samsung All Share Hub and explained how it works with both her Samsung phone and tablet to wirelessly stream apps to the in-room projector. If you want to know more about the device visit: Samsung's All Share product page. The device works very well and only requires the phone or tablet o be connected to the guest wi-fi. While this is a proprietary solution only for Samsung devices, it is a good example of an easy and reliable way to stream to the class room projectors. We will continue to research and explore different methods of accomplishing wireless streaming to the in room projectors with our devices.
Two apps we reviewed at this meeting were:
The app provides several options for bringing in documents that can be marked up. It fairly easy to get started and use right away. There is a slight learning curve because there are so many tools available in the app. One of our math faculty, Dawn, has been using the app successfully to mark up student submitted problems and return feedback as a pdf file. I have been using the app in our web fundamentals course to capture a student's web page and mark it up with feedback. I return it to the student as a pdf file.
iAnnotate: http://www.branchfire.com/iannotate/
Available for ipad at $9.99 (often discounted during teacher appreciation week)
Lite or demo version is currently available on Android for free. A full version will be coming soon.
A few things you should know about the Android operating system:
1.) Google codes and maintains the Android operating system. It is "open source." This means other companies can use it on their devices and customize however they choose.2.) There are several versions of the Android operating system. See http://www.androidcentral.com/android-versions for a list and explanation of the different versions.
3.) Manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, etc... can decide which version of Android they want to deploy and on which devices of theirs. Many modify the Android operating system and app store or market to their own version. The manufacturers also decide when to release updates of the operating system and to which devices.
4.) The most current version of the Android Operating system is Jelly Bean. The newest version being worked on by Google right now is Kit Kat, no finish date has been set.5.) The Android market place where you purchase and download apps is open. Anyone can put an app in the market place. This is different from Apple which requires a $99/yr license to have an app in their store and they also do some filtering of what can be in the store. Knowing this should just make you more aware and careful when you purchase a new app.
One of our Chemistry faculty demonstrated her Samsung All Share Hub and explained how it works with both her Samsung phone and tablet to wirelessly stream apps to the in-room projector. If you want to know more about the device visit: Samsung's All Share product page. The device works very well and only requires the phone or tablet o be connected to the guest wi-fi. While this is a proprietary solution only for Samsung devices, it is a good example of an easy and reliable way to stream to the class room projectors. We will continue to research and explore different methods of accomplishing wireless streaming to the in room projectors with our devices.
Two apps we reviewed at this meeting were:
iAnnotate
iAnnotate turns your tablet into a world-class productivity tool for reading, marking up, and sharing PDF documents, Word/PowerPoint files, web pages and images. The iAnnotate app provides a ton of features for marking up a document, pen, stamps, highlighters, comments and more. You can also include audio comments.The app provides several options for bringing in documents that can be marked up. It fairly easy to get started and use right away. There is a slight learning curve because there are so many tools available in the app. One of our math faculty, Dawn, has been using the app successfully to mark up student submitted problems and return feedback as a pdf file. I have been using the app in our web fundamentals course to capture a student's web page and mark it up with feedback. I return it to the student as a pdf file.
iAnnotate: http://www.branchfire.com/iannotate/
Available for ipad at $9.99 (often discounted during teacher appreciation week)
Lite or demo version is currently available on Android for free. A full version will be coming soon.
Evernote
A note-taking tool that is so much more! A whole universe of add-ons, apps, and tools can be found at www.evernote.com. Creating a free account gives you access to an online note-taking tool. You can organize your notes by notebooks. You can search these notebooks and share these individual notes or notebooks through email. There are add-ons for all of the major browsers that allow you "clip" a whole web page, an image or paragraph of text to a note in your account. You can download software for both the mac and pc so you can easily access your notes and make new ones. There are also apps for all major mobile platforms. You can insert audio and video into your notes, record notes on a device that has a microphone and so much more. Evernote is the Swiss army knife for research, note-taking and collecting web-based resources. There are so many uses for it and the best feature of Evernote is that it works seamlessly across multiple devices and platforms without a hiccup.
Evernote provides several video tutorials for getting started: https://evernote.com/video/
Visit https://evernote.com/evernote/ and click the drop-down arrow next to "get evernote for windows" to see all of the options available for mobile and other platforms. Evernote is free. There is a premium version that gives you additional space and features. There are several accessories and tools that you can use with Evernote that available for purchase. Evernote has it's own marketplace because there are so many. Have fun exploring this tool.
Our October user's group will feature a brief overview of the new iOS7 and we'll look at whiteboard and recording apps for all platforms. Hope you can join us. If not, look for another blog post coming soon.
Fall 2013 Tablet User's Group
The TLC staff will facilitate a tablet user's group on the 1st Monday and 3rd Wednesday each month. Staff will choose and highlight a few functions and apps to start the discussion. We welcome input and sharing of tablet tips, tricks, and apps among all who attend! Drop in, no registration necessary!
Apps for Conducting Assessment on a Tablet
On Wednesday, May 8, Illinois Central College hosted the first regional assessment fair. Brandy Thatcher, Instructional Media Developer presented one of the break-out sessions on the topic of using a tablet to conduct assessment. While the ultimate conclusion is that you can not accomplish full formative assessment on a tablet, you can use the tablet to complete many task that support assessment.
The main reasons that you can not use a tablet for all of your assessment, is real estate! Who wants to sit in front of an 8 or 10 inch screen for hours attempting to grade papers and insert comments or type in a gradebook. If you are going to use a wireless keyboard you'll need a table or desk and you might as well move to a computer.
The tablet still has many uses, though. The easiest use is for a second screen. If you are entering grades and comments for any multimedia assignment: videos, web pages, graphics, etc... The ability to view the work on the tablet and enter your feedback in the grade book on your laptop or computer is very convenient.
Many of the learning management system apps, such as Blackboard, are very limited in what a teacher can accomplish with them. Few allow you access to the grade book or grade center. Most do allow full access to the discussion board. However, you can not grade discussion board items from the app. If you teach online and use the discussion board extensively, this is a great way to monitor the discussion and give quick replies. Having the ability to respond to a student discussion on the go makes the app a valuable tool. Many of the learning management systems are working on enhancing their apps, so that teachers can do more assessment on a tablet, look for these features in the next year.
Newer tablets almost always have a camera and video is a good assessment tool for many different disciplines. The tablet camera app can be used to record demonstrations, student speeches, student projects or the instructor. The video can be used simply as a reflection tool in the classroom or can easily be posted online for supplemental instruction and review.
There are several free whiteboard apps for recording demonstrations of annotating a number of sources, while providing audio commentary. These recordings can be published to a website account and embedded into course management systems. The recommended whiteboards apps are ShowMe and Educreations. There are several other apps for proving annotation on documents, audio and video feedback. View the slideshow below to learn more about the recommended apps demonstrated in the assessment fair session.
The main reasons that you can not use a tablet for all of your assessment, is real estate! Who wants to sit in front of an 8 or 10 inch screen for hours attempting to grade papers and insert comments or type in a gradebook. If you are going to use a wireless keyboard you'll need a table or desk and you might as well move to a computer.The tablet still has many uses, though. The easiest use is for a second screen. If you are entering grades and comments for any multimedia assignment: videos, web pages, graphics, etc... The ability to view the work on the tablet and enter your feedback in the grade book on your laptop or computer is very convenient.
Many of the learning management system apps, such as Blackboard, are very limited in what a teacher can accomplish with them. Few allow you access to the grade book or grade center. Most do allow full access to the discussion board. However, you can not grade discussion board items from the app. If you teach online and use the discussion board extensively, this is a great way to monitor the discussion and give quick replies. Having the ability to respond to a student discussion on the go makes the app a valuable tool. Many of the learning management systems are working on enhancing their apps, so that teachers can do more assessment on a tablet, look for these features in the next year.
Newer tablets almost always have a camera and video is a good assessment tool for many different disciplines. The tablet camera app can be used to record demonstrations, student speeches, student projects or the instructor. The video can be used simply as a reflection tool in the classroom or can easily be posted online for supplemental instruction and review.
There are several free whiteboard apps for recording demonstrations of annotating a number of sources, while providing audio commentary. These recordings can be published to a website account and embedded into course management systems. The recommended whiteboards apps are ShowMe and Educreations. There are several other apps for proving annotation on documents, audio and video feedback. View the slideshow below to learn more about the recommended apps demonstrated in the assessment fair session.
Assessment Fair 2013: Using Tablets to Conduct Assessment from bthat
What apps are you using for assessment??
photo credit: ebayink via photopin cc
What apps are you using for assessment??
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
This tablet user's group was a planning session for Fall 2013. The tablet user's group will take a break over the summer, however, we will be highlighting apps and tablet tips in the TLC email news and here on the blog.
If you have suggestions of times that would work best for you to participate in the tablet user's group in the fall, please comment below.
For the fall we are considering having app themes for each of the tablet user's groups, some of the themes might be: productivity, health/medical; science/math, note-taking/word processing, arts, English/language/literature, whiteboard/recording, audio/video, ereaders/news... what do you think? What themes would you like to see?
If you have suggestions of times that would work best for you to participate in the tablet user's group in the fall, please comment below.
For the fall we are considering having app themes for each of the tablet user's groups, some of the themes might be: productivity, health/medical; science/math, note-taking/word processing, arts, English/language/literature, whiteboard/recording, audio/video, ereaders/news... what do you think? What themes would you like to see?
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Jeff Maston, Instructional System Administrator, presented
The Poetry App
By Josephine Hart Poetry Foundation
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-poetry-app/id501967950?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mcsaatchimobile.thepoetryapp&hl=en
The Poetry App will draw you into a parallel universe of over 100 poems from sixteen of the greatest poets of all time, accompanied by video and audio narrations from over 30 world class actors and performers including Juliet Stevenson, Bob Geldof, Simon Callow, Dominic West and Roger Moore.
Features:
Read poetry from 16 of the greatest poets through the ages
Listen and watch powerful narrations by over 30 world class actors and performers
Read in-depth introductions and essays by Josephine Hart on each poet and their poems
Create your own poems with the ability to record your own narration
Share everything through Email, Twitter and Facebook
New favourites library – allows you to download audio and videos for viewing without and Internet connection. Download your favourite poems and take them with you anywhere.
Remember, however, that not everything is what it seems and additional content has been hidden throughout the app such as Bob Geldof readings and interviews with Josephine Hart and Jeremy Irons.
The Poetry App
By Josephine Hart Poetry Foundation
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-poetry-app/id501967950?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mcsaatchimobile.thepoetryapp&hl=en
The Poetry App will draw you into a parallel universe of over 100 poems from sixteen of the greatest poets of all time, accompanied by video and audio narrations from over 30 world class actors and performers including Juliet Stevenson, Bob Geldof, Simon Callow, Dominic West and Roger Moore.
Features:
Read poetry from 16 of the greatest poets through the ages
Listen and watch powerful narrations by over 30 world class actors and performers
Read in-depth introductions and essays by Josephine Hart on each poet and their poems
Create your own poems with the ability to record your own narration
Share everything through Email, Twitter and Facebook
New favourites library – allows you to download audio and videos for viewing without and Internet connection. Download your favourite poems and take them with you anywhere.
Remember, however, that not everything is what it seems and additional content has been hidden throughout the app such as Bob Geldof readings and interviews with Josephine Hart and Jeremy Irons.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)