AirSketch
Jeff Maston demonstrated the AirSketch iPad app.
AirSketch is a whiteboard app for the iPad that allows you to share live to the browser of another device on the same network. In the demonstration, a PDF slide presentation was shared from the app on the iPad to the browser of a laptop, both signed on to ICC's wireless network. AirSketch allows you to move through the pages of the PDF and write/draw on the screen; slides displayed and the annotations created showed up instantly on the laptop, which was connected to the classroom's projector.
- Basically, the software gives you the freedom to walk around the classroom, advancing your presentation slides with the iPad. As you write / draw / highlight on your slides, these annotations show up immediately on the screen.
- The app requires that the receiving computer be on the SAME network as the iPad.
- No special software is required on the computer; you access the AirSketch session through the browser on the computer.
- The software is designed to work with presentations saved in PDF format.
- You can also import JPEG files from your iPad into the whiteboard.
- There are a few different styles of pens/highlighters to choose from for creating the annotations.
- You can export an individual slide with your annotations to an image file.
- You can export the entire presentation with the annotations you added as a PDF.
Here are the slides shown during the AirSketch presentation:
This was exported from AirSketch with annotations:
AirSketch is available for purchase through the iTunes store, currently for $9.99.
There is a free version, AirSketch Free, which has limited features. The free version allows you to share the whiteboard to another device, but it doesn't have any of the tools for displaying a PDF presentation or importing or exporting any content.
AppleTV
Ken Burton demonstration AppleTV; showing the features of the device by itself, and how the device works in conjunction with an iPad or iPhone through the AirPlay feature. There was discussion of how the device might be used an ICC classroom.
- The AppleTV device itself is a tiny black box that comes with remote. By itself, it works as a media portal that is designed to connect to an individual's content from iTunes. It also has options for accessing a number of non-Apple media services, like Netflix, HuluPlus, and Youtube.
- Ken's primary reason for investigating this device was the AirPlay feature, which allows the content of an iPad or iPhone screen to be mirrored on the TV screen (or projector).
- Both the iPad and the AppleTV device have to be on the same network for the AirPlay features to work.
- Once connected, the instructor would be free to move around the classroom, controlling what appeared on the screen with the iPad.
- Video (audio, too) played on the iPad is mirrored on the screen connected to the AppleTV device.
- Pull up a presentation app on your iPad (Ken demonstrated SlideShark). The AppleTV device allows the presentation to be displayed to the classroom, while the instructor controls it from their iPad.
- Open an app and that's mirrored too. (Some apps won't work with AppleTV, but many do). So, for example, an iPad app that has an interactive model of the solar system could be shown in an Astronomy class.
Presently, ICC has just one AppleTV device.
