Teaching with Tech: Editing PDFs

GoodNotes

A while back, Roz Evans, one of our 2nd grade teachers, asked me about the ability to edit PDF documents on the iPad. She wanted her students to be able to use the class iPads to complete worksheets. Why? She said she wanted to, "add a new approach to taking a test, doing class work, and reports." Always on the look-out for ways to integrate technology, Roz also wanted to begin the process of "going green" in her classroom. Using the iPads for worksheets meant using less paper.

Dropbox

Initially, I was worried that her 2nd grade students would have a hard time with the document management that this kind of project would require. However, over the last few weeks, her students have impressed me with their ability to successfully transfer files to and from their iPads.

They utilize two apps, Dropbox and GoodNotes, to complete their assignments. (If you are still unfamiliar with Dropbox, go check it out!) Here is a graphic to explain the steps they take to complete their assignments.

One of the greatest payoffs Roz has noticed with using her class iPads is student motivation.

"My main reason for wanting to teach the children how to upload pdf assignments & use the dropbox is for a better way to enhance learning, for testing, and doing classwork. To help that child who has a difficult time staying focused when I am teaching a lesson. I have found that my children are more focused when they are working on the iPads vs. worksheets."- Roz Evans

      Dropbox is available to install from Absolute Apps. If you are interested in trying out GoodNotes with your class, send me an email and I can help you get started!

Teaching with Tech: Idea Sketch

Teaching with Tech: Idea Sketch

At the end of the first trimester, Sarah Nichols and her 8th Grade Science class used their iPads to create food webs. Students visited Blue Planet Biomes, a student created website on biomes. Students then chose a producer, or plant, from a specific biome and researched the consumers that were related to their producer. The final project was to create a food web using the App Idea Sketch.

"Idea Sketch lets you easily draw a diagram - mind map, concept map, or outline, and vice versa. You can use Idea Sketch for anything, such as brainstorming new ideas, illustrating concepts, making lists and outlines, planning presentations, creating organizational charts, and more!"
-From the iTunes Store description

The scientific name of the organism and a short description was included within each "bubble" of students' food webs. 

Student's finished web

Idea Sketch is a free App can be utilized in many different subjects. Here is a video on how students could use this app during the prewriting stage as well. Idea Sketch is available for students to download through our AbsoluteApp store. For directions on how to install Apps, go here.

Rover: Using Flash on the iPad

A number of elementary teachers have asked me how they can view Flash sites on the iPad. Unfortunately, Apple has decided to not support Flash in favor of other newer video standards. In other words, you can't view Flash sites such as Reading Eggs, Education City, BrainPop, etc. through the Safari App on the iPad. Some companies like BrainPop have fixed the issue by creating their own Apps that will run on the iPad. Others such as Reading Eggs and Education City continue to use their Flash websites. Luckily, some third-party companies have created their own browsers that give access to Flash sites.

One solution that I have discovered is using the App Rover to access these sites. Rover is a student friendly browser that allows Flash content and has many of the same features and layout as Safari. Here is a video review of the App.

Rover's menu has a number of already bookmarked educational websites for students to view. Some examples of elementary websites include PBS Kids, StarFall, and Readinga-z.com. Websites for secondary students include National Geographic Kids, Discovery Education, Education Place, NASA, Khan Academy, and more. Rover also has an address bar where students can type in a website's URL, a Google search bar, and the ability to bookmark websites for future reference.

The biggest downside to using Rover is that it tends to be slower than simply using Safari. The Flash content can appear "grainy" or slow at times especially when viewing video. This is because when you access a site, the site goes through Rover's streaming service and then back to your device.

Rover has been added to Pilgrim's AbsoluteApp Store and can be installed on student and teacher iPads. For directions on installing Apps, go here.

AbsoluteApp

Pilgrim School will be using the Absolute Management System to manage school owned iPads. This system allows us to push (or send) Apps and content to selected student and/or teacher iPads, gives us the ability to track iPads when they are lot or stolen, and better manage the distribution of iPads in the future. 

All secondary student iPads were distributed with the necessary profiles and applications to begin using the AbsoluteApp store. All secondary students were also given directions on how to correctly install Apps to their iPads.

Teachers, it's your turn. In order for us to be able to efficiently manage school-issued iPads we need to install a couple of things. This process should take less than 5 minutes as long as you know your Apple ID password (if you don't... it will take 10 min). Please come to the IT department in the next week or two and we will install the necessary items.

Thanks!

Megan

Edmodo

For those of you who have not yet heard, Edmodo is a fantastic tech-tool that some of our teachers at Pilgrim are currently using.

We have created a subdomain for Pilgrim School which allows for more communication and collaboration between Pilgrim teachers and students. 

Follow the information on the attachment in the email that was sent to you to get started or get connected to the school's subdomain. 

A little more about Edmodo (from their website): “Edmodo provides teachers and students a secure place to connect and collaborate, share content and educational applications, and access homework, grades, class discussions and notifications. Our goal is to help educators harness the power of social media to customize the classroom for each and every learner.”

In lame-man's terms: Edmodo allows teachers to directly communicate with students and helps keep students up to date on class assignments and important course information. One of the best features of this site is that it is set up similar to facebook which makes navigation easy for social network familiar students.

Edmodo also has it’s own App in the App store that is available for iPad and iPhone. 

Visit this website (Click on “Learn More About Edmodo”) to watch a video on how Edmodo could be used with your class. Or, you can visit the Edmodo Blog to see how other schools and teachers are using Edmodo this year. 

Dropbox and Gmail Accounts

Okay elementary teachers, I promised this would be coming soon and... here it is! Each of you now have a class Gmail account as well as a Dropbox account. Using these two accounts will make managing student’s work on the iPad, as well as laptops, much easier. Here is a recent blog post on how one teacher is using Dropbox with her students. If you would like help getting your accounts set up and installed email me and I’ll be happy to help. Otherwise, follow the steps below to get started using these two free services. Your log-in information was provided in the email that I sent you a few weeks ago. 

Logging into Gmail

1. Go to www.gmail.com
2. Log-in with your class’ user name and password. 
3. You may use this account for whatever class purposes you have. Keep in mind that this email is created based on your room number and the address will stay with the classroom. This means if you change classrooms next year, your class email address will change as well. 
4. If you would like to change the password to something easier for you to remember, click on the picture that looks like this:  in the top right corner of the page. Then choose Security from the menu on the right. Finally, next to Password Management you will see an option to Change Password. 

Add Gmail account to Mail “App” on class iPads

1. If you have never added an email account to the iPad, just click the "Mail" app. Otherwise go to Settings; Mail, Contacts, Calendars; then Add Account. 
2. Choose Gmail
3. Type your first and last name
4. Type in the gmail address you have been given
5. Type in the password you have been given (or the password that you have changed it to)
6. Give your account a description that both you and your students can remember (such as “2nd Grade Gmail”).
7. Click Next
8. Make sure Mail is switched to “ON” (calendars and notes can stay on as well)
9. Click Save
10. If successful, you will see the new account under “Accounts”

Logging into Dropbox

1. Go to www.dropbox.com 
2. Watch the video for an introduction to Dropbox
3. Click on Sign In in the top right corner. 
4. Type your given username and password and Sign In

Get the Dropbox App on the iPads

    (This allows students to just click on the app rather than logging into the website each time.)

    I STRONGLY suggest that Dropbox is installed on ALL student iPads, the teacher’s iPad, class         laptops, and the teacher’s laptop. 

For installation on student/class iPads or laptops

1) Ask someone from the tech department to install. 

For installation on a teacher’s laptop: 

1. Log into Dropbox in your internet browser (Follow steps 1-4 under “Logging into Dropbox”)
2. Click on your username in the top right corner of the screen. 
3. Choose Install
4. Click Free Install

For installation on a teacher’s iPad:

1. Go to the App Store
2. Search for “Dropbox”
3. Install App
4. Open the App and login 

**Note: I also STRONGLY suggest that teachers create a separate dropbox account of their own for storing personal files. Any file placed in the class Dropbox account will be accessible by anyone with the password, i.e. your students.