Submitting work via iTunes

If you're using an iPad you may have noticed that some of the Apps, such as Keynote, iMovie, Garageband, Pages and some book-creator apps give you an option to export work to iTunes.  This is really simple to do and offers the teacher a simple, convenient way to access student work and mark it.
1. From the App choose the Export icon and select iTunes.
2. Now open iTunes on your Mac.
3. Make sure sync via wifi is enabled so that you can access student iPads discreetly.
4. In iTunes, on the left select the student device you want to view work on.
5. Next, scroll down the main window until you can view 'File Sharing' and click on the App that did the sharing in the list (you may need to scroll within the list itself). Your document should appear, with options to 'Add' or 'Save To'.
6. Choose 'Save To' - view the work and annotate/ mark as appropriate.

For more about this visit Digital Roadtrip's blog.

Sharing work on an iPad is evolving on a daily basis.  Its far from consistent or ideal at the moment but im sure that a standard will emerge over time.

Ideally, students need to be able to publish everything directly.

The best method would be for all students to have their own personal, reflective-learning blog which would be accessible by other students, teachers and parents. It's focus would be on 'How I learn and what I have been learning' or as UK primary teachers like to refer to it - WALT and WILF - 'We are learning today' and 'What Im looking for.'

Essentially this system will replace the  existing networks running in school and all work will be saved to the Cloud or similar.

For more information contact me: barbaraainscough@mac.com

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Creating iTunes U Courses

Once you've mastered the basics of your iPad it wont be long before you can see the potential for creating lesson resources which can be accessed by your students at home for revision or reinforcement. This resource is fantastic for schools and colleges, from The Cedars School of Excellence, Scotland.  
All of your courses or primary lesson themes complete with a lesson summary, objectives and learning outcomes could be shared via an iTunes Course and accessed anywhere, anytime by your students - all FREE to use!
Learn how to set up a course, create posts, share and manage a course with your class.  More here from Apple.

You can now follow @iTunesU on Twitter for updates, including featured courses from leading institutions and noteworthy instructors.

For more information contact me: barbaraainscough@mac.com

Follow @boobelle

How to use iBooks and iTunes U

Using iBooks and iTunes U is something I always touch upon during iPad workshops and its guaranteed to generate lots of interest.
The Cedars School of Excellence, Scotland have created an iTunes U course which covers how to use iBooks and iTunesU.
It will help you to uncover the mysteries behind buying, downloading, navigating iBooks as well as highlighting, making notes, searching and organising books into collections.
The iTunes U content covers subscribing to courses, downloading and using resources.

For more information contact me: barbaraainscough@mac.com

Follow @boobelle

1-1 roll-outs and student safety?

For those schools going down the 1:1 iPad route there are specific concerns about student safety.  One concerned teacher writes "As our school embarks on a 1-1 iPad roll-out for September we have had a number of parents expressing concerns about their children being mugged for their iPads once it becomes public knowledge.

My question is, what are people's experiences of such issues in 1-1 schools?  Has there been an increase in such incidents?  What have schools done to minimise this?

Any pointers gratefully received."

David Kirtlan, independent trainer suggests the following:

"This is a question that has been raised in various schools I've worked with and I think the best approach to tackle the issue I've come across revolved around awareness. 

They had every iPad engraved with the school details and had a huge involvement with the local press to raise awareness in the community about what they were doing in the school, focusing on the educational outcomes, but at the same time, pointing out that everything was engraved making it very difficult for any potential muggers and thieves to sell the devices on. This awareness project also involved the local police and shops so that if they did happen to come across an engraved iPad, they could contact the school and follow up. 

That said, I've not come across any instance of muggings or thefts with perhaps 100 schools I've worked with this year, but parents often raise the question."