Downloading YouTube videos to mac/ iPad

Since Apple have put a stop to downloading YouTube videos to iPad using the iCab Mobile app Ive started to use this workaround. In my lessons we use YouTube videos as much as possible for making the news, voice-overs for adverts, weather forecasting, exploration, science transcripts and much more. Great for speaking & listening, working on script writing and performance.

I now use MacTubes on my Mac to download the video as an mp4. Just click download on the web page and the app is downloaded to your downloads folder. Double click to open the app.
A window something like this will appear.

In the YouTube search box enter the URL of the video you want to download.
The video icon will appear in the MacTubes window- as above.
Simply right click this and choose Download mp4 from the options. The downloaded video, for some reason, dropped onto my desktop, not into my downloads folder - easy to locate though.

My next step is to send this to my iPad/s. I now use Photo Transfer for this purpose - so easy. Click here to read a previous blog entry on how to do this.
Now I can access the video in my Photos on the iPad and this makes it automatically available in the iMovie app to edit and record voiceovers.

Sharing Resources-iPad

As schools start using iPads more and more for teaching and learning the choice of method of saving content and transferring files created on iPads in schools is growing, and indeed evolving on a daily basis.
Ive previously touched upon this in an earlier blog entry - submitting work on an iPad, although things are changing fast out there, and now there are even more solutions......

Lets take the scenario where schools have introduced a single class set of iPads (16+). In this kind of set-up, usually the iPads are shared between different classes, and so it is essential that students are able to save their work and then be able to resume their coursework next time they are using the iPad - which for many schools may not necessarily be the same iPad. 

The problem is that all the apps don't share in the same way.  Some allow sharing to Dropbox, Box, WebDAV, Googledocs or emailing.  Currently these are the preferred options for saving and sharing for many classes and staff.
However, for many teachers this is confusing, they are unsure about which method of sharing they should be using for which app.  The inconsistency between apps is not helpful for the busy teacher and they would prefer a common and effective system for saving work with all apps when using iPads for learning.

Some of the more reliable methods for sharing and retrieving student work include this list of suggestions from colleagues: 

Showbie - see previous blog entry for details - now with teacher voice-recording facility to feedback on students work :-)

Three Rings - see previous blog entry for details.

Filebrowser

You can add your school network drives to this app, allowing you to open and save from your school network to and from a variety of apps.  It works well with the iLife suite (Keynote, Pages), Book creator and strip designer.

This is a huge step forward in using shared devices in school, but schools need more apps to have the ability to export the actual project file and not just the final file, that is the book creator file and not just the final ebook.

Documents Pro - Store and view documents, transferring them easily from any Mac or PC.  Supports PDF viewing and full-resolution images. Play music; watch movies; access your cloud storage or download from the internet. The WebDAV file transfer works well on internal wireless networks.

iFiles is also a favourite amongst teachers but some users have reported that on occasions iFiles doesn't always show up in a web browser when trying to upload content into the file structure.



My final app for now is Edmodo, used by many teachers to set assignments and annotate responses. Many schools find that students are happy with this solution as it is cross platform and supports learning with library resources.

Let me know what you decide to use and how it goes!

School iPad Deployment

School iPad Deployment - Were thinking about buying iPads for school but where do I start?
A teacher friend of mine asked me recently if I was able to advise them on producing a road-map document to assist their school who are looking to deploy c. 800 iPads/ iTouch to their students.

There is so much information online today to support exactly this, some of the best advice coming from teachers directly involved in the implementation process.
Things to think about:

Components to support the planning of a 1-to-1 iPad program

1. Mission/Vision 
Mission statement, goals, strategic plan or process for building.
2. Strategic Planning Team
Team composition, roles, decision-making process
3. Deployment Planning
Project timelines, calendars - for launch or expansion from cart, shared, or pilot to student-owned or 1-to-1
4. Financing, Funding
Lease vs buy comparison
Planning for sustained funding sources
Warranty or insurance agreements/policies
5. Community Engagement
Communications plans or templates, or sites sharing happenings, including to governors or parents
Press releases
Acceptable user policies, parental or student agreements
6. Content, Instruction
Curricular plans or school-level strategies leveraging iPad + content ecosystem in exciting ways
7. Measurement
Plans for assessing initiative, including what and how you are measuring

After a quick trawl online I would recommend reading the following blogs - all packed full of relevant issues and solutions.
If you want to get a good ROI its worth spending time exploring the issues and logistics. Make sure you do the research before you buy any mobile devices.  When you get the right infrastructure in place you can start as you mean to go on - happy bedtime reading!

10 things to consider before introducing iPads to your classroom

Friendly Guide to Deploying iPads

Creating Lifelong Learners

iPad Deployment

iPad Project

iPod User Group

iPad Academy

Longfield Academy Kent, UK - iPad implementation

5 Reasons why Tablet rollouts can fail

Top 10 tips for personalised learning

Printing Solutions for iPad & iOS devices

Im pleased to be able to say that the iPad is bringing the paper-less classroom revolution closer to the classroom day by day - at long last!

However, as much as schools can see the benefits of moving towards a paper-less classroom and indeed the benefits including no more broken printers to fix, having to log errors in the ICT book, needing to call in ICT technical support to fix printers, going over budget on printer cartridges and being reprimanded by the Headteacher :-(
..... the reality is, there will be times when we still need to use a  printer!
For some schools teachers may request that students email themselves documents to print either in the print centre or at home. These schools are reporting that paper consumption has reduced considerably.

Once schools get underway in using their iPads effectively within and across the curriculum, inevitably one of the next questions will be, "Can I print some of the children's work?". 
And the answer is "Yes you can!"

There is a great article on various printing solutions here from Educational Technology and Mobile Learning and I need say no more - just read it!

The Printing Apps mentioned in the article include the following, there is plenty to go at here if this is something you are keen to get sorted now:
Epson iPrint - free - for iPhone & iPad
Print Magic - for iPhone & iTouch
ACT Printer - for iPhone & iPad
Doc Printer - for any ios device
Air Sharing - for iPad

This article from PCWorld.com is also useful and may help you further in making your mind up.

Other Apps to consider include the following but Ive not been able to test all of them myself!
AirPrint Activator it's FREE and works really well.   

AirPrint allows you to print from the new generation of Apple iPhones, iPad and iPod Touch to a printer shared over your personal WiFi network. You only need to run AirPrint Activator once.  Once it's been turned on it will remain on even after a reboot.

Printopia - for iPad - allows you to 'print' digital pdf files to designated folders on the computer that it is installed on. Students can submit their coursework and assignments as PDF's.
However, be aware of some of the quirks, for example if you print a Pages or Keynote document (from iPad) with an embedded video in it, the printed doc will only display a video poster frame for the video part.

A great tip I came across was to install Printopia onto any old Macbooks which you may have lying around, too old to be of any real use for anything else.  It costs about £13 and it makes use of a redundant laptop.  Simply add the printers you want to print to into the printer list on the Macbook running Printopia and that makes them available to an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch on the same subnet as the machine with Printopia.

Printer pro - for iPad

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." 

Microphones for iPad & iPhone

If you are serious about making videos on your  iPad or iTouch then you will need to look carefully at the recording options. You may end up with a great video but inevitably the sound quality will not be so good and your audience may not be able to hear what's being said....
You can overcome this problem by investing in a decent microphone - plenty available at great prices too.

The iPhone Boom Mic is a clip-on style shotgun microphone that gives your iPhone videos big, professional style sound. Any background noise is automatically dulled giving you the best quality sound from your subject.
Lightweight and pocket-sized, the microphone attaches to the headphone jack even over a case.

Shooting your friend's show? Use the directional setting or the super-directional setting for more precisely focused recording.

The KVConnection type microphones are of a professional standard (XLR). Some have a headphone jack so you can also monitor your recording.  However, you will need a free hand to hold the microphone though - shucks!

Amazon have the full range of microphones available at great prices as you'd expect - read the reviews before you buy!

For more information contact me: barbaraainscough@mac.com

Follow @boobelle

Speakers for iPad

If you're looking for a decent quality speaker to use with your iPhone, iTouch or iPad then the

X-Mini II

X-Mi X Mini II 2nd Generation Capsule is perfect for personal and professional use. Every teacher should have one for demonstration purposes in the classroom - the sound quality is excellent - highly ergonomic, very portable, collapsing into a small ball which can be carried in your pocket!

Available in various colours but the black one is the cheapest for some reason.

At just £14.99 with free p&p available from Amazon and Play.com

Features include:

• Compact size, various colours
• High quality sound, with clear bass resonance
• 11 hours of continuous playback from one charge
• Included USB charging cable, felt bag
• Integrated 3.5mm audio lead

For more information contact me: barbaraainscough@mac.com
Follow @boobelle

100+ Interesting ways to use an iPad

100+ Interesting ways to use an iPad - this is a really useful collaborative Google presentation started and owned by @TomBarrett but with contributors from around the world.
How are you using iPads in your classroom?
Why not add your idea too! click the link above to get started.....

Follow @boobelle

iPads - The Basics

Many schools are just at that very exciting stage of introducing iPads for learning into their classrooms and for some teachers this poses an endless amount of questions such as, "Where do I start?", "Which Apps should I download?", "How do I get online?", "How do I find the degree symbol for temperature?", "Is there an App for that?", "How do I copy and save an image from Safari?" and so on.....

This blog entry aims to answer most of those familiar questions and point any beginners to additional 'how to' resources that may help you to find out more when you are ready.  Remember it is still relatively early days for introducing mobile technologies into the classroom to support learning, evidence suggests that this process is transforming the way students learn and even the currently available Apps are changing on a daily basis because many of them were not originally intended for education. It is your use and application within the curriculum that is helping App developers to refine and develop their ideas even further.  You might even recognise a gap in the App market and decide to have a go at creating your own.  Whatever your mission, embrace the journey and enjoy the experience!

Is there an App for that?

The next question tends to be "Which Apps should I download?"
My response to this is, there are so many so take it easy and dont go too mad.  Although many are free, remember if they do cost even a small amount, it soon adds up and before you know it you've overspent on the allocated budget.... my advice is "less is more."
Take it slowly and focus on an area of learning and think carefully about your workflow, what are your desired outcomes? Now search for an App to address that objective or requirement and gradually build your App store day by day or week by week.

There are literally thousands of Apps out there and it's ever increasing by the day. If youve not yet come across this Bloom's Taxonomy written by Diane Darrow I would recommend it as a great place to start.  It helps the practitioner to realise that there are more than just content-based Apps available. Infact, I find it's the tools-based Apps that bring real excitement to the learning possibilities.....

• 6 part series on Apps & Bloom's Taxonomy 
• Remembering
• Understanding
• Analysing
• Applying
• Evaluating
• Creating

Check out other useful Apps and lesson ideas from the Links pop up menu on the right of the screen (Hover your mouse over the right side of the screen to reveal a black bar with more links).

Where do I start? Getting to know the basics ...

• Shut down and Restart
  There are two key buttons on the iPad, the Home button and the Power button.  If you need to do a hard Restart on the iPad then press and hold the Power button for a few seconds until the 'swipe to power off' screen appears and swipe to power off. Then press and hold the Power button to Restart.  Restarting gives you the 'Apple' logo screen, this may take a short while so dont worry, all is as it should be!

• To Restart the iPad press both the Home button and the Power button at the same time until the iPad restarts and the Apple logo appears.

• Toggle between and close Apps This is an amazing feature, deliberately designed to allow the user to access key Apps faster and so improve efficiency.  However, many users believe that you should close down any open and not required Apps displayed in the timeline because they are still running in the background and in turn this can slow down the functionality of the iPad.  This is not always the case and this feature was no accident.  Because you can only have up to five Apps visible at the bottom of the iPad screen, I like to use the 'Toggle' feature to access my frequently used Apps, it saves me a lot of time when working. 
• Have a go yourself - double tap the Home button and scroll across the 'Open Apps' menu at the bottom to find your App.  To remove an App from this area, simply press and hold on an App to start the 'Wobble' and click the 'red minus' symbol, the App will now close. Then press the Home button to stop the 'Wobble' and close the 'Open Apps' menu.

• Create folders and organise desktop
  After youve been using your iPad for a while you may find that you have downloaded so many Apps its now occupying three or more screens. This can make finding the App you want less efficient.  However, you can categorise similar Apps and create and rename folders to store them.  For example I have a 'children's books' folder, a 'book creator' folder, a 'teacher tools' folder, a science, maths, English folder and so on.

• Search for an App
  Swipe the screen left to right (iOS6) until you can swipe no more and a Search feature is revealed.  Start to type the name of the App you want to use and it will appear in a list. Tap it to launch and use the App.

• Screen Capture
  You can take a picture of anything on the iPad screen, handy for when you're searching the web or Google maps. Load the image that you want to save and then press the Home and the Power button for a second, you will hear a camera noise as the image is taken. Next open the photos App and find your image on the camera roll. From here you can choose to email, copy, print or delete it.

• Volume Control and Screen Rotation locking 
  The side switch can be found on the top right hand side of the iPad. Press the top of the switch to increase volume and the bottom to reduce volume. Slide the small button above the volume switch across to mute (nb. not all sounds will be muted!) Or find how to use this side switch to enable screen rotation lock here.

• More keyboard symbols 
  If you teach languages, science or maths it is likely you will need additional special characters or symbols.  It's really easy to find the correct one, simply press and hold the relevant letter on the keyboard and a pop up menu appears with a range of special symbols/ characters to choose from. For example, to use the degree symbol press and hold the number 0 on the keyboard, or to use the Cidilla in French press and hold the letter C. Tap the symbol you want to use to enter it on screen.

• If you need to write in CAPS then double tap the shift key to switch on Caps Lock.

• Battery Saver Tips 
  There are a few things you can do to get the most from your battery life:
  - Try reducing the screen brightness
  - When youve finished using your iPad press the power button to make it sleep or use a Smart iPad cover to achieve the same
  - Try closing some of the Apps you have open and running in the background
  - Run the battery down to below 20% then fully recharge to maintain good battery health.

• Airplay 
  Read a previous post on iPad projection using Apple TV and Airplay here.

• See more tips and tricks here including wifi access, internet browser, contacts and calendar.

For more information contact me: barbaraainscough@mac.com
Follow @boobelle

iPad Projection & Sharing Options

So you're lucky enough to have just introduced iPads into your class and now you're wondering what the best options are for linking to a projector to share what's on your iPad screen with the rest of the class, perfect for demonstration, just like you've been using your IWB for the last few years. As with most things there is always more than one way to do it, not to mention that this is changing on a daily basis as new Apps and devices are being launched and updated.

Enabling students to share their work to a main screen, or even collaborating on a project with an iPad that is passed from student to student is really slick.

The ability to mirror whatever is on the iPad is so powerful. You now have a true mobile document camera and recording device for example. With the additional capacity of Apple TV you have effectively turned computers into media centres and with the right vision you now have the ability to pull and push content around your school building.

The possibilities are endless, for example if you're exploring minibeasts in science, you could browse Safari for relevant facts and use an app like Popplet to collect and share them, then discuss. In a Design Tech. class, instead of just talking about it, try sharing an initial design concept via the iPad projection and encourage all to collaboratively annotate and improve it using an App like Skitch or GroupZap - watch their ideas grow in real-time.  Or when researching the Tudors in history, collect different facts in small groups about Henry VIII and his wives, use something like 'Primary Wall', then discuss. With an iPad this process is totally collaborative and transformative, and more importantly its cheap and so easy to do I can guarantee that you won't even need technical support to make it happen.

Im sure at least one of the following options is possible in your classroom and all at a fraction of the cost of an IWB.....

Apple TV

Apple TV HDMI to HDMI 

Apple TV is a little black box of magic and costs just £99. Purchase an HDMI to HDMI cable at the same time - anything up to £25 but you can also buy one for under £10 at your local supermarket, however the more expensive cables are better quality. 

Now simply connect your Apple TV to an HDMI projector or an HDTV to share digital video and audio over this single cable for stunning picture and sound. The final stage is to double tap the home-button on the iPad or iPhone and swipe right. The menu at the bottom of the screen will reveal  the AirPlay option. Click this, select Apple TV from the menu and turn mirroring on.

Ive connected my iPad to my Sony HDMI ready TV at home and it allows the entire family to join in with iPad activities.
Choose to read books together, browse Safari for facts, share maps, information and ideas, take part in App quizzes. One of my favourite family activities is using 'Doodle Buddy' to create our own version of 'Pictionary' or 'Charades' - draw an idea and the others have to guess what it is - hours of entertainment for everybody!

Apple TV HDMI to VGA Projector 

VGA Adapter

If your projector is relatively old and isn't HDMI ready then you can still connect the Apple TV using an HDMI to VGA Converter - then simply connect to the VGA projector and speakers and on the iPad select Airplay and turn mirroring on as above. This works very well for many teachers in the classroom.  The quality may not be quite as good as a straight VGA dongle, but the wireless aspect more than makes up for it because it gives the teacher the freedom to walk around the classroom and talk to students on a one-to-one basis.

iPad to Projector with a VGA Adapter 

VGA Adapter

Buy a VGA adapter for a really simple and cheap way to connect to your projector. At just £25 the Apple VGA Adapter mirrors exactly what you see on your screen so that everyone in the classroom can enjoy it.

Reflector App
The other option is to use the Reflector App.  For this you will need a macbook. Download Reflection on your macbook and launch, then on your iPad swipe right to reveal Airplay (as described above) and turn mirroring on from the menu. Your iPad screen will now be shared via a projector courtesy of your mac!  (see previous post for more detail)

For more information contact me: barbaraainscough@mac.com

Follow @boobelle

Charging multiple iPads

Once again schools are looking to the new financial year (April 2012) and considering how they can most wisely spend their money and get the best value. As we all know, times are hard with reduced budgets, so 'big' ICT spends seem out of the question. If you are lucky enough to be considering purchasing iPads or iPod Touches then you will need a hub to both charge and/ or manage the purchase and syncing of apps and content from your iTunes account to the devices.

Check out the following solutions for charging multiple iPads and let the budget decide!

IKEA PS Cabinet

• The cheapest solution I've been shown to date is obvious - simply charge your iPads via a multiblock power source and sync via iCloud- simples! - depending on how many iPads you have the total cost will be the number of multiblocks you need. Some users I know are using plate-racks (for draining after washing) to line-up and stand their iPads on for charging - check out your local Wilkos if you live in the UK.
  Other schools I know have gone down the 'build your own design' route using the IKEA PS cabinet, adding shelf dividers and securing multiblocks to the inside, another very cheap option for charging - syncing is achieved with the Belkin USB port as described next.
• A Belkin USB 2.0 Port which has 7 ports is available from Amazon for under £20 - currently unavailable - no guesses as to why!
• Loxit sell a range of Trolleys and chargers for 16 and 32 iPads available from ict-direct for around £1400.
• AT Computers sell the Kallysta KsyncMA16 charging/syncing product - not sure about pricing.
• The Leba iCase can be purchased from Jigsaw which will Sync and Charge 16 iPads at a cost of £1325.
• Ergotron Sync and Charge up to 48 iPads but have solutions for 10/20/30 iPads as well.
• Griffin have brought out a MultiDock solution for 10 iPads which Sync and Charge for around £500, but also provide solutions for larger numbers of iPads.
• Configurator is designed for class sets of iPads using a sync trolley  - and volume licensing.

• Other schools sing the praises of Casper as a proper MDM solution which Lion Server is not.  The advantage with Casper is its education pricing:
  
  
  "Education Pricing - JAMF Software offers significant purchasing discounts to education organizations. The Casper Suite is licensed per managed Mac or iOS device, with a 100% discount off the license cost for both higher education and K-12 education. Education organizations pay only the per-seat Annual Maintenance costs, with discounts available for volume purchases. Additionally, every new sale of the Casper Suite is accompanied by a JumpStart, a two day on-site visit with a JAMF Software Field Service Manager to install the software and provide guidance and training to help your IT staff integrate the suite into your environment."

For more information contact me: barbaraainscough@mac.com
Follow @boobelle

Reasons to use an iPad in the classroom

• Personalised learning - the iPad enables anywhere, anytime learning. And if owned by a student, maybe through something like the iStudent programme, they can take their iPad home for continued learning.

• Create your own learning needs - Work with developers to create the resources you need to get the results you want. The iPad is an interactive mobile device which can transform the way students learn.

• Make it your Personal Learning Studio -  let it be what you want it to be...... David Hockney has made it his art studio - What will you do with your iPad?  Maybe you could make it your recording studio, science lab, language lab, video editing suite, games console or library?

• No need to budget for expensive interactive whiteboards - Use AppleTV to turn the iPad into your next interactive projecting device. For just £79.99, this device enables your students to share (project) their work with the rest of the class right from where they are seated - interact directly using wireless and the touch screen on the iPad.  This also frees the teacher up to walk around the classroom and watch problems related to behaviour fade away!

• Apps are a fraction of the price of traditional software.  Check out the App store to find out more.

• Auto-Save - All files are saved  automatically, which means learners know their work is always safe.

• iPad is an ‘anywhere, anytime’ learning device - ideal for all learning and projects that take place out of the classroom - a museum, library, school grounds, art gallery, residential visit. Use a MiFi and learners can access the web at all times anywhere.

• Do you really need an ICT suite?  Investing in iPads means you bring the learning into the classroom. No timetabling required to ensure learners access computers, no more wasted time moving around the school.

• Frustrated with poor battery life on your laptops?  iPads give you instant-on and all-day battery life and can be accessed immediately. Switched on at the press of a button, get online and find the information you're after in a fraction of the time it takes a laptop to log-on.

• Computer Networks - Experiencing problems logging in at school?  Ever feel you have wasted lots of time because the network is down?  An iPad can hold all the Apps a learner needs and access to them is immediate, so virtually no time is wasted at all.

• Heavily reliant on technical support in school?  The iPad needs little maintenance - installing Apps is easy and fast using a sync and charge device, case or cabinet with little need for any technical support - this puts the learner and teacher in control of their own learning and technology.
  
  For more information contact me: barbaraainscough@mac.com
  

  
  Follow @boobelle
  
  

Free Teacher QR Code Worksheets

I love this idea from the 'Do try this at home' blog - something Ive been wanting to do for some time.....  The idea behind the activity is that children can use their own, or their parent's handheld device (Smartphone, iPod Touch or iPad), at home to access a worksheet created by the teacher - which could be a homework activity.
Each of the sample worksheets on that blog have been QR Code enabled, so all you need to do is download one of the many FREE QR reader apps onto your device - see below for just a few of the many available apps. Once you've done this just point and scan the QR code on the worksheet to find out more, view a 'How To' tutorial and see what you have to do to complete the task - simple and fun!

Of course this idea could be used to make learning exciting in school too.  The ideas for creating such resources are endless and this idea can support the entire curriculum in a fun and novel way - have fun scanning!

Find out more about QR Codes here:

• What is a QR Code?
• You Tube video - USA - QR Supporting Learning
• The Best Resources for using QR Code in the Classroom
• 8 important things to know before using QR Codes
• 5 QR Code Scanners for iPhone

Download FREE QR code scanners

• Scan - for iPhone and iPad
• OmniQRCode 
• QR Reader for iPhone
• QwikScan -  scan and cache content (iPhone & iTouch)
• QR Droid - for Android phones
• QR Code Scanner - for Blackberry

For more information contact me: barbaraainscough@mac.com

Follow @boobelle

iPad Tripods

If you've recently introduced iPads into your school then you may already be thinking about how you can use them to make films, animation or making music in a band!
For best results the iPad will need to be still and made stable, not just to ensure a high standard of film-making but also to protect the iPad itself from damage!

There are a number of tripod-like gadgets out there which you might like to investigate further, Ive just listed three to get you started.....

Movie Mount

• Check out the Movie Mount for iPad2
• The Joy Factory AAB105 TOURNEZ2 iPad2 Tripod Mount
• The Standzfree hands-free iPad floor stand is lightweight and heavy duty, it swivels and angles and is great if you need to play an instrument and be hands-free.



Foldable Stand / Cradle

• For a smaller tripod ideal for animation activities try the Foldable Stand, Holder, Cradle for iPad, iPad 2 

For more information contact me: barbaraainscough@mac.com

Follow @boobelle

Educreations - New Features!

via@educreations - Educreations say the most requested feature is the ability to replay shared Educreations lessons on the iPad. Today, they announced version 1.1 of Educreations for the iPad, which includes this and other new features.

Download the update today on the App Store.

What's new?:

• Watch lessons hosted on educreations.com on your iPad.
• New option to clear only the ink on a page, leaving images in place.
• Easily copy the lesson link and embed code.
• View featured lessons from the Educreations community.
• Optimized recording and uploading. Lessons will now load up to 4x faster.
• Logging in and out is now much easier.

New features on Educreations website:

• Seek forward and backward when replaying lessons on our site.
• Get notified via email when a student asks a question about a lesson.

Follow Educreations:

• Follow @educreations on Twitter
• Find us on Facebook
• Share feedback, ideas and problems by emailing us at contact@educreations.com or by using the Feedback tab on our website
• Join their Edmodo community

Follow @boobelle

iPad evaluation form

During this last year or so many schools have started to introduce iPads on a whole class or school level. At some point it is inevitable that the school will be asked to justify this expense by Governors and / parents and this is when you need to start thinking of ways to measure the impact of ipads on learning and teaching. Lucy Gray <elemenous@gmail.com> has put together this evaluation form and encourages us to share our experiences with iPads as they have been integrated into the school curriculum.
Feel free to join in the study or tweak the form as you see fit to meet your own ends.


For more information contact me: barbaraainscough@mac.com

Follow @boobelle

Olloclip - iPhone 4 camera lens

If youre looking for an iPhone 4 camera lens then check out the Olloclip 3 in one set.  A neat design, small, fit to iphone 4 is great, picture quality is good  - compatible with 4s too!  Under £60 from Amazon.

For more information contact me: barbaraainscough@mac.com

Follow @boobelle