FaceTime

Great use in a lesson the other day. One student asked if she could FaceTime her friend who was ill at home so that she could take part in the lesson from her sick bed. She was able to do so, so missed nothing, even asking and answering questions!


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The Next Big Push

iPads are now set up and are being used by staff instead of hard copy in many instances. However, there needs to be a leap forward when it comes to facilitating student use on a day to day basis. Insisting on hard copy of essays, evidence of daily planning etc shows just how hard it is to shift from the safe and familiar. In the first instance I am going to have to persuade at least one or two to shift away from paper as much as possible in their dealings with students. Easier said than done?


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Catchup

I have been neglecting the blog which will be my major source of recollecting my feelings during this initiative, so....
the first half of term.
The Good: the year 12s have signed up with the programme en masse; SLT have been very supportive.
The Bad: Virgin have still not upgraded our broadband. We survive, but just.
The Ugly: the K-Drive still rules (this is the local storage drive, inaccessible unless you log in via a school based PC).

More detail to follow.

WebDAV part2

One of the most difficult things to do is to persuade people that storing data on a USB stick is unnecessary, as is having a USB port on the iPad. Whilst the school is still reluctant to embrace Dropbox, easily sharing files to and from the school server is problematic, however.  Any of the reader apps that support WebDAV can overcome this. In GoodReader, for example, it is simple to see other devices on the same network as servers and add them. Providing the necessary permissions can be set up, it should make for easy integration whilst on the school network. This is something, along with AirServer, on the first week back. I think the right combination of Dropbox, Fronter and WebDAV should emerge over the course of the term.

End of Term

We finished the term with a staff survey to go with the student one. I think we have a clear idea for our strategy for September. The first week will be interesting as it always generates a huge amount of paper that can easily be accessed on the iPad.
In the meantime I shall update the wiki and think about some workflows that could work for us.


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Write Up of Conference

Academia iPad conference: notes from the keynote speeches

Ben Stanley, Apple Distinguished Educator.
His task essentially was to demonstrate the potential of the iPad and he recommended several useful and fun apps such as Flipboard, Popplet, Soundnotes, Green Screen and Morfo.
He also flagged up the problem we have of not yet having the education volume licensing that they have in the States. He did think that we would get this soon. His other interesting idea was asking students the simple question: what does mobile learning mean to you?

Stephen Byrne of Gumley House School basically talked about his experiences since setting up the iPhone initiative over two years ago. He also posed some interesting food for thought:
Who owns the learning? Who works harder? Teacher or students?
Mobile technology is set up as open access ie Facebook/ Twitter not banned.
Autology is a good investment and students should use it as a first port of call
Students who struggle with independent learning will be flagged up by iPad usage.
In his school the model has been to give iPads to students, not teachers.


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Academia Conferene

Having left the kids with their Grandmother I have taken the morning off paternity leave to go to the half day iPad conference run by the company. We had presentations from an Apple Distinguished Educator and from Stephen Byrne from Gumley House.
The first presentation was essentially about how rouse the iPad, so it was god to know I am up to speed! Some useful apps that I didn't know about though...including Popplet for mind mapping as well as GreenScreen and Morfo for playing around with video.
The second was an update to the Gumley House experiment with mobile technology. One of the most interesting points he raised was that the iPad is an effective tool for flagging up students who struggle with independent learning.


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