Archives For iPad

Pub motioncomposer

Motion Composer for the Mac is a great application for your Mac that allows you to create engaging animations and interactive content for any platform in HTML 5 or Flash without writing any code.  The animations you create will work on desktops, phones or tablets. The animations you create have an ‘inner intelligence” that once created, detect if the device you are using has Flash. If it does, it uses it, and if it doesn’t it uses HTML5.  Pretty cool. 

What I like BEST about Motion Composer is that it allows to embed really cool animation in iBooks Author easily.  If you are working with iBooks Author I highly recommend this application. 

You can use objects, pictures, text, video, and sound with Motion Composer and it will wrap them all together. I really liked the ability to drop and drag content from iTunes. Once you content is dropped onto the initial slide you can move it around to the different state you want within the time frame. So, if I drop text onto the slide I have a starting position and then I move it to a secondary position. On playback Motion composer will show the progress from the first to second position. 

You can create a text box button for the user to click. You program this button to perform an animation or activate some action. 

You can test your animations out which is very handy.

Like advanced Keynote users, you can place elements off the viewing area of the slide and have them move into view on the animation.  There are lots of great features and some advanced functions.

Continue Reading…

Screen Shot 2013 03 10 at 5 50 40 PM

Nicholas Provenzano, also known as ‘The Nerdy Teacher’, has created a wonderful resource for educators with his eBook, The Complete Guide to Evernote in Education

This book contains many great examples of innovative and practical uses for any classroom, for any teacher. 

(One lucky reader that leaves a comment below will receive a free copy.)

The Complete Guide to Evernote in Education is an excellent resource for all educators. Provenzano makes the case for “Why Evernote?” in his introduction and documents excellent uses for teachers in any grade level in any field. Furthermore, he backs up his reasons for using Evernote in education with excellent, real-world examples that we can employ immediately upon reading. 

Continue Reading…

Padcaster productshot1

The Padcaster is a unique product that allows you to mount your iPad to a tripod (and many other places) and attach external devices, such as microphones, while still allowing you to remove the device quickly without unhooking everything.

The Padcaster is a strong, lightweight aluminum frame that has a 1/4 and 3/3 threaded holes on each side, with an internal molded urethane insert to safely secure your iPad and allow a speedy removal. The threaded holes allow you to attach the framed iPad into any tripod or similar device.

Why would I want to put my iPad in a Padcaster? 

The reason is simple. Your iPad is an all-in-one solution to shoot, edit, and publish video without having to upload, render, and other time consuming misadventures when using digital cameras. People want to be able to do it all, well, from one device. Well, the Padcaster enhances that experience on the iPad by stabilizing the iPad, removing arm fatigue, and offering the opportunity to add and upgrade higher quality mice, lighting and more.  All with ought losing the ability to easily pop the iPad in and out of the Padcaster.  You can even attach amazing high-quality lenses.  (Check out the photos below.)

Padcaster Helping Physically Challenged:

I believe this is a new and undiscovered use of the Padcaster

Continue Reading…

By Ryan Orilio, Apple Distinguished Educator.
Originally Posted at www.ryanorilio.com
Twitter @ryanorilio

Screen Shot 2013-01-20 at 9.28.16 AM

My school has interactive whiteboards installed in every classroom. This is a fairly recently upgrade. It was just in the last few years that this “initiative” was completed. Every classroom, K-12, has a interactive whiteboard and projector (unless the teacher asked to be excluded, and a few did)

Now don’t get me wrong, I think that as opposed to nothing, having a interactive whiteboard in your classroom is a great improvement. It helps teachers engage children, it jazzes up your lessons, it allows you to save what you write, and adds some interactivity to your classroom. These are all positive traits, and things that teachers are trying to do everyday.

My argument here is that if the school district is going to spend the money to install a interactive whiteboard, that money could instead be better spend on something else that does the job better… AppleTV & an iPad. I am speaking as someone who has used both tools in his classroom. In fact, at the first school that I taught at, I purchased an interactive whiteboard one year with my entire budget allocation. After I began to showcase the tool at professional development sessions, my school decided to put one in every classroom. Continue Reading…

by Ross Cooper: ADE, GCT


1 homescreen iPhone

For the past week I have had the opportunity to experiment with a new app on my third generation iPad, Kids Flashcard Maker. This program is a universal app that runs on both the iPad and iPhone (or iPod Touch) with a single purchase, and it is made by the INKids company. Overall, I found the app to be very intuitive, as I was able to thoroughly familiarize myself with all of its features in about fifteen minutes. Also, as a fourth grade teacher, I could easily envision the app becoming a part of my regular instructional routine. 

 

Continue Reading…

The ATV Pro by Kanex is the ‘ultimate’ solution to connect your iOS device to your projector in your classroom. It is incredibly light. There is no power cord. It plugs directly into your Apple TV and the VGA cord plugs directly into it. There is even a ‘headphone out’ port to plug in some speakers. 

I love this device.  Watch the video to see all the cords it replaced and how useful it is!

If you are going to connect your Apple TV and iOS device to a VGA projector, this is a must-have device.

Wired Educator grade The ATV Pro by Kanex an ‘A+’.

Screen Shot 2012 09 24 at 10 08 20 PM

Teaching Table is a Math App for the iPad that allows math teachers to create interactive lessons for their students. The teacher-created lessons allow students to interact with digital manipulatives to solve problems and learn math concepts. 

This is a great iPad app for Math that allows educators to create lessons that match their curriculum. Teachers will no longer be forced to purchase apps off the store to address single concepts and lessons; teaching table is adaptable to any lesson by using visual representations of math concepts within an interactive user interface for the learner. 

Using Teaching Table, educators can Continue Reading…

IMG_0208Marble Math is a math skills practice game designed for older elementary age students. This app from Artgig Apps is a lot of fun, and for the $1.99 price tag, its a deal for you and your students.

Marble Math has three different levels of Math games that you can play. Each level has a variety of different types of math problems that you solve by rolling a marble through a maze and avoid fun obstacles.

The maze games can be played two ways, you can roll the marble with your finger, or use the iPad as a surface and as you tilt the surface the marble rolls towards the lower side. I really like this method of game play because it can work with students who need practice with manual dexterity.

Marble math works on a variety of different math skills. The easier mazes can work on adding, subtracting, roman numerals, fractions, and even money. As you progress into the higher levels division and multiplication are added, as well as decimals, comparisons, and sequencing. A real handy feature for parents and teachers, is the ability to customize what skills your students or children practice with Marble Math. Specific skills can be selected for practice in each of the three levels. Continue Reading…

I had fun creating this video review of the Steadicam Smoothee, a product designed to help you stabilize your video in and out of the classroom.

This is an incredibly well-made device. It is very portable. I recommend it for your classroom.

Steadicam makes devices for practically any camera. This review is for stabilizing video on the iPhone, but they also have mounts for Flip cameras, iPod Touch Devices, and more.

Visit their site at http://www.steadicam.com

Let me know your opinion in the video.

Steadicam Smoothee: Product Review (Video Stabilizing System)

Shakespeare & The iPad

larryreiff —  June 13, 2012 — 3 Comments

By Larry Reiff

 

Since the introduction of Apple’s first iPad, tablet devices have been finding their way into classrooms all over the world. Their portability, adaptability, and ease of use make them the perfect tool for teaching Shakespeare to our students.  As an English teacher, I believe the that the best way for my students to learn Shakespeare is to interact with his words.  The iPad and other iOS devices are the perfect tools allowing students to fully connect with Shakespeare’s text.  Most English teachers are aware of the basic Shakespeare apps, most of which are just a collection of his works.  Some other apps, such as Shakespeare in Bits, are useful, but they are somewhat limited and don’t really offer the student an opportunity to immerse themselves in the text.  However, there are plenty of other apps that can transform the way you teach Shakespeare in the classroom.

Is it sacrilege to cut lines out of Shakespeare? Continue Reading…