Set iPad alarms to guide your day

The clock is probably one of the most under-utilized apps on your iPad. It's sitting there on everyone's screen. But still we ask ourselves, why would I need to use the clock? I can see the time on the top of every screen. Well, here's a reason why.

Alarms. Especially in the elementary realm, teachers want a way to get reminders during the day. There is just so much going on during the course of the day, why not get a little digital assistance? Here's some simple directions for setting your alarms.

First, dust off and open up that clock app. Choose "alarms" from the bottom of the screen. Then press the "+" in the upper right corner to set your first alarm. Set the specific time for your alarm by moving the dials. 

There are options for repeating your alarm as well. You can set them up to play on particular days of the week. You can also label your alarm to specific events like "send Matt to speech" or "time to order lunch". 

Now choose the "sound" option. There's a wide variety of default sounds to choose from. You can also pick a song from your iTunes library. 

When you get it all set, choose "save". It should send you back to a view of the entire week so you can see all the alarms. Kind of a nice reminder of everything you need to do. If you need to change or delete one, choose the "edit" button in the upper left. 

Now you're all set, so to speak. Siri will also set alarms for you if you prefer to command others to do your bidding. You might need to make some adjustments for volume. Small bluetooth speakers could be something to check out if you prefer a noisy room. Or you could try connecting to Airserver to play the sound through your computer or projector speakers. 

Zinio and DBRL

So you think that OverDrive is great for checking out books? Then you're going to be blown away with this little nugget. The Daniel Boone Regional Library has recently purchased over 100 magazine titles that you can download to your device. FOR FREE! Here's what you need to do.

First, get a library card. There are three easy ways to get a card. Visit DBRL's card page for more information. 

Then visit DBRL's magazine page. Click on the link to browse digital magazines. From there, click in the upper right corner to make an account. This is where you'll need to enter your library card number and create an account with your email address and new password. 

Once you are in, you can browse their extensive selection of current and relevant titles. No, it's not just limited to titles like "Midwest Basket Collecting". There are current editions of real magazines and some even offer back issues. Here's a quick look at some of the great stuff you'll have access to:

• Newsweek
• Men's Health
• Car and Driver
• Cosmo (personal favorite)
• ESPN The Magazine
• Field and Stream
• US (my wife will love this)
• Popular Science
• Oprah (I can't believe I mentioned Oprah)

Just click "checkout now" on the ones you want to add to your account. But now you need to have a vehicle to read them. This is where the Zinio app comes into play. Download it on your device for free and create an account. Use the same email address you used to create your DBRL digital account. That's how they communicate. 

When you get signed in to Zinio, you'll see a "read" button on the bottom of the screen. When you select it, you'll see the titles you checked out from DBRL. Simply press the down arrow on the cover to download the magazine. Now, be careful about how much you download. The magazines will take up a good amount of space on your device. I downloaded the current version of Newsweek and Men's Health to check space. Those two took up 168 MB. So you'll likely need to manage your space by deleting issues when you are finished.

Seriously, it's free. If you are a high school teacher with student devices, you need to get your students to get their library cards to make accounts. If you teach elementary, you can download magazines to model skills with your students. One of the best reasons to have devices is the access to relevant resources for learning. Daniel Boone knocked it out of the park with this one. Now let's use it so it sticks around!

New Options for Airserver Mirroring

The newest version of Airserver has several different security features to control who has access to display on your computer. In the previous versions, you could decide on having access for everyone or through a password. Check it out for yourself by going to the Airserver preferences on your computer. Here's a rundown of the new options. 

Airserver Preference

No password - anyone can display their device on your computer. Best if you are a trusting person because anyone in your school network can mirror at any time.

Fixed password - this is identical to the previous version. You enter your password on the computer. Anyone who wants to mirror their device would need to enter the password to get permission. 

Onscreen Passcode/Password option

Onscreen password - a great option for classroom use. When this option is selected, a four digit number appears on the computer. That number has to be entered on the iPad in order to connect. When testing, I saw that when I disconnected the iPad, I could reconnect without entering the password a second time. However, after shutting down Airserver and restarting, I had to reauthenticate with a new password. A nice option if you have different classes during the day and want only the students in your class to have mirroring access. 

Onscreen passcode - the same as above. Not certain, but I think this feature is good for devices running iOS6 or greater. So if you haven't upgraded in the last year and a half, you can't use this one.

Ask me - when this is selected, any iPad that attempts to connect to your computer will need to be given permission. You'll get a pop-up on your computer screen (two, actually) to approve an iPad for sharing audio and video. However, we've had mixed results to get the iPad to mirror. Maybe not the most reliable option.

App Review: 30 Hands

I found another app a few months ago that has really helped transform learning in several classrooms already this year. It's called 30Hands, and it's offered at the great price of free. There are several things I look for when recommending apps. It needs to be applicable to a variety of ages and contents. The product needs to be easy to export. And it needs to be very easy for students (and teachers) to use. 30Hands delivers on all. Here's what you need to know.

Essentially, 30Hands is a way to create informational videos from your iPad. I describe it to teachers as "Photostory for the iPad". The app lets you create a video using still images, drawing on a whiteboard, and narration. I wrote about an app called PixnTell last year that has the same function. However, 30Hands doesn't have a limit to the number of images like PixnTell.

When you launch 30Hands, you are given the option to create an account or get started without one. This is another great feature because the need to have an account can be limiting for elementary students. So I always choose "skip this step" and jump right in. 

The first screen shows your list of projects. It's always nice to be able to save projects so you can revisit them down the road. Another benefit. Press the little "+" in the upper right corner and you can get started on a new project. Then you can add slides. 30Hands lets you take pictures from inside the app or import from your camera roll. Like other apps, pictures you take in the app are copied to the camera roll for use in other locations. Once you've added pictures, you can easily rearrange the order by drag and drop. Now you're ready to record.

This feature is what makes 30Hands great for schools. The app allows you to record narration on individual slides. That way, students don't have to worry about recording the entire narration at one time. Practice one slide, record, and move on. Perfect for elementary students. When you finish, simply publish the finished project to your camera roll for easy export. 

Although it's early in year, I've seen 30Hands used all over the district. Here's a short list of projects that teachers and students have used the app to accomplish:

• Teacher created video about playground expectations
• Tour of the classroom
• Procedures for checking out a classroom book
• Daily Five learning activities

I would consider 30Hands to be a must-have for teachers. It's easy enough for elementary students, but still functional for high schoolers too. Give it a try. 

iOS7 Photo streams

Maybe you're like me. You were used to adding pics to your shared photo streams in the old operating system, and are frustrated to learn a new way. After a lot of looking around, I finally figured out the method in ios7. It's backwards. 

Previously, you'd go to your camera roll, select the pics, and choose add to photos stream. Not anymore. Now you have to go to the photo stream first and choose the blue + button. Then search for your pics and add. 

Not tough, but it took me some time to relearn. Happy sharing!

Revised list of 6 must-haves for elementary iPads

I enjoy setting up iPad carts for elementary. As a former classroom teacher, I see the possibilities as I download each app to the devices. I know there are differing opinions, but I always err on putting too many apps on the student iPads. I want options, and I don't want to stop everything and download an app in the middle of class when a student really needs it. So here's a revised list of 6 apps (or categories of apps) I would never leave off a student iPad.

Voice Recorders (QuickVoice, iTalk, Voice Record HD)
I love multi-purpose apps. The possibilities are endless with voice recorders. Students can conduct interviews, listen to their fluency, read their own writing, or anything else. All three apps I listed above work great. You can record, save, and export. Voice Record HD offers many more exporting options. All are free.

Presentations (Keynote, Haiku Deck, SnapGuide)
Here are three great options. Keynote is the best, but it's also $10. If you want free alternatives, then try Haiku Deck and SnapGuide. Haiku Deck lets you create visually rich presentations using copyright free images. SnapGuide will use your own pictures or video, all packaged in a neat slideshow format. 

Multimedia (iMovie, 30Hands, PuppetPalsHD)
iMovie is easily my favorite app. It's applicable to any content and age group. You have to pay $4.99, but it's money well spent. 30Hands is a great app for adding narration to pictures. Puppet Pals lets you make puppet shows narrated by students. All great apps that students can use creatively to show their learning.

QR Reader (QRafter)
If your students have devices, they need to be able to read QR codes. Which means you need to make QR codes a part of your teaching. There's no better way to efficiently send students to digital resources or secret text messages. Post them around the room, on worksheets, backs of books, or anywhere else. 

Evernote
For many reasons. First, you can easily create a classroom account with notebooks for each student. Then you have a shared drive for word processing documents, research, pictures, or anything else. Second, it's log in specific. You can log in to a cart of classroom iPads and it will stay logged on. Or if you go with student accounts, they can log out when they're done and pass it along to another student. 

Pic Collage
What a great app. It's probably the first one that got a lot of buzz in our district and it's still at the top of most lists. Easily import pictures to make your own collage. Add text and backgrounds and you're done. Great way to share learning. Here's how a fifth grade class used Pic Collage to show their learning about genre: Mrs. Robison's Genre Project

I tried to be succinct. There's just so many great apps out there. Hope you found something new to add to your iPads. 

iPad Word Clouds: Four options

Everyone loves word clouds. And why not? They are great tools for students to show information about themselves, their interests, and learning. For many years, students across our district have used quality tools like Wordle and Tagxedo to create word clouds on school computers. But what about the iPad? Here are a couple of options that you should consider.

WordSalad

WordSalad - Free
Here's a simple free app for word clouds. With WordSalad, you will have to write the text of the cloud in another app. I used Notes to quickly type my text. Then I copied and pasted the text into the WordSalad app. There are several options for fonts, colors, and simple arrangements. It then can be exported to the camera roll. Sounds perfect. It's not. There is a watermark on the app that you can't remove. It's very noticeable, and personally, drives me crazy. It's a shame because otherwise, WordSalad is a good app. 

Textagon

Textagon - Free
A more simplistic app that lacks any bells and whistles. Tap on the screen and you can enter text or copy/paste it in. Now if you like design elements, stop reading. Because it only arranges the text in block form. You can change the text and background color and the weight of the text. You can add a background image. And that's about it. Export your finished work to the camera roll. 

So those were free. Here are some paid options. I know, nobody wants to pay for apps. I've had teachers nearly throw their iPads at me when I mention an app that you have to pay for. But these are worth it. Really. 


Cloudart - $.99
Now we're getting some options. With Cloudart, you can create your clouds from a webpage or enter your own text. There are options for changing the density, emphasis, roundness, font, layout, and color scheme. You can
press one of two buttons to quickly see different random layouts or just tweak the one you have. Word clouds can be saved inside the app to use later. Or you can export to the camera roll or email your finished product. It's very easy to use and the product is excellent. A great buy at just $.99. 

Visual Poetry

Visual Poetry - $1.99
So I left the best for last. And the priciest. But I think the name of the app is right on. It reminds me of Tagxedo. Visual Poetry lets you have complete control. There are lots of templates you can use to change the shape of your cloud. Use one of their templates and then customize the text colors, fonts, size, background color, brightness, or add your own background image. A crazy amount of customization. Save your creation to the camera roll, email, Tweet, or Instagram (all the kids are doing it these days). It's really a cool app. 

There you go. I don't like to steer people towards spending money, but when it comes to current word cloud apps, you definitely get what you pay for. Doesn't it sound strange when you describe a two dollar app as being pricey?