Progress Report Season

I had a lot of hope during this progress-report season.  The iPad has been a versatile, portable device allowing me to take pictures of student work, take video of their presentations, and record audio of conferences.  I think this three months has seen me procure way more assessment information than I normally would.  My thought back in October was, "This is going to be great; I can show parents EVERYTHING their child is doing."


Ah, then there's the "IF." If I only had more memory space.  If I didn't have to export files to my personal laptop.  If I could find an app that could manage all of the data.  What was originally going to be me opening up each student's Evernote "note" to show to parents became the traditional "this is what is happening in our class, this is what your child is doing."  Actually, this was the year that students directed their own interview, but that's another story.  Back to my wishes and reality, part of the issue is Evernote.  It's a good app.  However, when I learned that it couldn't hold video, I needed a resource for storing video to include with Evernote.  Another teacher informed me about Vimeo.  It is a web portal for storing video which you can access through an http address.  Upside?  I have a place to store all that video instead of my own laptop.  Downside?  Unless one decides to pay to upgrade their user status, they're limited to uploading only 5GB per week.  With recording presentations and evidence of collaborative problem-solving, I could bump up against that barrier in one day...easily.

I am leaning toward purchasing the annual Vimeo upgrade.

Conferences did go well.  Parents enjoyed listening to their child talk about their learning, their strengths, and their chosen areas to improve in.  They also appreciated watching and listening to recorded evidence of their learning.  It wasn't as "tablet-based" as I would have wanted, but it was the best set of progress report interviews I've ever had.

Syncing and Growing Pains

The learning curve in this project is quite exciting, if frustrating. We now have most of our hardware in place - the most exciting of which, at least for this avid typer, are the various bluetooth keyboards we are trying out with the pads.

We only have a few different kinds - one that is also a case, one made by HipStreet that the pad sits in, and two wireless apple keyboards. We're testing them out to see which we prefer, in different applications, in case we decide we would like more. And so far they are working well. Or, should I say, well-ish. One issue we're starting to realize is not uncommon is syncability (I make up words all the time, it's a condition) - the ability for disparate software and hardware to work together with the iPad.

For instance - we are using the Cloudon app as a cloud based storage space and document generator. We like Cloudon because it not only allows you to view .doc/.ppt/.xls files, but you can create them as well (you can't do that with the pads while using Dropbox/Google Drive - so far as we can tell). However, the first time I tried to use the HipStreet keyboard with Cloudon - it was essentially a non-starter. After a while I realized that you need to be very particular with the order in which you do things for the keyboard to work - and the arrow keys (something I desperately miss on the touch pad keyboard) are always a little funky.

I'm sure this will improve - with lots of parties involved (Cloudon people, apple people, HipStreet people) there is sure to be some communication woes - but as the pads become more of a known commodity in our world, and as accessory companies have longer to play with them, I am sure these inks will get ironed out. In the mean time we're finding the best combinations and running with them.

The BIG news is that our pads are now in the hands of our students - which will speed up this whole learning curve in a big way as well, I am sure. Wish us luck!

Has anybody experienced any "syncing" problems with other apps/accessories? Just curious. 

Blogging away

One thing that has been a nice addition for us. Is the integration of blogs based on our subjects. These blogs are led by the teachers and contain assignments for the students to work on. As a background many of our students do not have the ability to come to school everyday. The reasons could vary from parenting duties, employment to mental health issues. These subject based blogs allow for students in those situations to keep up with their studies. It also lets students work ahead if they choose or catch up if they miss school for various reasons.

Need a date?

Part of this project has been trying to improve productivity between my peers and myself.  We are a small team of four who have little time to meet throughout the week. Since we are also a program that has limited support administratively, it is imperative that we communicate and be organized as a group.  There are student intakes, course add/subtracts, counselling, graduation ceremonies and all around administrative duties to be done. The best way to do this is through productivity apps.

We started to improve our productivity through the google suite of software.  The reason for this was two fold. One, we were introducing the google suite to the students as it is a free web based software so it is something they can all use for life, no matter if they own technology or not.  While doing this we became more immersed in the programs ourselves. From that point it was an easy extension to see the benefit of the google suite for our productivity as a staff.

Though we use the google software regularly, there were some issues synching it to the iPad. The one area that stood out was synching the staff calendars to each other and the to individual iPads. The issue that became apparent was that items put into your google calendar synced to your iPad but items entered into your iPad calendar did not sync to the google calendar.

The solution was to get a calendar app that did this. After reviewing a few apps I ended up purchasing the app "Calendars". It is a simple install and syncs great to the google calendars. It is a great app for overcoming the Apple vs. Google software battle.

iBooks Oops! Finding Limitations With iBooks.

If this project is about learning, then I guess I'm doing well. And if the root of all learning is making mistakes, perhaps epic mistakes, then I am excelling! Let me explain. 

I am an English teacher, and as an English teacher in an alternative setting, I am always looking for books. Not just any books, though. They need to be high interest (I have reluctant readers, mostly). They also are received better if they are new(ish). Perhaps most importantly, they need to be cheap - like most English departments, the book budget starts small and shrinks daily. Thus my excitement when the possibility of using iBooks came about. 

This near perfect solution would work in so many ways: they could be current; they could be high interest; and they could never be stolen/lost/damaged (we allow students to sign out paper books, but we do not let them sign out the iPads). It seemed like a perfect system, and I still think it will work out great. But I have identified an issue. 

I recently stumbled upon this issue in a round about way. Here's my story.

I started by preparing a list of books I wanted to buy, and I downloaded the samples of these books - this way I could peruse the material, determine if it was suitable for class, and go from there. So I chose a book - From Hell, a graphic novel by acclaimed artist Alan Moore. The reviews were convincing - the text was compelling (the story of Jack the Ripper), I liked the idea of using a graphic novel. Great. Until I got home one day and decided I had better read the whole thing - all I'd read was the prologue (what was included in the sample you can download before purchasing from the iStore). So wasn't I surprised when I read the 3rd page after the prologue, and found a rather explicit (if short) sex scene! Now my students are almost all over 18, so this may have been fine - if I didn't get a GRAPHIC NOVEL! 

Nowhere in the description to the book did it mention these types of scenes, it wasn't rated for Adults Only, and without the ability to browse through the entire book (as you can with a traditional book in a brick and mortar book store), I was taken completely by surprise. The prologue included a pair of old men talking and walking by the shore, how was I to know what was coming? 

Needless to say, my students won't be reading From Hell, at least not as part of their school library. I went through the iPads and deleted it from them all. Fortunately, iBooks doesn't require you to purchase a class set (up to 10 iPads can share one purchase - so a "class set" is much cheaper this way) - but I will be more leary going forawrd, particularly when it comes to buying Graphic Novels. 

Does anyone have any ideas for previewing eBook purchases before spending any money? Am I going to have to go to a brick and mortar store, peruse the hard copy book, then retire to my quarters and purchase the now vetted title via the iBook store. I think it's my best option at this point - I just don't want to spend any more money unnecessarily. C'est la vie. 

#ECOO12

I had the opportunity to attend this year’s ECOO (Educational Computing Organization of Ontario) in Richmond Hill this past weekend.  I went with the mission of learning as much as I could about how teachers are currently maximizing student assessment and feedback with technology, particularly with the iPads.  It was also an opportunity to hear about how the education paradigm is shifting...from the top-down, hierarchical “Sage on the Stage” model that most of us probably experienced in our elementary and high school to one where the teacher is a facilitator and coach; students can access anything they need to know in a matter of seconds, but they still need to learn how to be effective in their search for, and use, of information.  

But, to my concern at hand.  I learned about two apps frequently being used to collect student work and allow the ongoing feedback with peers and teacher, and even parents.  Edmodo (@edmodo) (http://www.edmodo.com) is a Facebook-like social media platform that teachers are using with their classes to collect assignments, provide automatic and digital feedback, and post in a safe, social way.  I was familiar with Edmodo a few years ago but the format seemed difficult.  I’m sure the honest reason is that I was afraid of the learning curve I would have to work on.  I will be having my students create accounts and join my site this week.  

Evernote (@evernote) (http://evernote.com/) is an amazing app, available for tablets and traditional computers, with the mission of “Remember Everything.”  As a teacher struggling to keep track of anecdotal feedback using the Notes app on the iPad...read that as, I could handwrite this just as quickly but I wouldn’t be able to read it later on, and I’d probably lose the paper...I was immediately interested in Evernote.  It was easy to find to download to my MacBook Pro and I also found the app easily enough through iTunes.  There are several add-ons for Evernote but I won’t get in to them this early on.  I can’t really describe Evernote with justice, so immediately from the application itself, “Put everything in one place - your notes, images, documents, web clips and audio notes. Find what you're looking for using our powerful search. Sync makes your notes accessible across your devices.”  Again, the app looks daunting.  I’m sure I will find myself frustrated at times this year as I will be learning Evernote alongside my students.  I think it will be good for us as a class though, and good to see that even as I experience frustration and the desire to quit, I need to stick with it for the good of the group.  Part of my contribution to this blog will be to document my learning and trials with these, and other, apps.

All in all, this was a good conference, with some presentations that floored me, and others that underwhelmed me.  I came away with a lot of information that I am still trying to distill.  Please use the hashtag #ECOO12 to read the ongoing commentary that happened with, and among, educators and presenters over the length of the conference.      

Making Progress...Slowly

So we have finally made the last step - we've been cleared by our board to go ahead, purchase apps, books, and films, and get these iPads into the hands of our students. We have been waiting to get cases, but since the roll out will begin with a very few number of selected students, we don't want to wait any longer to wait for cases to arrive. 

In hopes of minimizing purchase duplication we've decided to distribute our purchases. We've divided our 20 student iPads into two groups. All of our apps (paid and free) will be available on all pads, and any free iBooks will be available on all pads as well. However, we've decided to denote half of our pads (#s 1-10) as iBook pads (where we've placed our purchased iBooks) and the other half of the pads (#s11-20) as film pads. We set up two Turning Point iTunes accounts for this purpose, and will make purchases from those accounts accordingly.  

The iBooks has been wonderful. We have a desktop at the back of the classroom that we use for purchasing (signing in and out of itunes accounts as need be) and as soon as I purchase a book from the iBooks store it is automatically pushed to each of the iBooks pads (#s1-10). Some of the graphic novels took a little time to transfer - but not more than a minute. 

I wish the films were as simple. We are starting slowly with the films (because they cost more), and have only purchased two (Paul Haggis' Crash (2004) and Gary Ross' The Hunger Games (2012)). Everything worked very well during the purchasing - clicked "buy", downloaded them both to the iCloud, and they both showed up on the videos "purchased" file on the pads. But when it came to actually downloading the films onto the pads - we've hit a roadblock. Or, rather, a huge puddle of molasses. Now we are choosing to download these wirelessly (we have a rather robust wireless network here at the college) - so that may be slowing things down a little, but this is taking forever!

Currently I am monitoring 3 different pads as they download those two films - and it's coming up on an hour with moderate progress so far. The saving grace is that this, like many other 'teacher tasks' is likely   only onerous on the front end (we don't imagine we'll be purchasing films everyday) - but it is something to keep in mind. The thought that we'd be able to identify a students' interests, locate an appropriate film that also fit said interests (proper DI), download the film and hand the pad to the student. That clearly won't happen. 

It's not the end of the world at all - and once we get the 10 film iPads loaded we should be fine, but there must be a faster way. Any ideas? Is this the best way to accomplish this task? I feel I'm aging as I sit here.