Module 4 Reflection: file sharing

Last term at school , I introduced Dropbox to my staff. Most staff members have now set up their own Dropbox account. I have created a shared school file for our staff. Within this we have created a number of folders for different KLA's and a variety of projects. I find it particularly useful in sharing resources with staff. Simple things like timetables, policies, and staff meeting minutes can be easily shared. Saves massive amounts of paper from being used and good for sharing with part time staff as well.
I also find Dropbox helpful in me transferring files to school from home. I can be working on something at home and then go to school and open it up. Good bye USB. With the mobile app, it's great. I can open my files on the run, even with my mobile phone. My files go with me where ever I go. Problem with these mobile apps- it's hard to switch off from work!!!! Today I tried to annotate a PDF file shared with me through dropbox and then put it onto my blog.

Module 3 Reflection: "Learning With Apps"

I found that the break down of the app suggestions for developing ilearn skills , was a great resource to use. It was a good starting point and alerted me to some apps that I could immediately use in the classroom. I have been able to try out the "My Story" app with a Kinder class. We are currently starting to implement a paired writing program with Kindergarten and Year 6. As the children are writing their stories with their buddies, they are publishing their texts using "My Story". The children are combining the use of photography and drawing to create their stories. Each week as they finish their story, they continue to add it to their continually growing buddy book. Some students have even started to read back and record themselves using the app. It is intuitive, inexpensive and the children needed very little instruction. I am currently exploring best ways to share the children's stories. After evaluating a few apps with a colleague, she has decided to try using "Toontastic" to enhance critical literacy and multimodal skills. It also passes the five finger test of being connected to the curriculum, intuitive, appealing and inexpensive. It also has clear directions and prompts for the children to use and listen too. I also have been exploring "Inspiration". I plan to use it in Religion classes this week. I'm going to get the children to work in collaborative groups and record responses to proposed questions on it. I only have the lite version of it. After I try out the lite version with the kids I will decide whether to upgrade to the full version. I'm finding that before spending the school's money on an app, I tend to buy it for myself to see how versatile it is. It gets very expensive for a school having to buy one app for each individual devise. As our collection of app collection grows, I think it is important for us as a school to keep a current list of apps that we install on the school set of ipads. It is essential that the ipads are as uniform as possible in a primary school. Teachers need to be able to direct a student to a particular app knowing that the children will be able to access it no matter which device they use.

Module Two Reflection

Opps,hubby not to happy with me. He just noticed that I deleted some of his bookmarks (his work related ones).. I thought I was just taking his bookmarks off my ipad and thought that they would stay on his - but I was wrong - stupid cloud!! So luckily I started Modules Two this evening - I've now learnt how to organise my bookmarks into folders - that will make life easier,(and give me less need to delete his.) I've also gone and changed my privacy setting in Safari. I'm hoping that now the annoying advertising that has been coming up in my gmail side bar, will stop. I checked out the ipad users guide and was particularly interested in information about charging the ipads and maintaining their battery life. They suggest doing at least one complete cycle of charging per month. They also suggest that you should adjust brightness levels, minimise use of location services and turn off push notifications. The built in app that I have found to be popular with students is photobooth. I haven't deliberately used it as part of a class. However I always have to have a laugh when I check the camera roll after lessons to see what the kids have left behind! The built in app that I get a lot of use from, is Note. It's so easy and convenient to use. I tend to use it at inservices and to record staff meeting minutes. It's great for jotting down ideas when on the run and I know I'm not going to lose that piece of paper. So easy to email it back to myself if needed. However more recently I have started using "Evernote" as a preference. The camera feature is the biggest difference I have found having my new ipad.It is a feature that will be used a lot in the classroom. I also love having ibooks. I'm finding that my ipad is becoming my biggest organisational tool at work. I can fill my ibook library with all my CEO policies and my school publications all in the one place and I don't have to go rummaging through my bookshelf to find the document I need. My colleagues and I have been in the process of evaluating new suitable apps for when our new ipads arrive at school, so Im really looking forward to starting module 3.

Module 1 Reflection

After having completed Module 1, I was surprised how many basics I didn't know. I was so excited that I could pinch close an app- I had some how missed that! Found that on the third generation iPad, there was a slight difference in iBooks- but it was still easy to navigate through. Also learned how to read my iBooks in bed without hubby complaining about the light from my iPad- by putting it into night mode- how cool!!! Think my greatest challenge coming up in the next few weeks will be after my order of an extra 12 iPads for school arrives. I'm sure skills reinforced in module 1 will help me set them up. The logistics of having to create individual email accounts to establish iTunes account amd purchasing apps multiple times was a problem that I tacked over the last school holidays. Now I eagerly await their delivery which seems to be taking forever!

iLe@rn With Mobile Devices

Wow, blogging once again after such a long time. I read back through my older posts and can't believe how far I've come in my learning journey. Re reading my first experiences of web 2, starting to use the tools with my students and eventually being an "expert" on staff and leading my staff on their own web 2 journey. Looking back on it , I can't believe how things change sooooo quickly! Once again my journey continues. I am about to embark on an iLe@rn project using mobile technology with my students, so I thought I'd brush up on my skills. Yes I'd bite the bullet and enrol in the new CEO mobile devices course! I thought it can't be too hard - I bought my first iPad within weeks of them first coming out. My iPad became a close companion- there beside me every night before I went to bed and still next to me when I woke up every morning. (falling asleep to the sounds of my husband teaching himself guitar on his own iPad) Bought the second generation iPad for my daughter as she commenced university. I now had iPad children. Well since I hardly use my MacBook Pro and got so much use from my faithful iPad, I decided to use m salary sacrifice option to buy myself the third generation iPad. It arrived at school and I immediately feel like I had betrayed my old faithful. Wasn't long before she found a new home in my thirteen year old's room. Guilt removed!