Dropbox for importing files onto iPads

Some schools aren't able to save to or open files from their server on the iPad. One of my teachers takes a lot of photos and stores them on her laptop, she can't use Photostream as all her photos would end up on other classes iPads as they are all synced to one master computer.
Therefore Dropbox is a great option. Download and install Dropbox on your computer...

...and then download the app from the App Store

Dropbox (Free for iPad; Free for iPhone/iPod Touch)
3 Gig is free
Stores all types of files
Downloads an application to your computer that will appear as a main folder in your hardrive

It is good practice to look at the size of your photos before you upload to Dropbox or Box and compress them if they are larger than 500kbs. Ideal size is between 100-500kbs.
Open the app on your iPad or iPod Touch. Look for the photos, tap on them.
Click on the Share button and select Save Photo, the photo will appear in the Photo Library.

Saving/Synching to iTunes wirelessly

You can connect your iPad to a computer with a USB cable and find saved work under apps but this can be done wirelessly even with a classroom of iPads to the classroom computer, it does not have to be the master computer that the iPad is synced to.

Connect your iPad to the computer, click Cancel on any syncing it might ask you to do.




Select 'Sync with this iPad over Wifi'
and

'Manually manage music and videos'

Click Apply and disconnect iPad.

Some of the apps that save to iTunes are
Artrage, Book Creator,  Cartoonatic, Cartoon Studio, Comic Life, Docs to Go, eBook Creator, Explain Everything, Field Notes, Film Director, Garageband, Ghostwriter, Good Reader, Google Earth, GreenScreen, I can Animate, iDiary, iMovie, Ink, Inspiration, iPhoto, iThoughts, Kindle, Note Taker, Noteshelf, Numbers, Pages, Penultimate, Pirate Scribble, Popplet, Puppet Pals, Record, Reel Director, Scribble Press, Sketchbook, Skitch, Storyboards, StoryBuddy, Strip Design, Type Drawing, Vimeo

For any of the apps, click on the Share button.
Click on 'Send to iTunes'.

It might ask what format you would like to send it as i.e. PDF, Word, jpeg, Pages; choose a format.

Go to iTunes on your computer (remember you do not have to connect your iPad or iPod Touch).

 Down the side you will see the list of all your devices you  have wirelessly connected to.

Click on the Device.

1. Click on Apps. 
2. Click on the App you saved from 
3. Click on the file when it appears
4. Click on Save to
5. Choose where you want to save to and click  Open

The file will appear in the folder you have saved to on your computer.

Add Facebook and Twitter Streams to Google Sites

Facebook Stream
For Facebook go to the Like Box page and paste in your Facebook URL

Click on Get Code
Click on iFrame
Highlight Code
Copy Code
Click OK


Go to Google Sites

Click on the Edit button

Click where the Facebook stream will go and click on the HTML button


Paste in code, click Update and then Save

Twitter Stream

For Twitter click where you would like the widget to appear
Go to Insert - More Gadgets
Scroll down and click on Twitter Widget
Click Select
Click on User Profile
Type in your User name
Click Ok
Click Save

A Research Tip using Safari and Inspiration

Become a smart researcher using

Safari: Preloaded on all Devices

 Inspiration: (Free or $9.99 for iPad)




1. Find your website on Safari by using at least 3 keywords. I am going to do a search on wading birds in New Zealand. So the key words are 'bird native wading' and I will add New Zealand to narrow down the search results.

2. Open an Inspiration Graphic Organiser
Create your mindmap

3. Go to the internet site you have chosen, type in one of the keywords in the Search Box from the question links in the mindmap like 'eats'. I have to use the synonym 'feeds' as eats did not appear under the 'On the Page' links







Tap on the Find 'feed' under 'On this Page' There are 6 matches for the word on this webpage

4. Click the next arrow button to see each instance of the word 'feed' until you see a sentence that will answer your question

5. Tap and highlight a word in the text that answers your question, tap and drag the handles until they highlight all of the sentence and tap Copy

6. Go back to your mindmap, tap and hold and tap Paste
7. Go between the Internet site and the mindmap adding information
 8. Don't forget to reference where the information and pictures came from by highlighting the internet address, tap copy and paste into your mindmap.

Create your own Qwiki

Go to Qwiki and sign up.

Add Youtube movies or Vimeo, add pictures from your computer, photos from Flickr streams, Google Maps and text. Export to Youtube and then embed in wikis and blogs.

Blogging, writing from the perspective of the Character

Devices are wonderful, interactive communication tools for students to use for blogging ideas and thoughts due to their portability and instant connection to the internet. An engaging task would be to set up a blog based around a novel your students are studying, give each of your students a character to write as and start with one of the conflicts or actions in the story. As the different characters, students can comment and write new blog posts putting forward their points of view and new ideas and insights.
Students can subscribe to the blog so that they can be alerted when there has been an update. Using devices enables them to be connected quickly and easily.

Writing like this will promote dialogue, discussion and a deeper understanding of the themes and ideas in a novel.

The devices are the vehicles for delivery, reading, writing and commenting.

Blogger: (iPhone and iPod Touch)
Share: publishes to the Internet, viewed in Browser

WordPress: (iPhone/iPod Touch; iPad)
Share: publishes to the Internet, viewed in Browser




This is an example of a 'Writing as Characters' blog I have started. Feel free to comment as a character on the blog and if you would like to participate as a guest blogger request an invite from info@jsharp.co.nz

Colour cells in a table in Google Sites

I found this trick out by accident today 'How to colour a cell in a table in Google Sites and Spreadsheet.' It will not work in Google Docs.

• Click in one cell and drag to the right to highlight all the cells you want to colour 

• Click on the Text Background Colour button

• Select a colour

• The cells will now be coloured 

Colouring Cells in Google Docs

If you want to colour cells in Google Docs, right click on the cell and choose Table Properties 










Click on Cell Background colour and choose a colour
Click OK
You can click and drag a number of cells at one time

Live updates

Another useful aspect of Google Drive is the 'Live Updates'.



Click on 'More'






Click on 'Activity'




You will be able to view in 'real time' documents as they are being updated.

PowerPoint motivating writing tip

Find a photograph background and then insert into a blank PowerPoint page. In this example one of my schools are studying dinosaurs and paleontology, so I suggested taking photos of the field or playground.

Then go to Insert - Clipart and select clipart that has white backgrounds. If you have white background appear on your graphic you will have to make it transparent by clicking on 'Remove Background' in the Format menu.

Click on the Home button and choose speech bubbles from the Insert Shapes menu.

To add writing lines click where it says 'Click to Add Notes' which is just below your main screen. Hold down your Shift key and minus - key on the keyboard. This will make lines. Once you have made several lines, press Ctrl A (Command A for Mac) to highlight all of the lines. Change the font size to about 36. Don't worry if you see no change yet.







Go to File - Print
Click on Full Page slides and change to Notes.
Check to see if your lines are the right width.
Print.







Students can now use this as a motivator for their drafting and editing. You could print out another copy in colour and use that as the final publishing.

For younger students you could make a PowerPoint template with the photo background embedded in the Master page. Go to View - Master - Slide Master, insert a background photo in the usual way and delete the slide master frames that show up, click on Close or Close Master.
Then save as a template by going to File - Save As, select PowerPoint Template under the Format dropdown menu, name it and click Save.

Google Drive Hint #1

In the old version of Google Docs, you saw all your files in the main window and the default setting would show all the docs that had been changed at the top of the list.
If you  have changed over to Google Drive you might be wondering where all your docs have gone!

My Drive

This is where all the files are that you have made

Shared with me

This is where all the files are that have been shared with you (but you can move them to 'My Drive' by selecting the file in the check box and clicking on 'Add to my Drive')

Starred

Stores the files that you have starred

Recent

Finds everything you recently opened or edited

Photo and Text apps #1

There are many different types of photo apps available.
This is a first of a series of posts I will make on photo apps.
In this post I will be looking at apps that allow students to quickly present their photos with writing.

Halftone: (iPad and iPod Touch)
Add Effects: Yes
Text:  Speech bubbles, narrative boxes
Share: as a photo to library, send in an email

1. Take a photo or use a photo from the Library
2. Choose a paper style and layout
3. Add balloons and stamps
4. Select a font

 How could you use this in the classroom?

• Great for students who only write a few sentences

 Comic Life (iPad only)
Add Effects: No but great variety of templates to choose from
Text: Speech bubbles, narrative boxes
Share: Dropbox, WebDAV, email, Photo Library

1. Create drawings in apps such as...
2. Choose a template in Comic Life
3. Insert graphics or photos
4. Add text to speech bubbles and text boxes
5. Add more pages, add templates that are different in the number of slides that they display

How could you use this in the classroom?

• break up narratives and tell the story in different shapes and parts of the page
• use a mixture of photos and drawings
• choose templates that complement the telling of the story
• use one photo templates for students who cannot write a great amount
• create timelines
• character or plot analysis
• Procedural writing
• posters
• digital story writing

 Comic Touch: Free version has a watermark, has all other features of the Full version (iPhone version, no full iPad version)
Add Effects: Limited effects of Smudge, Bulge, Dent,  Stretch or light
Text: Speech, Thought, Whisper, Exclaim and Caption bubbles

Share: Photo Library, email

1. Choose a photo from the photo library or take a photo with the camera
2. Add Speech, Thought, Whisper, Exclaim and Caption bubbles
3. Tap on the Share button and save to Photo Library or email

How could you use this in the classroom?

• Use the photos as motivation for the writing, what are the students saying to each other
• record what people could be thinking
• great publishing tool for limited writing