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The First 5s with iPads. Author's Note: This post expands on ideas that I originally shared last year on Edutopia.

The First 5s with iPads

With the start of school approaching and the looming expectation of incorporating iPads into the curriculum becoming a reality, the big question many educators are asking is: "Where should I begin? " iTunes U and a new way of sharing. When we initially looked at iTunes U as a digital platform, I for one did not really appreciate its true potential.

iTunes U and a new way of sharing

I knew it was widely used in Higher Education as a means of curating digital resources but in schools its use was marginal. Given every student between the ages of 11-18 in our school is issued with an iPad as part of their learning toolkit, the opportunity for our students to benefit from iTunes U was a no-brainer. Yet how to set about it? Our strategy as a school is to develop our digital platform offering our students far more enriched resources for learning which they can access anytime, anywhere.

With the support of our Digital Researcher, our teachers are skilfully curating resources tailored to the learning of our students. Two weeks ago 90 of our iTunes-U courses were published in the iTunes-U store. The real benefit surely, as schools strive to offer the best education for our young learners, is enjoying the facility to share. 10 Tips For A Smarter iPad-Based Classroom. 10 Tips For A Smarter iPad-Based Classroom by Heather Wolpert-Gawron, author of Writing Behind Every Door: Teaching Common Core Writing in the Subject Areas When I first raised my hand to pilot my middle school’s first 1:1 classroom, I knew it was going to be bumpy.

10 Tips For A Smarter iPad-Based Classroom

After all, I am a practitioner of content, not a tech guru. 10 Important Questions To Ask Yourself Before Deploying iPads. 10 Important Questions To Ask Yourself Before Deploying iPads by Terry Heick Usually, iPad deployment will focus more on budget issues, apps, networking logistics, check-in and check-out procedures, school and district tech-use policies, hardware precautions, and aspects of classroom management.

10 Important Questions To Ask Yourself Before Deploying iPads

To begin thinking more broadly about iPads in an educational environment, consider the following questions. Apple To Launch iOS 7.1 'Around March 15,' Will Improve Mobile Device Management. Apple’s iOS 7.1 might be adding its anticipated “iOS in the Car” feature, but the updated mobile OS is also set to overhaul Mobile Device Management (MDM) and should reach the general public “around March 15,” according to a recent report.

Apple To Launch iOS 7.1 'Around March 15,' Will Improve Mobile Device Management

The news comes from AppleInsider, which cites claims from an “unverified source” that iOS 7.1 should “improve iOS managed deployment” through adding “never before seen features” to its iOS deployment system. Mobile Device Management allows institutions such as schools and government organizations to mass-manage a fleet of iOS devices; apps (including custom apps), profiles, and restrictions can be placed on all managed devices quickly and easily using the service. However, this is indeed set to improve next month, according to AppleInsider.

The publication explains the handful of changes expected to reach MDM with iOS 7.1: For one, Apple now has a live Volume Services website active for client login. Six Straightforward Tips to Help Teachers Who Struggle with Technology. Helping teachers get up to speed with technology is always a challenge, some teachers have a difficult time navigating basic computer skills.

Six Straightforward Tips to Help Teachers Who Struggle with Technology

As schools around the globe begin to adopt the use of digital technology in their learning environments, these same teachers can be left feeling inept and marginalized by the implementation of new tech tools in their schools. Teachers need ongoing Professional Development provided by their schools to ease them into a comfort zone and get them turned on to technology and all it has to offer student learning! Here are several ideas that can help foster PD. 1. Encourage RISK Taking! Meaningful Integration: Optimistic About iPads in Schools.

Late last year, my colleague Thomas Philip and I discussed why we were so troubled by the ways the Los Angeles Unified School District bumbled its way through adopting iPads for its students.

Meaningful Integration: Optimistic About iPads in Schools

And, as the second largest school district in the country continues to waffle in its plans for students, I’ve been excited about one district’s initiative to meaningfully integrate technology into the school lives of children. Starting last week, the St. Vrain Valley School District in Colorado began its “deployment” of iPad minis to students at two middle schools. What will eventually be a 1:1 plan for 6-12th graders by next academic year, I was struck by how the language of this plan sounded so different from the jargon-y rhetoric of LAUSD administrators.

In the video below, I speak with the district’s Instructional Technology Coordinator Bud Hunt about the plan and what makes it different. A learning plan vs. a device program. 8 Frequent Mistakes Made with iPads in School. 9 Frequent Mistakes Made with iPads in School MISTAKE ONE – Underestimate the power of the iPad.

8 Frequent Mistakes Made with iPads in School

Ten Reflections on the First Year of an iPad Pilot. Passing out iPads to students on the first day of school was like celebrating Christmas (or in this case Hanukkah) with thirty antsy kids sitting around the tree, attempting to hide their impatience. Once the iPads had been handed out, students were instantly excited, engaged and enchanted with the new learning device in their hands. Managing: The Nuts & Bolts of an iPad Classroom. Awhile ago, I wrote about the beginning of the one-to-one iPad journey in my classroom.

Managing: The Nuts & Bolts of an iPad Classroom

I have always appreciated when others have shared not only their pedagogy, but the organization of their tools or classroom as well. Deploying iPads in schools. So, what were our goals and what benefits did we expect?

Deploying iPads in schools

One of the big-ticket items for us was the iPad’s instant-on capability. Not having to wait for computers to log in at the start of a class is a huge benefit. Also, students can get through a full day without needing to find power. Apps, iBooks, fast internet access, the ability to quickly take notes, record audio and shoot photos – all of these can have a huge impact on classroom delivery. There are two ways iPads can be deployed in schools; as a shared resource or as personal devices. Preparing Your School for an iPad Implementation. Planning is imperative for any technology initiative - iPad or otherwise. You need to ensure that you clearly understand and communicate how the technology integrates with your overall pedagogical objectives. Too many institutions purchase technology and then search for ways to utilize it ... or leave it collecting dust on the shelf. Planning needs to consider both infrastructure needs and the educational applications of the new technology.

Ten Reflections on the First Year of an iPad Pilot. How to be a TERRIBLE iPad Teacher. The following is a list, written in the first-person, of ideologies or stances from a Terrible iPad Teacher: 1. I own an iPad and I use it in class. I am, therefore, an effective Twenty-First century educator . Things in life don’t come easy. Nobody masters an educational tool overnight. 2. 3. 4. Above: A search for “Education” in the App store yields over 10,000 results. 10 Important Questions To Ask Before Using iPads in Class. Digital Tools Teaching Strategies Lenny Gonzales By Terry Heick When it comes to deciding how or whether to use iPads, schools typically focus on budget issues, apps, networking logistics, check-in and check-out procedures, school and district tech-use policies, hardware precautions, and aspects of classroom management. But it’s also important to think about instructional use, and to that end, consider the following questions. 1. 2. 3. 4.

5 Critical Mistakes Schools Make With iPads (And How To Correct Them) Topics: apps, content, guide, integration, iPad, learning, mistakes, Success, tips Over the last few years K-12 schools and districts across the country have been investing heavily in iPads for classroom use. EdTechTeacher has been leading iPad professional development at many of these schools and we’ve seen firsthand how they approach iPad integration. While we’ve witnessed many effective approaches to incorporating iPads successfully in the classroom, we’re struck by the common mistakes many schools are making with iPads, mistakes that are in some cases crippling the success of these initiatives. We’re sharing these common challenges with you, so your school doesn’t have to make them. 1) Focusing on content apps The most common mistake teachers make with iPads is focusing on subject-specific apps.

It simply didn’t occur to him use the VoiceThread app to record his students speaking Latin, or perhaps create a collaborative discussion of Cicero. It doesn’t. Focusing on iPad-versus. The Tool Isn’t The Problem. 10 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Deploying iPads. iPads In The Classroom: Worth Doing Right - Education - Mobility - Tablets in K-12 and higher education should not be technology for technology's sake. Educational 'Technology' Across the Ages (click image for larger view and for slideshow) Simply purchasing slick devices like iPads for the classroom is hardly a recipe for educational success.