Tips and Tricks #7 - Landscape Lock Button Change

If you want to lock the iPad in landscape or portrait after you upgrade to 4.2, you go about it differently.  The old switch near the sound is dedicated to mute. 

Here is how you lock and unlock it now:

1.  Double Click Home Button
2.  Slide App Icons to Right
3.  Press Lock Button in Proper View
4.  You can do sound, brightness, iPod as well.

IEAR Tips and Tricks #6 - Jim Siegl

Original Post by Jim Siegl

One of the best kept secrets of the iTunes store is that there is a web page for every app called the iTunes preview. This means that instead of using iTunes, or the iTunes app to search the store, you can use Google. Here are a few quick tips for using Google to search the App Store.

Screen Shot of The iTunes Preview page

Search for Video Out apps

• Google Search String: VGA site:http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/
• URL with Search embedded: https://encrypted.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&q...=

As shown below

Search for iOS 4.2 apps

• Google Search String: "ios 4.2" site: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/
• URL with Search embedded: https://encrypted.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&q...=

Search for AirPrint
URL with Search embedded: https://encrypted.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&t...

Keep in mind that Google is  free-form full text search and for the most part a developer can write whatever they want about their app in the description. However, there are a few things that are always on the page such as Category. For example you can add "Category: Productivity" to the search to limit to productivity apps, or try multitasking"

You can also limit the search to pages that have changed within a certain number of days, so that you can find apps that have recently added VGA or iOS 4.2 support.

IEAR Tips and Tricks #5

I was worried about apps that were purchased when they were "free" and then change to a paid model.  How am I going to prove that we paid for all of these apps properly?  I don't get a receipt for free apps?

Copy and Pasted from Comment Below as it is better than the original Tips and Trick that I posted! Thanks John for the information. 

Open iTunes and click on iTunes Store ... then click on the account email in the top right corner. Click "account". In the middle of the Apple Account Information page is "Purchase History" ... click it. This is the history of all purchases associated with the iTunes account. Click on each individual date and it will show the purchase(s) for that date ... what was downloaded and for what price (including $0.00). It also lists the order and invoice #. Print if you need a record for auditing purposes. Hope this helps.

Why don't you get a receipt?  My understanding is that "free" apps are linked directly to a developers server and that it bypasses the store altogether in some fashion. 

In that case, is there any way to find out more about when you installed the app, etc.?  Yes!  Open iTunes, select the apps folder, select an app, and click command click / I or right click the app.  You will get the info that you need!  At least you get the date it was purchased.  Now, if only it stated the price that you bought it for at that time!

Android Fanboy…Most of the Time (Part 3)

Part 3

·        Games

·        Classroom Apps

·        Changes I would like to see in my phone and Android

The information below are apps that I use and I do not have a detailed review.  If there is interest, I would be glad to write something up.  I am just providing some examples of what can be done on Android.

Games

Games on Android have been gaining momentum.  It is not on the level of Apple, but it does just fine. The list below are games that work well in the classroom.  I am still waiting for Civilization to arrive on Android!

Android Classroom Games Top 5

WordUp! (Scrabble)

Bubble Burst Free (Puzzle)

OpenSoduku

Pocoro (Puzzle)

Pobs  (Logic)

Classroom Apps

I teach social studies and language arts and my top apps include those that work in my classroom.

Android Classroom Apps Top 6

Google Translate & Goggles (Translation by voice, picture, or documents)

Android Voice Search (Phone and Internet search by voice)

Google Maps (Google Earth)

ConvertPad (Measurement conversion)

Grade Rubric (Classroom grade program)

HTC Hero Camera (Sill and video)

Bonus Link

Android Developer Challenge - Top Apps (All types of high quality apps)

Changes I would like to see in my phone and Android

My last post made several complaints about keeping the existing phones updated with the newest software.  I have updated my HTC Hero to Android 2.1 and I have been very pleased with the newer version.
A list of the new features is here.  The largest improvements for me is the speed, increased battery, and the ability to run updated apps.  The phone is still sluggish at times and I need to use an app called Task Panel X to clear out my memory.  I also forgot to mention that 2.1 handles multi-tasking much better than 1.6.  It is quite nice to jump back and forth from app to app.  Overall I am pleased, but I know Android will get better with future phones and 2.2.  


Please let me know if you have any questions.
zgilbert.mail@gmail.com
Google Profile

IEAR Tips and Tricks #4

The licensing of "apps" for schools is very interesting to say the least.  At this time, the majority of schools using "app" devices such as the iPod Touch and now the iPad, are purchasing their apps under one school account.  This allows the school to purchase an app from the iTunes store and distribute that app to all devices that are synced with that one account.  This allows schools to leverage the power of apps in the classroom with a very cost effective model unheard of before the iTunes app store!

Apps like "AlegebraPrep: Factoring" as recommended through the TCEA in their spreadsheet of apps cost $3.99 at this time.  Is this app really worth $3.99?  Some teachers have found this app to be very useful while others might not.  If school districts had to pay $3.99 for that app for every device, than it wouldn't happen!  Many apps are great for "small bursts" of activity and they are not meant for an entire 40 minute lesson.  Purchasing these apps would just not be cost effective. 

Tip #4 A:  A strategy that I think all schools should take on is to keep an eye on "FreeAppADay" to keep their costs limited while leveraging some fantastic apps.  While there are lots of apps that are "game" focused and really useless in the classroom, periodically, there will be a gem.  This website is focused on helping app developers to get the word out about their apps.  Basically, app developers will advertise their app with them for a day and promise to make their app free for that day.  That is a serious return on investment!

An example to put in context is the app, HOW2Draw Manga that was recently posted.  While I can't guarantee that this app is school worthy or even useful in any way, I can guarantee that schools would more than likely never investigate it if it cost a few dollars, especially, if the license agreement forced schools to pay for each device it was synced with! Besides, who doesn't want to learn how to draw manga cartoons better?  I kid ... I jest ... but you just never know what is going to be applicable in a classroom setting when you have creative and interesting teachers! 

Tip #4 B:  If you want to provide teacher's the ability to purchase apps themselves, purchase iTunes gift cards and distribute those to the teachers.  Just make sure the gift cards are in the name of the school's iTunes account and the district will now own all of those apps to sync on any of their devices. 

Related articles by Zemanta:

• Fish School by Duck Duck Moose Teaches Alphabet, Numbers, Shapes, Colors
• Where do developers draw the line with Apple?
• Googly's Alphabets in The Zoo Educational App featured by Apple

Tips and Tricks - 3 - Setup w/ Google Education Apps

I have put a lot of time into thinking about how we are organizing our iPod Touch initiative to enhance other educational initiatives in our district.  For example, we have implemented "Google Education Apps" for our 3rd through 8th grade students. These accounts are very beneficial in many ways.

1.  Each of our iPod Touches has a default Google Education Email associated with the device.  This allows us to report out app results, send and collect screenshots, and do other interesting activities with these devices.  Check out Tony Vincent's work as he has a great strategy for email and these devices on his website Learning in Hand.  Change the name field for each email to reflect the name and number of the iPod Touch device. 

2.  Our Google Education Email is set up with a filter system and we only allow the email to go to our student and teacher's domains.  This allows for a layer of security for this reporting process with emails.  Students can access their Google Documents easily.  Hopefully, we will see Apple and Google playing more nicely so that we can edit those documents more effectively. Currently, I am under the impression that you can only edit the spreadsheets.  Even that editing is limited to pretty much data entry.  

3.  Furthermore, there are some apps that we are going to be able to more fully utilize because of this email installation and our overall use of Google Education Apps.  gFlashPro (Direct Itunes Link) is a very good example.  We can input data into apps like this from our student accounts.  Jeremy Brueck did a nice review of gFlashPro for IEAR.org already.  Check it out here.

While flash cards are not the end all be all of education, and some would argue they are a waste of time, I do think there is a lot of value with technology initiatives that enhance other initiatives.  Students can create their own flash cards with their Google accounts.  Teachers could create a review list and share them out for all the students.  There are lots of possibilities here.  

The limit on using these types of apps is often the creativity in which you see some possibilities.  I could see students using this app as tool for presenting and or speech making with their notes visible. Additionally, these flash cards could be talking points in a discussion that the teachers would like the students to go through in some sequence.  The flash cards could represent the steps in a math equation or the steps in a science experiment.  There are numerous creative ways to use this application beyond rote memorization activities. Delivering key information to the students via gFlash, Google Education Apps, and an inexpensive mobile learning device can make a large impact in a classroom in a very subtle fashion.  

The steps for creating a gFlash card link with Google is easy.  1.  Create a Google Spreadsheet like the following example:  http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tpn91z4DFFJxpkkSUSKU6wA&output=html.

Make sure you only use 2 columns of information. The first column will be the top of the column and the second column is the bottom or back.  Open gFlash, in the main menu, there is an option for "Get my Google Data".  Enter your log in information and your spreadsheets will show.  Choose your flash card spreadsheet from the list. One key feature to use for security sake, "choose clear my Google Login" after adding it to the library!

I look forward to finding more apps out there that can be mashed-up with our other initiatives.  Any and all comments are greatly appreciated!

Related articles by Zemanta:

• Opinion: Google uniquely positioned to deliver 'iPad killer'
• Google Mobile now available for iPad
• A Guide To Setting Up Your iPad (Part 1)
• Google Mobile App for iPad lands in the App Store
• Is a Google Android tablet in the works?

Tips and Tricks - 2 - How many interesting ways?

http://twitter.com/brueckj23/status/1178657I was about to create our "Tips and Tricks #2" and I came across another fantastic contribution to the education community by Tom Barrett via Jeremy Brueck's Tweet.  I think this list of curricular ideas will be much more important than this week's tip and trick from SMeech.  So ... Here we go ... Contribute to Tom Barrett's Ways to use Touch iPods in the Classroom:



http://edte.ch/blog/interesting-ways/

Interested in contributing?  The last slide is important for you as it gives everyone the ability to add to the presentation.  Just email Tom Barrett or send him a Tweet ...

Tom Barrett's work is Fantastic!See you next week!

Scott Meech