iPad Apps added October 23

The following Apps have recently been added to all iPads (except those in SK). They can be used for a variety of purposes in almost any subject area. Please remember that for students under 13, it is recommended that teachers set up classroom student accounts and/ or monitor students' use of Apps. In other words, for students under 13 years old, teachers should be able to view and access what the students are doing with the App and students should not have to sign up using anything unless they use their school email address and passwords that we know.

 

Explain Everything

Explain Everything is an App that allows you to create screencasts using pretty much anything. You can annotate, animate and/ or narrate and then play back what you did like a movie. You can:

• import pdf, ppt, xls, rtf, Pages, Numbers and Keynote from Evernote, Dropbox, WebDAV, iPad photo roll or iPad camera
• write or draw on them
• use a "laser pointer"
• add shapes like stars and arrows
• type text
• insert images from the picture library, camera, Dropbox or Evernote
• rotate or resize images
• export or share finished products as mp4 movie, png image file, pdf to Picture Library, YouTube, email, Dropbox or Evernote

Students at all grade levels can easily show what they know and explain their thinking with this app and then share their explanations with others. There are many examples of student work created with Explain Everything on this uvic site.

Popplet Lite

Popplet is a mapping App that allows you to easily record and sort ideas visually. It can be used for mind-mapping, brainstorming, planning, collecting information, story-boarding, organizing notes or even creating galleries.

With Popplet Lite, only one popplet can be created. Students can save their work as an image with a screen shot (hold down the home and power buttons at the same time). If there is a lot of interest in Popplet, we can consider getting the full version (which allows for an unlimited number of popplets,, online popplets and collaboration between users) and/ or student accounts.

Khan Academy

The Khan Academy App allows studnets to access the thousands of videos on the Khan Academy website. Topics include K-12 math, science and the humanities. The app also allows for:

• videos to be downloaded
• subtitles
• progress tracking

This video gives an overview of the Khan Academy in general. Teachers can set themselves up as coaches in order to monitor students' progress.

Flashcards+ Lite

Flashcards+ is an App that allows students to create their own flashcards as well as access pre-made decks of flashcards from Quizlet.

How to View Parent-Teacher Interviews

We are using a new online system for booking interviews this year. Teacher accounts that will allow you to see an up to the minute list of your interviews are available at https://pickatime.com/client?ven=1&rptVenID=11605124 .

You enter your ucc email address, and your password is your employee number.

Click on the report box and set it to Teacher's schedule.

Repost about Google Drive from a previous email to PrepEmployeeArea:

Man with magnifying Glass shared (BY NC SA) via csuspect's flickr photostream

Sending Google Docs:
If you want your document to just appear in someone's Drive folder without them having to click on a link in an email, it MUST be shared to their email address (not Primary, Middle or Employee Area, etc.).

Receiving Google Docs:
If you feel like you are "not getting" documents, the best thing to do is to check your email - was it sent in a message to Primary, Middle or Employee Area that you didn't open?
If you are sure that something was sent directly to you (not Primary, Middle or Employee Area, but you still can't find it, try looking for it in the All items view [on the left under More].

Just FYI...
In Drive, there are several sections:

• "My Drive" contains documents you created. You can organize these into folders if you like.

• "Shared with me" only lists files, folders, and Google Docs that include your email address in their “Share settings.”  You won’t see files in this view with share settings set to “Anyone with the link” or “Public.” You cannot organize these into folders but you CAN copy documents to your organized Drive folder if you want. One caution: if it was shared to you as part of a folder/ collection (like the Athletic Appendices) don't move it or the rest of us will no longer be able to access it - it was there for all of us - but if it was an individual document, feel free to organize!
  

For more info about Google Drive, check their Help page or come by and we can work it out together.

Projector Resolution Settings

When you plug your projector into your computer, the entire whiteboard screen should be filled with the image from your computer. If it isn't, check the display settings.

You can get to your display settings in two ways:

1. Click on the display icon in your menu bar.
2. In your system preferences (under the apple), choose displays.

 To ensure your screen is showing properly when plugged into the projector, make sure your resolutions are set as shown below:

Hardware - What and Where

We have a lot of different hardware in the ICT office and throughout the school that is available for teacher and student use. Here's a quick summary of what we have and where you can find it.

Still Cameras

• We have 9 Fuji Finepix digital cameras that can be signed out for class use. We also have a power bar with all the chargers for charging all at once. These are older, but still very functional and can record video as well as still photos.
• These are stored in the ICT office. Ask Sarah or Lara if you would like to borrow them.

Document Cameras

• These connect using a USB cord to your computer and then can project whatever you have under the camera. Great for showing examples or reading a book to the class where everyone can see the page on the big screen.
• The more permanent Elmo document camera that can have a permanent place in a classroom. To use this camera, you use the Image Mate software on your laptop. Several of these are already out in classrooms - 3M, 5C, H226, Holmes Lab. We have one more of these in the ICT office if anyone would like to put it to use.
• The more flexible and portable IPEVO Point 2 View camera is tiny and has the same purpose, but sometimes has challenges showing an entire page at once. Because of it's small size and flexibility, it can be used as a microscope to examine things very closely. To use this camera, you use the P2V software on your laptop. Several of these are already in classrooms or with teachers who teach in several classrooms - 3C, 5F, JHS, Science labs. We have two more of these in the ICT office if anyone would like this for their use.
• 
  A new IPEVO product has just become available - a little larger than the Point 2 View is the Ziggi. It's designed to be as flexible and portable as the Point 2 View, but large enough to show an entire page. If you would like to try this out, we have one in the ICT office.
   

 Microphones

• We have 6 high-end Rode Podcaster microphones. If you would like to use these with your class, please let me know. They record very high quality and are focused so that background noise doesn't generally get recorded. Have your students record tutorials about how to do things or have them record themselves reading their work. There are lots of uses for these and we would be happy to help!

iPads

• There are sets of 6 iPads in each of the Form 1-3 classrooms this year with 4 in SK. This leaves 6 additional iPads available for teachers to borrow for classroom purposes. Please contact Lara if you would like to borrow one or the set.

Flip Video Cameras

•  These easy-to-use, one-piece, one-button cameras are great for boys who need to record video. Teachers have found these effective for having students video each other and then review what they have done. Drama (LHF) has a set of 5 and Phys Ed (DVB) has a set of 6. Lara and I have 2 set aside for others who wish to borrow them.

Scanners

• Given the scanning functionality of the new photocopiers (the subject of a future post), these are becoming obsolete, but we still have them. There are scanners in 7F, 7L and GJD has one as well. If you would like one for your office or classroom, please let us know - we have two up for grabs.