Monday, July 23, 2012

Gifting an App

How to gift an app from your master iPad account.

As a individual consumer with an iTunes account you would normally buy one app and load it onto all of your iOS devices. As a school you need to ensure that you buy one app per device to ensure that you  do not break the iTunes licensing agreement. The situation is even more complicated if you are using the device with multiple users, but that's another story. There are three or four viable ways you can do this, each of them have their advantages and pitfalls. The main ways of distributing apps include;
  • Volume Licensing
  • iTunes Cards
  • Student Managed
  • Gifting Apps
Gifting apps is one method I had not thought to use in an educational setting. This method does have pitfalls, as it can take the final say of which apps to purchase for the classroom away from the actual teacher. Many teachers that I speak to, manage their own devices and want the control of locating apps that work well with the way they teach and the way that their individual students learn.

Having said that many teacher don't want the hassle of managing the devices. A colleague of mine Michele Walters who is an Innovation and Learning Advisor has put this set instructions together for those people interested in gifting apps.

A simple how-to for gifting apps.


Your master account is simply the account you nominate as the MAIN account for the school. This may typically be iPad 1. 
On your iPad tap the App Store app and select Purchased apps from the list of icons at the bottom of the screen.

Select the app you wish to gift then, on the top right hand corner, tap “Gift this App”


iTunes Store credit cannot be used to purchase gifts. The gift will only be redeemable in the country of origin.


Make sure you check the item's rating and requirements because the recipient may not be able to redeem the gift if their hardware or iOS is incompatible
Complete the information as requested – your name, recipient’s email address (separate email addresses with a comma).


The recipient/s will be sent an email with an alert that the app has been gifted.
You must pay for the app/s with a credit card. The iPad you are gifting from does not have to have a credit card linked to it – you can use any credit card.
When you have completed all previous steps, review the details and price then tap on “Buy Gift.”
The email received by the recipient will look like this.



Click redeem now and the app will begin to download onto the device.





You can also gift an app directly from the App Store. Simply tap on the app required (not the price) and proceed as above, beginning with ‘Gift This App’ in the top right corner.








NB: If you wish to gift an app from an iPhone or iPod touch, the ‘Gift This App’ button can be found by scrolling to the bottom of the screen.









Thursday, July 12, 2012

Leaders Leading iPad Programs

I can across this article today from EmergingEdTech and it immediately resonated with me. We have been struggling with this exact situation in schools in our own region. Whenever you talk to teachers, especially those that have some first hand experience of iPad use in the classroom, this is one of the first things they say to you. Real change in schools needs to come from the top. This is a great article where Principal David Mahaley discusses their approach to iPad implementation. Make sure you check out the rest of the EmergingEdTech site for some interesting articles on eLearning and Educational Technology.



  





Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Synth Apps Review:

A colleague recently sent us an email with a couple of recommendations for some great music synth apps. Mark Moriarty is an Education Officer in Wagga Wagga and has been a long time supporter of Apps in Education. He's been doing some fantastic Professional Development around implementing and integrating iPads in the classroom. Today we get the wisdom of that experience. Thanks Mark!

The Apps:

Sunrizer: $5.49 AU
Sunrizer synth is a virtual analog synthesizer that takes the definition of iOS synthesizer to the next level. Thanks to carefully designed architecture and heavy usage of co-processor it blurs the boundaries between iOs and hardware synthesisers. Sunrizer was built to perform and works perfectly with any MIDI keyboard or sequencer.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/sunrizer-synth/id443663267?mt=8


Animoog: $31.99 AU
Animoog captures the vast sonic vocabulary of Moog synthesizers and applies it to the modern touch surface paradigm, enabling you to quickly sculpt incredibly fluid and dynamic sounds. Animoog’s unique user interface gives you the power to easily create a visually vibrant and sonically rich universe. It is the ultimate tool for total creative expression!

An iOS synth with professional grade virtual analogue low latency sound engine. Play it from on-screen keyboard or use MIDI keyboards. Connect to your digital audio workstation via MIDI interfaces and play NLogSynth from other iOS apps like SoundPrism, polychord or Genome Sequencer via virtual Core MIDI. 


"These apps also have support for Core USB Midi which allows the connection of a USB Midi keyboard through the USB Camera Connection Kit adapter so that the synth can be played from the keyboard. External speakers can be attached through bluetooth or the headphone out on the iPad.

I have a Yamaha PSR S500 keyboard with USB Midi and have successfully connected to the iPad to use the apps. There are some expensive adapters for connection of keyboards to the iPad, such as iRig, V-Midi etc. but if you want a simple connection, the Camera Connection Kit works fine. Obviously it is going to run the battery down a bit, but for casual use it 'just works'.

Another new app is Fruity Loops, FL Studio HD for music creation via the sequencer method."

FL Studio Mobile HD: $19.99 AU
FL Studio Mobile HD allows you to create and save complete multi-track music projects on your iPad. You can even load the FL Studio Mobile projects into the 'FL Studio Desktop PC' version* and take them to the next level. If it’s a beat on the step sequencer, a melody on the piano roll or a full song on the playlist, FL Studio Mobile has you covered.


http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/fl-studio-mobile-hd/id432850619?mt=8





Sunday, July 8, 2012

iMovie Trailer Storyboards - T.I.M.

I love iMovie Trailers. They are a useful way to get students to think about the main concepts and ideas of a particular topic. We have used iMovie to get students to create Trailers for novels, historical events or figures and even contemporary social issues. They are a great way to present part of a research project on scientists, mathematicians, explorers, artists or architects.

Timothy Jefferson has put together a couple of fantastic storyboards for creating Trailers in iMovie. These are great for students who get stuck getting started. These storyboards actually give you a guide to the type of footage you need and how much you will require - there is nothing worse than getting to the end and then realising that you do to have enough film to complete your Trailer. Make sure you check out Timothy Jefferson's blog, he has some really interesting resources that he is sharing. Thanks Tim.






Friday, July 6, 2012

Accessing Students Work on the iPad - Digital Roadtrip

I saw this link on Twitter this morning via  . This is the sort of workflow that will make things easy for teachers. It is one of the concerns the new or reluctant teachers are concerned about.  To be honest moving students work samples is something that, until you try it, you do not realise how time consuming it can be. I have included an image as a link back to the original site. Make sure that you have a look at the rest of the site for some good resources. Digital Roadtrip - Another great catch from the PLN of twitter.








Thursday, July 5, 2012

Early Years Apps for Learning

More antidotes of very young learners becoming engaged by and using apps continue to surface. There is even early evidence that preschoolers who use iPads for some guided activities have a small advantage with language acquisition. Dr D Bebell, Sue Dorris and Dr Mike Muir from the Auburn School District presented to Auburn School District Committee. This has yet to be proven conclusively but may have interesting outcomes for early years teachers.
There was no suggestion of which apps were used in the study but it did make me curious to see what apps were available for early learners. Here are a number of apps that can be used by preschool and infants age kids.

Alphabet Deluxe: $0.99 AU
Learn - toggle through the alphabet to see the pictures and words that start with the letter chosen. Press the picture to hear it. Practice- Choose the letter that the picture starts with. Play- This fun activity is great for all ages. Press the circle to reveal a random letter. Choose from the nine colored markers and start drawing something that starts with that letter.



Stories about Me: FREE
Stories About Me allows parents and teachers to create their own social stories for their children and students. Blending photos, text, and voice recordings into a talking picture book, children can playback rich media stories of their own personal experiences. Swiping advances the pages and tapping plays the audio; simple as that!

Letterschool: $2.99 AU
Learning to write letters and numerals will never be the same after a child tries LetterSchool. This app has raised the bar for all letter/numeral recognition apps. Children’s Technology Review. A fantastic program to familiarize kindergartners with the alphabet. This intelligently designed app will captivate the user through entertaining animations and an easy to navigate interface.
Wonder Kids: FREE
Wonder Kids is an educational application for toddlers, pre-school and elementary school children. Fun Learning Activities, as coloring, drawing, matching games, jigsaw puzzles and Bingo games. Contributing to the all-round and linguistic development of kids, the application gives them a sense of achievement and enormous satisfaction.

Spellmania: $0.99 AU
SpellMania encourages players to spell and learn harder and harder words. If the player makes a mistake, the host will repeat the word letter by letter with the correct spelling displayed on screen. Any misspelled words are more likely crop up again in the game, giving players another chance to get it right, reinforcing the learning.



ABC FlashCards: $2.99 AU
Kids learn their ABCs through play when they make the 'D'inosaur roar, 'Z'ip the Zipper, and more! Every letter is a unique, interactive toy! The memorable flash cards engage children in learning and aid in development. Develops reading foundational skills including uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and phonics sounds



Ready to Print: $10.49
Created by an Occupational Therapist. Ready to Print is a tool for parents, therapists and educators to help teach pre-writing skills to children to build a strong foundation for beginning printers. Ready to Print progresses through the pre-writing skills so that children can master the visual-motor, visual-perceptual, and fine motor skills.

Pencils Words and Kids: $5.49 AU
This app is a How To guide for kids and their mentors to get the words flowing. This app is not about grammar and spelling. The creative writing process is presented in entries and photos of kids writing, original artwork, and inspiring scenes. The photos will fuel brainstorming for stories, essays and poems. 

It's Learning Time: $0.99 AU
Can you complete each level by setting cuckoo’s clock correctly 12 times? Choose the level of play you wish to practise then drag the minute hand around the clock to match the time spoken. Press the yellow button to see if you’re correct, if you are, cuckoo comes out to say hello! Multiple levels.

AAC Language Lab: $1.99 AU
This app addresses all four language objectives to help early language learners as well as children with expressive language delays who use augmentative and alternative communication methods. Use the ‘Learn’ and  ‘Practice’ buttons to direct the child to find a specific target words.


http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/language-lab/id527182200?mt=8






Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Stop Motion Apps - Great Storytelling

Storytelling continues to be a powerful tool in education. Storytelling from a teacher's point of view allows us an insight into the depth of understanding our student have around certain concepts and ideas. It also gives us a privileged view into the world of the kids in our care.

Storytelling is just as fantastic for students. Storytelling apps allow students a voice, a way of telling complex narratives and a way of illustrating their ability to weave multiple ideas into a single and coherent storyline.

Here are a couple of apps that students and teachers of all ages will love. People never seen to tire of Stop-motion movies.


iMotion HD:FREE
iMotion HD is a time-lapse and stop-motion app for iOS. Take pictures, edit your movie and export videos to your device or directly to Youtube. Time-lapse is a cinematography technique which accelerates movement. Stop motion is an animation technique which makes a physically manipulated object look like it’s moving on its own.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/imotion-hd/id421365625?mt=8


StopMotion Recorder: $0.99 AU
StopMotion Recorder is video camera that makes stunning stop motion video like claymation. And you can edit, share movie via Mail, 'Facebook', 'Twitter', 'Youtube' from your iPhone. Sound supported as well as Loop & Reverse Rendering. Automatic capture with time interval and manual capture with simple touch on screen. The fastest rendering speed as well as Canvas Rotation

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/stopmotion-recorder/id373313019?mt=8


Frame X Frame: FREE
Frame X Frame by JOBY is a one-stop camera app that expands the photography capabilities of your iPhone. Produce fantastic stop motion animation videos, stunning time lapse photography, and fun self-timer shots! Shoot in time lapse mode and each individual photo will be saved separately in your library. Clean and simple picture taking: digital zoom, anti-shake & tap to focus.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/frame-x-frame/id431876080?mt=8


Frameographer: $2.99 AU
Frameographer is a simple app for making time-lapse and stop motion movies in HD. The interface is intuitive and delightful. Time-lapse and stop motion movies are both created by taking a sequence of still images and playing them back at a certain speed. Frameographer makes this process easy and fun! Manual or Automatic shutter settings for making stop motion or time-lapse movies.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/frameographer-stop-motion/id503347879?mt=8


Ostanovca: FREE
Epic action figure battles, levitating girl adventures or beautiful time lapse videos, they’re all just waiting to be captured with the OSTANOVCA app! Shoot and direct your very own stop motion video masterpiece today with just one handy video app. Creating compelling, artful or just fun content to share with family and friends is easy, thanks to a delightfully retro user-friendly design.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/ostanovca/id495633588?mt=8


Stop Motion Cafe: FREE
Simple, Stop-Motion and Time-Lapse application, completely FREE!! Capture sequences of images and create a movie. Pick the Images touching the screen or with time intervals, edit and create your movie to export to Camera Roll. This app allows you to save a project and continue work on it as well as an edit function that lets you remove individual frames if you make a mistake.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/stop-motion-cafe/id492389084?mt=8


PixStop: FREE - NOT AVAILABLE IN THE AUSTRALIAN APPSTORE
Designed for the iPad 2, the PixStop app captures as many as 10,000 images to create mini masterpieces up to 13 minutes long. Novice-friendly features, helpful tutorials and intuitive controls make this the perfect tool for first-time stop-motion animators and a great mobile tool for more advanced users too.

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/nfb-pixstop/id481791763?mt=8


Stop-motion Camera: FREE
You can take it easy stop-motion animation! To shoot one or two objects by exposing film frame by frame process. Inches a re-shoot a moving object by repeating the process, with animated objects makes a difference. After this process, almost any object you can see the animation effect.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/stop-motion-camera/id476953890?mt=8


StoMo:FREE
Create simple stop-motion animations with this easy-to-use capture app. Features include simple interface to rapidly capture images and organize them into scenes and projects. You can easily align the next frame with the previous one using the preview window. It supports both rear and front cameras on supported devices and you can reorder and delete individual frames or adjust frames per second.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/stomo/id448241020?mt=8


Capmo: FREE
Capture the moment and create amazing photo animations! Create a stop motion animation that captures the everyday moments you live with your friends and family. Create gorgeous animations on the fly as well as storing images directly into your Capmo library. Share easily with the widely supported GIF format as you shoot animations up to 60 frames long.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/capmo-moving-photo/id506374029?mt=8



Monday, July 2, 2012

Another 10 Great Apps for Teachers

Any list of "Best Apps for Teachers" quickly gets superseded in the new releases of apps. More and more apps each week are being released to assist teachers. Some of these are simple apps that perform single tasks exceptional well while others transform the way that we present in a classroom. Here are another 10 that might help to make the classroom a place of contemporary learning.


This first application is not actually an iPad app but rather a computer app. It wirelessly allows mirroring of your iPad including via a projector or TV. This one of the best wireless mirroring app I have come across.


AirServer: $15.00 AU
AirServer is a powerful Mac/PC application that enables you to stream or mirror your iOS device, such as your iPhone 4S, to your Mac/PC. If your computer is connected to a secondary or alternative display, such as an HDTV or projector, your iOS device can use that display. If your iOS device allows Mirroring then anything you see on that device can be displayed on the big screen.

http://www.airserverapp.com/download


Inspiration Maps: FREE
Inspiration Maps brings visual thinking and learning to the iPad. Work with up to five diagrams to create maps, edit and stylize content, transform diagrams to outlines, and preview templates. Developed by the makers of Inspiration, Inspiration Maps is ideal for brainstorming, analyzing and organizing information, planning projects, and studying.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/inspiration-maps-lite/id510031612?mt=8


Symbaloo: FREE
With Symbaloo you have all of your favorite websites at your fingertips, anywhere and always. Choose your favorite websites and within a few clicks you can create your very own homepage. With an account your favorites are available on any iPhone, PC, Mac, iPad and tablet. Wherever you go, you always have access to your favorite websites.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/symbaloo/id521081559?mt=8


Showbie: FREE
Effortlessly assign, collect, and review student work from anywhere – with Showbie! A cloud storage solution designed specifically for K-12 schools that allows students to hand in homework electronically. Through the website or app, students can share files quickly and easily, express their creativity through various forms of media or hand in their homework using a computer or mobile device.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/showbie/id523263738?mt=8


Draw on Slides: $0.99 AU
Draw on Slides lets you show your iPad photos to family, friends, and business associates and draw attention to specific details about each one. Make your point and keep their attention at the same time. Select the album with your photos, pick the first photo to show, and draw on any photo as you navigate from slide to slide. Then save, email, and share them.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/draw-on-slides/id500007683?mt=8


Tiny Tap: FREE
It’s a beautiful and simple way to create games that will keep your little ones entertained for hours. Every time your kids play a game, they will hear someone they love playing with them. Share - The games that you create can be published for all to enjoy! Send it to your family and friends, or share it with the world - and spread the joy. 

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/tinytap-moments-into-games/id493868874?mt=8


Revisionapp: FREE
Revision App is the Ultimate Revision Tool. Revise on the move with Revision App. Quiz functionality with Revision App. Create your own video, text or audio flash cards with Revision App. Group study – send flash cards to friends or other members of your study group with Revision App. Send your own flash cards to the app via your PC with Revision App.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/revision-app-ultimate-revision/id451009060?mt=8


Essay Grader: $6.49 AU
Point and click to create a feedback comment sheet. Provide your students with exceptional feedback, and reduce your grading time with Essay Grader. By moving back and forth between a series of tabs and clicking appropriate comment fields, a feedback document is created for each essay you grade. Emailed directly to the student or exported to your computer for editing and printing. 

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/id376946246


Brain Dip Mag: FREE
Brain Dip Magazine is a magazine-style textbook with a multi-disciplinary, multi-level online study guide correlated to the Common Core State Standards. With the tap of your finger, analyze President Barak Obama's inaugural address from the viewpoint of literacy, math, science, and social studies...and it's all FREE.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/brain-dip-magazine-smart-way/id513043465?mt=8


Nearpod: FREEE
Nearpod enables teachers to use their iPads to manage content. It combines presentation, engagement and real-time assessment tools. Teacher iPad app allows sharing content and managing flow of the lecture. Students use the Nearpod Student app to receive curricular content, participate in activities and submit responses.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nearpod-student/id480295574?mt=8