Thursday, January 31, 2013

I have a serious problem...

I can't see all the email in my inbox!

Are you stressed that you can't see all you emails that are currently in your inbox?

There is hope!  Follow these three simple screen shots to fix this vexing issue.

Click Settings


1. Cick on Mail, Contacts, Calendars
2. Click on your Lindbergh email account.  Example: colin davitt - IBM Lotus Notes Traveler


Change to No Limit

Now you can see all the mail currently in your inbox.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Using the Stopwatch App to Work on Fluency


Check out students in Mary Palumbo's class as they work on reading fluency with this Stopwatch app.










Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Creating a Listening Center

Check out the Kindergarten students using their iPad as a listening center.  This is a sample splitter that allows multiple students to plug their earbuds into the device to be able to listen to reading.
Mrs. Haberberger's Class
Mrs. Klosterman's Class

Creating a Listening Center
iBooks App After downloading the iBooks app, you can go the iBooks store and download free books.  If you scroll to the bottom of the Books section, you will find an area titled "Read Aloud Kids' Books."   Then you can select a variety of books for free.
K-2 teachers-Be sure to change the settings so that you can sync across your devices.  When you add a book to one iPad, it will magically appear on the others. Go to "Settings." Click "iTunes and App Stores."  Under automatic downloads, turn Books to "On."

Storia App:  Storia is an app from Scholastic that enables you to purchase ebooks and download to 5 different devices. You can use bonus points to purchase books as well.  Here is a post that explains Storia.

Tumblebooks: Be sure to bookmark from this link.  You will then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Books and Games: Tumblebook library.  Then click on the red circle: Story Books.  Students can listen to a variety of books.

To add this website as an icon or bookmark on the homescreen, click to read this post.  Talk about a time saver!

TabTale Stories Apps:  These interactive apps make reading fun for students.  Children can read aloud various fairy tales on the iPad.   Click on the link, scroll down, and select the app store.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Must...find...easy...way...to...

We are always looking for an easy and more efficient ways to accomplish certain tasks in the classroom.

What about an easy way to bookmark sites on your iPad so the resource is just one single click?

Quick Way


  • Navigate to a website you want your students to visit using Safari.
  • Click the small icon that looks like a square with an arrow coming out of it.  This can be found in the upper left corner.




  • Click Add to Home Screen




  • Make sure the title matches the app.  Keep this description short.
  • Click Add





  • The new app-like link will be added to your iPad screen.  These icons can also be added to folders.


Thursday, January 10, 2013

Where should I put these iPads?

Leverage the space in your classroom with the portability of the iPad!

Here are a few ideas on how the iPads are being used in the classroom.

Listening Center
1 or 2 iPads dedicated to the listening center.  These can be at a table or on the floor in a comfy corner of the classroom.



Writing Center
A few iPads in the writing center.




Math Center



Easy Access
Leaving the iPads out where the students can easily grab them helps keep the devices circulating in the classroom.



Final Thoughts
The portability of the iPads allows you maximum the configuration of the room on a hourly basis.  Take advantage and allow the students to move about the room with these tools.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Got Apps? A MUST READ for Getting Apps on Your iPads

Remember that commercial.....Got Milk? Well, in this post we want to make sure you know how to get apps.

Free Apps

To download free apps, you will want to go to the App Store. Here you can search for apps in the search box or go to the education collection. Tap on the app you wish to "purchase." Then click "Free."

Once the icon turns green, click "INSTALL APP." It will then prompt you to enter your password.

Paid Apps

(To purchase apps for your teacher iPad or to use a gift card, you will need to have your own Apple ID.)
Step 1: Log into your own personal Apple ID. Go to the app store, scroll to the bottom of your "Featured Tab," and click on the Lindbergh ID. Click the "Sign Out" icon and enter your personal credentials.

Step 2: Purchase any apps you desire using the process above. Remember-you are paying for any apps you download to your personal account and will not be reimbursed by the district.

Step 3: Be sure to logout of your own Apple ID. Again, go to the app store, scroll to the bottom of your "Featured Tab," and click on your personal ID. Click the "Sign Out" icon and enter your Lindbergh teacher credentials.

Downloading Already Purchased Apps

Step 1: To download apps for your teacher iPad that you have previously downloaded or purchased with your own Apple ID, you will want to log into the App store with your personal account (see steps above).

Step 2: In the app store, click on the "Purchased" at the bottom of the screen. You can then click on any apps that have a cloud next to them to install the app on your teacher device. It is illegal to install apps onto the student devices that are purchased with your personal ID.

Step 3: Be sure to logout of your own Apple ID. Again, go to the app store, scroll to the bottom of your "Featured Tab," and click on your personal ID. Click the "Sign Out" icon and enter your Lindbergh teacher credentials.

District Apps from AirWatch

Did the district "push" an app and you missed it? Then head to the blue app with aw that is titled "AirWatch app."
From here, an internet site will launch and you will want to click "Public." For any apps you would like, click "Install."

K-2 teachers-Student iPads

Download an app on one student iPad and the app will magically appear on your other student iPads....after you change one little setting.
Go the "Settings" App.
Scroll down to click "iTunes and App Stores" on the left hand side.
Turn the switch to "On" under the Automatic Downloads for Apps.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Do you have an app-solute mess?

I think I have about 453 apps on my iPad right now.

What is wrong with that?

It can be difficult to find a very specific app in a short amount of time.

Solutions
There are two.

Fast and Messy
  1. Swipe all the way to the right to find the iPad search screen.
  2. Type in the name of the app you are looking for.
  3. Click on the app to launch it.



Organized and Methodical
(apps in folders)

The images below show apps organized into certain folders.  Put your money apps into one folder and your math facts into another.

This makes it efficient for the students to access exactly what they need quickly.



What about...
If you put all your math folders of apps on one page and social studies on another?

There are many ways to organize your apps.

How do you do it?  Leave some tips and comments to help your fellow teachers.

Helpful Links
How to organize your apps on an iPad.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Why Would I Number my iPads?

One reason to number the iPads is so that students know which iPad they are working on from session to session. If they happen to take pictures and then want to use them for a project at a later time, they will want to use the same iPad. It is also easier to offer differentiated activities for students by making folders with apps for certain students.  In K-2 classrooms, you would have 6 iPads including your teacher iPad.
One easy way to number the iPads is to google the number you are wanting, for example the number "2."  Then click on "Images" at the top tab.

Once you find the number you want, click on the number to make it larger. Then, hold down the circle (Home) button and the power button at the same time. You should hear a clicking noise and your screen should blink. This means the screen shot is saved to your camera roll.

Next, you will want to open the photos app. It looks like this.

First you will want to crop the picture. To do this, you will want to tap on the picture and then click on the word "Edit."  Then you will want to click "Crop" on the bottom right hand side.  Use the arrows to adjust the image so you only see the number portion.  Then, click the yellow word "Crop" in the right hand corner of your image.  Finally, click the word "Save" and click "Save to Camera Roll."

With the edited picture, you will tap the picture and then look for a box with an arrow in the right hand side of the picture. You will want to select "Use as Wallpaper." Then choose "Set Both." When you close the picture app, you should then see your number on the background. Repeat this process for each of the iPads.



Friday, January 4, 2013

Updating the Apps

There are two things you need to keep your apps up to date.

  • your apple ID and password (teacher or student)
  • the iPad (teacher or student)


Why update your apps?
Many times the update will fix bugs within the app or major upgrades will add additional functionality.


How to Update the Apps
Follow these simple steps to keep your apps up to date.

Click on the App Store.


Click Updates near the bottom of the screen.



Click the Update button on the far right side of the app you wish to update.



Wait for the app to fully install before opening it.  There will be a small blue line that will indicate how far along the update process is.  Once it is complete the blue line will completely disappear.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Setting Clear Guidelines for Student iPad Usage

When you begin using the classroom iPads, you will want to have clear expectations for student usage. For some really great ideas, check out this amazing blog find (from Colin's favorite website of course, Pinterest). You can print an acceptable use policy and classroom expectation board from this site. Check out how Mrs. Boyd at Concord arranges her iPad station.

The class signed an "iPad Acceptable Use Policy."
Expectations were discussed and then posted nearby the iPad center.