Module 1: Exploring the IPAD

Oh wow! Just spent literally a few hours trying to download software that will let me view the course modules on my PC. Apple really has this thing sewn up! I don't have an ipad and reading the modules on my iPhone really is a struggle! So straight away I've learnt something about how acessible the ipad is - compared to other devices such as iPods!! Finally managed to download the software - had to download a new browser - Firefox - and then attach an epub reader to it - and at last, I can read the modules more easily. Don't want to think about what's involved in doing the same thing on my laptop. Now I've typed this much, I want to know how to change the font in my blog - hate this font. Oh dear, I think I'm going to get terribly sidetracked doing this course......

NEXT:

Tried working through the module without an ipad - wasn't that a challenge?! So now I have an iPad to work with - a "hand-me-down" from my 20 yr old daughter. Got to love that. Since the top paragraph was written,  I also have an iPhone 4 so I'm really with it! Have had the opportunity to explore the iPhone and that helped me a lot with the iPad. Have also worked through module 1 on a real live iPad - and found out lots of really cool things including how to:

• Change the font
• Highlight words
• Use the dictionary
• Write notes

The things I especially liked and will find useful are: locking the screen orientation so the stupid thing doesn't spin around when I'm in the middle of doing something (!), creating and naming folders for apps - and best of all, bookmarks. Have also discovered that I can sync all the things on my iPad with other devices including my iPhone.

As for using these things in the classroom - Year 2 has been using the camera/video function on our iPods (and could therefore easily use iPads) to record mini weather reports each day. They absolutely love pretending to be the TV weather reporter and provide a weather forecast for us all to watch. They are very quick and confident with the iPods - and the functions are almost exactly the same on the iPads. Amazing to see children who are usually quiet and not easily drawn into discussions, come "alive" when they're being recorded - and so proud when we show their video to the rest of the class. A wonderful confidence builder, very practical talking & listening activity as well as a great way of integrating technology with our Science unit. Have also created a roster for chn to check the weather app to give us the daily temperature and weather forecast each day for our chart. Loving it....