Boyd's Bytes
January 2017
Happy New Year!!!
SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR IPAD
1. Pressing the home button and the standby button will take a screen shot and add it to your camera roll. Simple tools in the Photos app can be used to crop, adjust filters etc although the best app for editing your photos is probably Google’s Snapseed app (free).
2. Make use of the control centre. Access it by swiping up from the bottom of your screen. There are lots of handy options in there such as turning your bluetooth or wifi on and off, accessing the clock for handy things like your stop watch and timer, rotate lock, volume, brightness, AirDrop, AirPlay and a host of other features.
3. When taking a photo in the Camera App, don’t fumble around trying to press the button on the screen, press the volume button and that will take the photo for you.
4. When taking a photograph, if the sunlight is too bright or too dark, simply tap on the screen and then press and slide up the sunlight icon and it will allow you to adjust the exposure as needed.
5. Sometimes you need to restart your iPad. Don’t just turn it off, press and hold the standby and the home buttons together and don’t let go. The screen will go dark and then the Apple logo will appear. Still don’t let go. The screen will then go dark again, then let go. Then press the standby button to turn it back on. That is a hard reset and will hopefully counter any issues you may be having.
6. Keeping your iPad secure is highly important. Don’t just settle for a simple passcode of 4 digits. Go to Settings, Touch ID & Passcode (it will not say Touch ID on older iPads without fingerprint recognition). Enter your passcode and switch Simple Passcode off. It will then ask you for a new passcode. This can involve letters, numbers and punctuation characters.
Tip: If you choose letters or punctuation characters, you will get a full keyboard when unlocking your iPad, however, if you only choose numbers in your now longer passcode, you will only get a number key pad. People often find this easier than using a full keyboard. Give yourself a nice long passcode that you will remember, thus improving the security of your device.
7. People often leave their location settings on, on the Twitter App. Do you really want your students knowing where you live? Go to Settings, Privacy, Location Services and turn Twitter location settings off. Why not check your other Privacy settings while you’re there too?
8. I’m always amazed by the features that come as standard on the iPad. One of my absolute favourite things about Apple, is their attention to detail when it comes to accessibility. If you haven’t checked out the Accessibility features within Settings, then I strongly urge you to do so. You can access these by going to Settings, General, Accessibility and within there, you will find a plethora of features to help children with a massive range of special educational needs. My favourite feature is the speak selection which adds an extra icon to your toolbar when you highlight text. Simply highlight the text, choose the new speak option and it will read the selected text to you. This then works in any App on your iPad where text can be highlighted.
9. As teachers, we often write the same thing all the time such as our email address. I don’t know why, but school teachers always seem to have the longest email addresses known to man. Why not create a keyboard shortcut in the Settings App so that you only have to type the first 3 letters of your email address and your iPad will give you the option of typing the rest of it for you. To add a keyboard shortcut, just go to Settings, General, Keyboard, Shortcuts. Tap the + icon in the top right hand corner. Next to ‘Phrase’, type your email address e.g. sillyname@wonderacademy.n-somerset.sch.uk. Then, next to the word ‘Shortcut’, type ‘sil’, then tap ‘save’ in the top right hand corner. If you go into any App, whenever you type your shortcut, the shortcut will appear. To engage it, simply press Space and the full email address will drop into place.
Adobe Spark (formerly known as Adobe Voice)
- Science Experiment: Instead of simply snapping pictures over the course of a science experiment, encourage students to capture video. They can use the video to show moments like a chemical reaction, or demonstrate how to perform a task. When students create Spark Videos to show off the steps of a science experiment video can help communicate the message.
- Public Service Announcement: Students who are trying to persuade an audience can capture video as part of their call to action. You might have students record video to show how to navigate the recycling bins in the cafeteria to add to their PSA on reducing waste.
- Field Trip Review: You can have students use the images and video they’ve captured on a field trip to create a Spark Video. Giving students the power to curate moments and organize their images is a great way for them to reflect on what they’ve learned during a trip outside of school.
- Thank You Message: If you’ve had a special visitor come to your school or an organization make a donation, Spark Video is perfect for creating Thank You messages. The new video feature will help demonstrate impact and convey emotion.
- School Tours: A great way to show off the work happening at your school is to create videos that take virtual visitors around the building. With the new video feature in Spark you can have students capture special moments to add to a school tour video.
Combating Fake News And Teaching Digital Literacy
- Where was the information published? Was it a .com/.edu/.org site? Anyone can create a webpage? Was the source someone we could trust?
- When was the information posted? Or, how long ago was it updated? How can you tell?
- What do you know about the author? What else have they written?
- Can you verify the information posted on another website you’ve already determined to be accurate and reliable?
Snopes-This site has been around on the internet for a really long time and their mission is to help readers determine it what they read or hear is true or not. Everything from urban legends, to posts on Facebook that promise money it you share it to, current events. They have everything. And they can help students see how to vet stories because everything is linked to proof.
Collaborative Music and Podcast Tool
With Soundtrap, users can collaborate on one project from different locations. There is a chat and video feature built into this tools so students can work on a project when miles apart but still stay in contact as they create their piece of music or record audio for a podcast. Teachers can even use this tool to record audio to share with students for easy review of a lesson or as part of a flipped classroom model.
I love tools that gives students opportunities to work together in a collaborative environment and value the needs of different students. Whether you’re working with English Language Learners or looking to reach students who love to make music, Soundtrap is definitely worth checking out!
Learn more about Soundtrap by visiting their website!
How-To Use GarageBand in the Reading Classroom
- Booktalk podcast: The audio narration feature lets students easily record tracks. This is perfect for student-created podcasts where they discuss a book. Next time a literature circle comes together to discuss a new book, have students create a recording of their conversation. Remember to give students an audience by sharing the link to their podcast recording with family members, a local librarian or on social media.
- Musical accompaniment: The music that accompanies a joyful, suspenseful or melancholy scene of a movie helps set the tone for that part of a film. Ask students to choose a significant moment from their book and create a composition that illustrates the mood of that excerpt.
- Character interviews: After students have read a book ask them to take on the role of a character. A pair of students can plan a mock interview with the character and use Garageband to record their audio.
- Global exploration: One of the cool things about GarageBand is the inclusion of different instruments from around the world. Whether you are reading a piece of informational text or exploring a historical fiction book, GarageBand can help bring the sounds of different cultures into your classroom.
How have you used GarageBand in your classroom? Share your ideas and experiences in the comments below!
If you need to contact me for questions/help/ideas/or just chit chat...
Email: cboyd@warsawschools.org
Website: http://thebodybyboyd.blogspot.com/
Location: 2302 Isleview Drive Winona Lake, Indiana 46590
Phone: 574 265-3855
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