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Explore tips, tools, and strategies for using iOS devices in education. Discover resources to enhance teaching, learning, and productivity.

Apple TV device and remote
Good TeachingiOS Tips and Tricks

TCEA Responds: Apple TV in the Classroom

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Dear TCEA Responds:

I am getting an Apple TV and I would like to learn more about using it in my classroom. Do you have any professional development classes on how to use the Apple TV and an iPad?

-Angie

Dear Angie:

As an early adopter of the Apple TV, I was thrilled about the possibilities. Let’s explore some of the ways Apple TVs can enhance teaching and learning in your classroom. We’ll also take a quick look at some alternatives to Apple TVs so you can save money, if that’s needed.

How Apple TVs Enhance Teaching and Learning

The Apple TV enables either students or teachers to mirror their device to a large screen. Using AirPlay, which comes standard on Apple computers and tablets, you can share what you see on one device on a big screen. This makes highlighting student work on an iPad convenient. Some ideas for taking advantage of this in the classroom:

  • Model the brainstorming process using a whiteboard app (see this list)
  • Empower students to work as teachers for a day
  • Create a digital ebook (use Book Creator) and display it on the big screen
  • Make a document camera out of any iPad in your classroom
  • Annotate documents live (some apps include Annotable and Annotate)
  • Wander around the room wirelessly with your iPad connected to big screen
  • Facilitate collaboration between student creators so all can see what they are making
  • Watch YouTube or Vimeo videos or National Geographic content
  • Use apps like Appear.in, Skype, and Voxer on your iPad so that students can watch
  • Display student-generated or educational images (e.g. anchor charts, concept maps) as the screensaver

Some tips to avoid Apple TV distractions (use the free Apple TV Remote app so you don’t have to use an on-screen keyboard):

  • Hide TV channels
  • Hide movie previews. Enable restrictions to select the Purchase and Rental hide option.
  • Rename the Apple TV to reflect your classroom
  • Set an AirPlay password to prevent others from taking over your Apple TV to display their content

I encourage you to check out Tony Vincent’s illustrated guide to Apple TV. He has tons more tips and suggestions.

Apple TV Alternatives

If your school or district has not yet invested in an Apple TV, you might consider a software solution instead. Here are three software alternatives that cost less money than an Apple TV:

In most cases, both devices (teacher’s computer and student iOS device) must be on the same WiFi subnet. Also, in Bonjour and mDNS, multicast must be allowed on your network.

Ready to Get Started?

You have quite a few ideas to get started with the Apple TV in your classroom. While setting up may seem like a lot, you and your students will soon be doing things quite differently. If you’d like some help, TCEA offers onsite professional development on Apple TVs (and more) specifically tailored to your staff’s needs. Just email Dr. Bruce Ellis for more information. Each onsite workshop includes a year’s membership to TCEA, which allows participants to continue the learning all year long.

 

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animated GIFs
ChromebooksGoogle Tips and TricksiOS Tips and TricksMicrosoft

Animated GIFs: Education in Motion

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Animated GIFs function great as short picture tutorials. They play well on social media, like Twitter, too. Creating these engaging picture slideshows can range from easy to hard depending on the tools you choose. Let’s take a look at a few free iOS, Windows, Mac, and Chrome tools to create animated GIFs. We will also explore some animated GIFs focused on the Microsoft Education Community, featuring a few common tasks with which learners have problems.

Example #1 – Tech Tips in 15 Seconds

Looking for ideas on how to use animated GIFs? Educational technologists need look no further than John Bimmerle’s Tech Tips in 15 Seconds.

animated gifs

Here is one animated GIF shared via Twitter focused on OneNote sharing made easy. You can edit the images before placing them in an animated GIF sequence. Include instructions, helpful pointers, and more.

Example #2 – Spice Up Twitterchats

You can also use animated GIFs to spice up your Twitterchat/Tweetmeet questions, as shown below. You can imagine creating your images in Powerpoint (or Slides), exporting the images, then stitching them together using one of the free tools available.

Tools for Making Animated GIFs

Ready to make your own animated GIFs? If so, you may already have the tools on your device. The process involves recording a short step-by-step as a video and then converting that video into a series of pictures. The picture series is then animated and runs as a sequence known as an animated GIF. Here are my top picks for creating animated GIFs:

Subscription-Based Tools

  • Screencastify Premium (Free for 10 minutes; subscription service available): This awesome screencasting tool (view tutorials) works great on Chromebooks or the Chrome browser. You can save your recordings as MP4 videos or as animated GIFs. These can be saved to either your device or directly to Google Drive. There’s even an education version worth investigating. A few features of Screencastify include a focus mouse, draw with pen, embed webcam, and my favorite, crop and trim.  You can also record your desktop screen (e.g. Windows, Mac, GNU/Linux) or a particular tab on your Chrome browser.
  • Gyazo GIF (Free for seven seconds; subscription service available): Gyazo GIF enables you to capture screenshots (pictures of your screen) and then share them online as animated GIFs or save them. You instantly share screenshots faster than any other service by uploading the image and copying the link to your clipboard instantly. Fellow Texan and TCEA member Kasey Bell has a wonderful tutorial worth reading on this resource.
animated gifs

Animated GIF of Storyboarder was created with Screencastify’s Save to Animated GIF feature

No-Cost Tools

  • Storyboarder (Free): This powerful storyboarding tool makes it easy to create animated GIFs (and a lot more). You can export creations to Adobe Premiere, Final Cut, Avid, PDF, and animated GIF formats. You can even print out storyboard worksheets and then draw on them. When done, snap a picture with your phone. Storyboarder will import the boards into your project.
  • GifMaker.me (Free): You can use this web-based tool to create animated GIFs. You can also create video animations with free, online music. Another benefit is that GifMaker does not require an account, which makes it perfect for use in a classroom situation. An alternative browser-based gifmaker is EzGIF.com.
  • GIF Toaster (iOS; Free): Looking for a way to create animated GIFs on the go? Look no further than GIF Toaster. You can take a series of photos (or screenshots on your iOS device), then arrange them as an animated GIF. You can then copy them to your computer using WiFi sharing from within the GIF Toaster app. It will also take a recorded video and save it as an animated GIF. Additional customization is possible with built-in filters, etc.
  • DataGIFMaker: Although not strictly speaking an animated GIF maker useful for tutorials, if you need to play with data, you will want to check out this offering from Google. It allows you to enter a few values and then display them as an animated GIF. You simply enter data points, type in short names for data point clusters, select colors, and then save the animated GIF. See example.

There are many other tools (like Flipgrid!) available for creating animated GIFs. Share your favorite and what you’ve made with it in the comments.

Animated GIFs in the Classroom

Austin Houp recommends students create stop-motion animations as part of their learning activities. He suggests using Google Slides (you could also use MS PowerPoint). Students create a stop-motion slide deck and then export images using the Slides 2 Drive* add on. Then, as a final step, they can combine the entire series of pictures as an animated GIF using GifMaker.me.

*Note: Slides2Drive will kick up some security warnings when you add it since it’s not an official add-on. You need it because creating stop-motion animation will result in numerous slides. Google Slides only allows you to export one slide at a time. With Slides2Drive, you can export all slides as images to Google Drive.

Aside from stop-motion animations, students can create short explanations using animated GIFs. Be sure to check out the Twitter Takeaways blog entries for some examples.

Microsoft Education Animated GIFs

As promised, here are a few animated GIFs featuring Microsoft’s Education Community.

Get a Printable Version of a Certificate in PDF Version

Completed a face-to-face or online course? If you need to get your certificate, you can rely on the animated GIF to walk you through the process. It was created with Screencastify Premium version’s tab recording option.

Get Your Microsoft Public Profile URL

animated gifs

Your public profile URL is often required when you are applying to participate in MIE programs. This animated GIF will walk you through the process of obtaining it.

animated gifs

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iPhone 6 leaning against a fence post.
iOS Tips and TricksTechnical Support

Free Up Space on Your iDevices

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

In helping a hospitalized friend try to watch television on her iPad, I was stopped short. We deleted as many images, videos, and songs as we could, but we still needed more space. Who do you call? In this case, we did not call Ghostbusters, but Apple Support. A BIG shout out to Kareem who opened up my eyes to another way images hog space on our iDevices.

Did you know that when you take pictures through the Messages app, these images are saved to your device forever? By default, your Keep Messages is set to forever. To change that (and you should, to free up valuable space), go into Settings, then Messages, and then Message History. There, change it from the default of Forever to 30 days.  This will get rid of the messages, but not the images you send in them.

Here is the answer to the big question on how to delete the images you take in Messages.

Delete your Messages Images

  1. Open up the Messages app.iDevices
  2. Choose the contact.
  3. Tap on the i (upper right corner)
  4. Long press on a photo.
  5. Tap on More.iDevices
  6. Select one or more photos to delete*

*You can also save one or more images to your camera roll, if you prefer.

In discussing this great find with my colleague, Miguel Guhlin, he offered three more AWESOME TIPS to help you manage photos on your iDevice.

Cloud Storage

Did you know you can use Microsoft Onedrive and/or Google Drive to record and store videos and photos you take straight to the cloud? Yes, that means you can completely bypass your device. This can be a life-saver for those of us who have tons of content on our device and need to squeeze one more thing in.

What’s App

iDevices

One of Miguel’s favorite apps for messaging, recording video, or taking pictures is WhatsApp. Like Messages, you can bypass saving images/video you record in WhatsApp to your Camera Roll. WhatsApp Settings (Settings->Chats) make it possible to toggle Save to Camera Roll on or off. If you leave this set to off, if you ever have to recover your space, you can simply “CLEAR ALL CHATS” or “DELETE ALL CHATS.” Either option will remove any images/videos you may have shared or received. Of course, if you don’t want to lose precious photos others have sent you via WhatsApp, be sure to take advantage of the next tip. You can always access WhatsApp via your computer and save pictures/video directly to your desktop or laptop.

Google Photos

iDevices

The Google Photos app makes it easy to backup, or archive, all existing photos and videos saved on your device to the cloud. Then, once backed up to the Google Photos cloud storage, you can select the option to “Free up space” (as shown in image at right). Taking this action to move all your camera roll content that has been saved to Google Photos will shift your photos to Deleted Items. You have the option of deleting all photos at that point and recovering space on your iOS device. Another benefit of Google Photos is that you can create albums and slideshows and edit photos via the Google Photos website.

Take time today to clean up old photos on your iDevices and clear out space for even more amazing apps!

Featured Image by hurk from Pixabay

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Twitter takeaways
iOS Tips and Tricks

Twitter Takeaways: Five iOS Special Effects Apps

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Looking for Twitter takeaways focused on iOS special effects apps? You have come to the right place. Apple’s iOS devices offer incredible apps you can carry around with you on your mobile device. This list expands on a previous blog entry,  iOS Movie Effects, that I wrote back in 2016. Here are a few that awesome Twitterers have shared more recently.

#1 – Add Holograms to Real Life

The Holo app (@thisisholo), which John Bimmerle (@j_bimmerle) introduced me to brings virtual reality alive. Put a hologram of a favorite character (300 characters/animal holograms to choose from) into the world around you as if they were there. The holograms are life-size. You can resize, rotate, and move holograms to set things up.

#2 – Create Looping Mini Videos

Boomerang from Instagram (@boomerangfromIG) enables you to create engaging mini videos that loop back and forth. Find a person or object that is moving; then Boomerang will take a burst of ten photos, looping them into a short video. You can share your creation via Facebook, Instagram, or to your iOS camera roll.

#3 – Show Off Your Super Powers

Try Super Powers FX – Superpowers (@superpowerfx). This app makes it a cinch to shoot lightning/fireballs from your hands, “lasers from your eyes, or control the elements, teleport, and more!” Zap those veggies.

#4 – Transform the World Around You

Transform the world around you with Anime Power FX. It lets you record and add a wide variety of anime effects. You can exert your influence over everything and everyone around you, adding special effects to classroom skits and more.

twitter takeaways

#5 – Add Dinosaurs and Other Critters to Your Videos

Ever wanted to add Hollywood CGI special effects to your iOS captured photos or videos? Efexio (@efexio)  in the free version offers five different effts. Up to 100 effects are available in the paid version. Effects include dinosaurs, dragons, penguins, skeletons, robots, zombies, and unicorns, as well as fire, rain, and lighting.

 

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BYOD
AndroidBYODChromebooksiOS Tips and Tricks

Six BYOD Tools for the Classroom

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

Making use of Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) in the classroom can enhance your teaching if you are comfortable with students using various apps to complete their tasks. Many teachers, though, find that it may be more stressful when students use a different OS than what the teacher is familiar with. For educators who encourage the students to use the app of their choice, we recommend that teachers create a Padlet (shelf layout) as a place for students to easily share. If you don’t want to start from scratch, you can always use our template and make a copy of it for your own use to adapt with your students.

If you find that you prefer all your students to have the same app on their device regardless of the operating system, here are some great ones I recommend for iOS and Android.

 OverDrive

OneDrive icon imageIf you like listening to audiobooks, you’ll enjoy using OverDrive. If your district doesn’t subscribe to it, check and see if your local public library does. If so, you can check out audiobooks from them, as well as through their network of other contributing libraries!

Web, iOS, Android, Microsoft

PicCollage

PicCollage App IconWhile grandparents love this app for making collages of their grandkids, students of all ages will find this app easy to use when they have an assignment where they can create collages, annotate over photos, etc.

Web, iOS, Android, Microsoft

 Office Lens

Office Lens app iconThough many of us remember copying down notes in class to study for tests, current students seem to prefer to take photos of the board to capture their notes. This app is so handy for that. Point and aim it at the board, projector, paper, etc.. Once it detects the area, you just snap the photo; it will crop it so only the board is in the photo and deskew the image so it looks like you had prime seating in front of the board when you took the picture. Save as an image on your device or as a PDF or Office format if you have an Office 365 account.

iOS, Android, Microsoft

 Adobe Express

Adobe Spark Video app iconSometimes you want your students to record a video to capture their learning. But many devices have a default video recording app that is bare bones. You’ll find Adobe Express to be an easy go-to tool that will help students make great videos without getting bogged down in the technical aspects of videography. Though it is only for iOS currently, it is worth the wait for other operating systems.

Web, iOS, Android and Microsoft coming soon

 Pushbullet

Pushbullet app iconPushbullet is great if your students find that they need to “push” files or photos from their phone or tablet to their laptop/computer (and vice versa). Pushbullet makes it easy without having to move your file/photo to Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or DropBox first. And, since it is in the cloud, you can access your account from any device to retrieve previously pushed files. This is great if you have students taking photos or videos on their phones, but then need to add them to documents that they are editing on a computer.

Web, iOS, Android

 Flipgrid

Flipgrid app iconIf you want an easy app that allows all of your students to share, then this has to be the best app for that. It’s perfect for having students summarize their content or reflect on their learning. If they are using a phone or tablet, they’ll need to download the app; otherwise, they can use the webcam on their laptop to participate. Though I don’t recommend the paid version of many apps (I remember what it was like when my teacher budget was whatever I had in my pocket), this is definitely one app that is worth the price; consider getting others to join with you and you all can enjoy a discounted price. Even without the additional features in the paid version, this is a super app!

Web, iOS, Android

This only scratched the surface of great tools that can enhance your BYOD classroom, school, and district. If you would like more assistance, contact me at bellis@tcea.org to discuss scheduling TCEA to come to your site to provide either a half-day, full-day, or two days of training. You’ll find our training is very customized, research-based, definitely hands-on, and reasonably priced.

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AndroidEducational TrendsiOS Tips and Tricks

Go Green Screen, Have Fun

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“You know, that shade of green is perfect for green screen in your classroom,” I remarked to my wife, a second grade teacher. We had just finished setting up one of her bulletin boards. I opened up the Green Screen by Do Ink app and aimed it at the bulletin board featuring her class rules. Sure enough, the rules appeared to float on a sea of black (evidence that the shade in green butcher paper was perfect). Have you considered that an inexpensive green screen is only a sheet of butcher paper away?

In this blog entry, we’ll explore a variety of ideas for using green screen in the classroom. These are ideas curated from various Twitter feeds and blog entries available on the web. Let’s start with the basics. You may also want to read my previous blog entry, Four Tips for Green Screen in the Classroom.

The Basics

A green screen allows you to display video or images of far-away places. At the same time, you can have students in your classroom speak to what is displayed in those images or videos. Think of the local television news weather personality.

green screen

The weatherman spends his time in front of the screen using a large television screen monitor off to the side as a reference point (see the above example from a Facebook Live broadcast from KENS 5 Television in San Antonio, Texas during an early August 2017 thunderstorm).

green screenTo get started, you will need a screen solution (e.g. the right shade of butcher paper, a $.99 green tablecloth from Dollar Tree, or green cloth) and one of the apps below. If you have an iOS device, the best app on the market is Green Screen by Do Ink, although you can accomplish even more with Touchcast (but some find it a little difficult to understand at first).

Green Screen Apps

Let’s take a look at a few activities to get going with green screen.

Activity #1 – Make Your Wall Green

Ready to paint your wall green? Try green screen paint from Home Depot (e.g. Sparkling Apple).

Some more tips (source):

  • Get inexpensive green tablecloths from Dollar Tree and hang those up, using tape to smooth out wrinkles.
  • If you are shooting with two different green sources such as a painted platform and a cloth/tablecloth backdrop, it’s best to match the color as close as possible between the two.
  • You can also build your own portable green screen out of PVC pipe.
  • You can also pick up green paper plates and more to create a porthole in a ship or cockpit in an airplane or spaceship.

Activity #2 – Set Up Your Own Mini Screens

green screen

Use a wall-based green screen, green tablecloth, or mini green screens using a green file folder. Get the green three-tab file folder from Staples. Pizza boxes spray painted green will also work well. Affix student creations, LEGO people, and other props to green craft sticks  or green straws or suspend them with all-purpose green thread as you would puppets in front of a green screen. The green craft sticks and thread become invisible due to their color, allowing them to be suspended in mid-air. If you want to manipulate objects with your hands, why not wear green gloves? Green gloves can make your hands invisible. You can get disposable, green latex, powder-free gloves at a low cost.

Activity #3 – PBL with Green Screen

There are many ways to use PBL in a green screen-equipped classroom. For example, students in @MsTranClass get focused on the PBL activity:

green screen

Students can easily create non-fiction, fiction, or informational presentations featuring green screened solutions. Here are some fantastic ideas for PBL, How To Integrate Green Screens into Any Classroom. Some more ideas:

Activity #4 – Green Screen Dioramas

green screen

Why not create a video diorama using a green screen pizza box or box? Students can populate their creation with action figures that they move around with green rulers or straws (or suspend with green string). This adds another level of excitement and animation to the dioramas once created out of shoe boxes.

Students can also recreate scenes from their favorite movies, using action figures against a real life backdrop. Consider dinosaurs, Star Wars, or Star Trek as ways to create engaging plots and stories that explain academic topics. Can your students retell a favorite fairy tale or myth using Star Wars characters?

Looking for More?

Curious about more activities? Find more of my curated resources online. Also, follow @doinktweets and Tricia Fuglestone (@fuglefun) Twitter accounts to see fresh ideas about green screen use.

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Good TeachingiOS Tips and Tricks

Hacking the iPad for Vocabulary Growth

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Hacking your class set of iPads can help students learn. If you are ready to make vocabulary study more interactive, come along! Let’s review the primary cognitive processes involved in active learning. After all, who wants to just use technology to do boring vocabulary drills or study alone?

Active Learning

“Active learning refers to the robust research finding that learning is more durable and lasting when students are cognitively engaged in the learning process,”  says Dr. Jay Lynch. “Students need to be involved in active sense-making and knowledge construction.”  Effective learning engages students in one or more of three cognitive processes involved in active learning. Those three processes include:

  1. Students selecting relevant material. Can you imagine students deciding which vocabulary words and/or concepts they are unclear about and then working to better understand them?
  2. Organizing material in ways that make sense to them. Students can use technology, such as websites or apps, to make sense of unfamiliar words and/or concepts.
  3. Blending prior knowledge with new information. Students can create concepts maps that connect their own learning with new information.

Six steps from Robert Marzano in this tweeted diagram shared via @ImpactWales  highlight what we can do as teachers to assist students.

Six Steps to Vocabulary Teaching

Students should be introduced to new vocabulary via the following six steps. Take a moment to study the diagram, then join me as we explore a variety of iPad apps that can assist students in active learning achievement.

hacking

Hacking Your iPad for Active Learning with Vocabulary

The classroom teacher can help students create non-linguistic representations using iOS apps like the descriptions shown below:

  • Students can put their vocabulary words in the mouths of historical figures or others using the PhotoSpeak app (click to see sample lesson), which makes it easy to take a photo and represent it. Students can audio record themselves and then match it to a photo of a person.
  • Pupils can create a compare and contrast chart, exploring a vocabulary word and its relationships with other words, using Doodle Buddy (click to see more activities).
  • Learners can create a photo collage of pictures/images that represent the vocabulary word using Moldiv.
  • Students can capture or locate a photo that represents their vocabulary word and, using the Perfect Captions app, students can add a caption to the picture. Older students can also create dialogue in the image, if historical or featuring different actors, to explain the meaning of the vocabulary term or use it appropriately.

Each of these activities takes advantage of a different app; however, using an app like DoInk’s Green Screen (find out more), you can “app smash” the creations into one video or image. This allows teachers and students to add themselves to the explanation of a compare and contrast diagram created with Doodle Buddy or Perfect Captions.

Extended Learning

Students may also choose to use iPad whiteboard apps to facilitate explanation of a word. For example, a “Draw the Word” activity can help students using a digital whiteboard app. Those include apps like BaiBoard, Educreations, Quick Sketch,  ShowMe,  Whiteboard, or Whiteboard for Kids. These digital whiteboards allow students to visually represent their concept of a word’s meaning. In some cases, like Educreations, students can also include audio.

To extend student learning about vocabulary, hacking iPads can also involve creating concepts maps using apps like Ideament (iOS, free but $2.99 for full features), iBrainstormer, Total Recall – MindMap, or Penultimate.

Students could also interact with each others’ creations, recording their understanding of a diagram or video-recorded explanation. Using a free service such as Seesaw, students may turn in their work and/or link to other students’ vocabulary terms. They can also leave comments and be inspired by each other’s creations.

 

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AndroidiOS Tips and Tricks

Four Tools for iOS Screen Sharing

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“How are you sharing your iPad’s screen?” asked a session participant. The question comes up every time I present and need to show off my iOS device’s screen. Whether it’s an iPad or iPhone, the ability to share my iOS screen with the audience is critical. Before we explore various solutions available, let’s revisit why screen sharing remains important.

Why Share Your Screen?

“Most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasion,s this coded information serves as a guide for action,” says Albert Bandura, social learning theorist. Screen sharing facilitates teacher modeling. Research, as pointed out in various studies, has shown that “modeling is an effective instructional strategy in that it allows students to observe the teacher’s thought processes” (source).

When showing others how to use technology in the classroom, whether for PreK-12 or adult learners, the learning facilitator (a.k.a. teacher) engages in task or performance modeling. The purpose of this is to allow students to first observe what is expected of them. The goal is to increase their level of comfort when it is time for them to engage in a new task or performance.

When modeling how to use an app, such as Seesaw, Nearpod, Voxer, Shadow Puppet EDU, or Doodle Buddy, the teacher makes actual steps taken to operate an app visible for the students. Modeling also serves as a way to scaffold students’ own efforts. When they master their own approach to a technique or use of technology (e.g. green screen weather forecast or lesson), then they can engage in student-centered modeling.

Tools You Can Use

In each of these approaches, including task or performance modeling, student-centered modeling, and/or modeling as a scaffolding technique, being able to share the screen of your mobile device remains important. An important consideration for each of these is that both your laptop and iOS/Android device must be on the same wireless (a.k.a. WiFi) network. Keep in mind that the speed of that WiFi network will affect your ability to connect.

Aside from having the $49 Apple dongle (e.g. lightning to VGA or HDMI) for your iOS device as a backup, let’s take a look at three solutions that make screen sharing possible. The process for each of these tools is the same:

  1. Purchase the screen sharing solution of choice for your Mac or Windows laptop.
  2. Start the screen sharing program on your laptop (which is connected to the digital projector or large screen television monitor).
  3. Turn AirPlay on your iOS device and look for your laptop’s name (you can also set the name in the preferences for each program).
  4. Select your laptop via Airplay Mirroring (swipe up from the bottom of your screen).
  5. Screen sharing is now enabled and available with the mobile device screen shared.

Technical Note: In most cases, both devices (teacher’s computer and student iOS device) must be on the same WiFi subnet. Also, in Bonjour and mDNS multicast must be allowed on your network.

Here’s a quick listing of the tools available:

Tool #1 – Air Squirrels’ Reflector

Air Squirrels’ Reflector  ($14.99 with education pricing available) serves as a low-cost alternative to the $49 cable. Most of us, when we present, treat our mobile device as a special guest star, on for a few minutes and then turned off after the explanation is over. With Reflector Teacher, I have had several students simultaneously display their iPads on the big screen that is projected. Reflector  also features screen recording, and shares the sound from your device via your laptop’s sound system. This is ideal when screen-casting. Supported mobile devices include iOS and Android. Newer versions of Reflector are available in various modes, such as:

  • Reflector Teacher ($14.99): Use your computer to mirror student devices to a connected digital projector
  • Reflector Director($6.99): Control Reflector Teacher from a mobile device. Reflector Director enables you to remotely manage your Reflector Teacher program on your computer, making it easy for you to be away from your computer.
  • Reflector Student(Free): Connects student mobile devices to Reflector Teacher on protected networks. This app on the students’ device works as a signal enhancer. It makes finding the teacher’s Reflector Teacher computer easier in a multiple wireless access point (WAP) environment.

Tool #2 – Splashtop’s Mirroring 360

This robust solution offers many features. You can use Mirroring360 to “wirelessly mirror & record your Chromebook, iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows, and Mac screens to your PC or Mac without the need for hardware or cables” (Source). You are also able to broadcast your computer screen to up to forty recipients’ devices via a shared web link. Mirroring360 also comes with a product, Mirroring Assist, that you can use to lock in the signal on a protected network. This is the equivalent feature to Reflector Student. It is quite a rich solution provider with a variety of custom features and costs.

Let’s take a look at some simpler tools you may want to also consider.

Tool #3 – X-Mirage

Another tool that works well for iOS devices is X-Mirage ($16). Although sporting fewer features than Reflector 2, it does a great job with a simple interface.

airplay

X-Mirage recently added a feature to record the microphone to enable voice-overs for tutorial videos.

 

Tool #4 – LonelyScreen

At the Elementary Technology Conference in Galveston recently, Matt Montez made me aware of this no-cost tool, LonelyScreen. Like the other solutions, it offers these features:

  • Cast AirPlay to PC/MAC.
  • Share on the big screen.
  • Capture and save.

LonelyScreen does work, if not quite as elegantly as the other AirPlay receivers on this list. Of course, that makes it a free alternative for schools to use in lieu of Reflectors 2 or X-Mirage.

Modeling Made Simple

Are you ready to model the use of mobile devices for instructional purposes in your classroom? Then take a look at the three solutions for sharing your iOS screen mentioned above and let me know which one is your favorite in the Comments below.

 

Update: This blog was updated with new content on 04/12/2018.

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Tablet Trek: Tablets in the ELL Classroom

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“Beam me up, Scotty,” said Captain Kirk from the surface of the M class planet he stood upon. He fiddled with his communicator. That was strange. No signal. Turning to one of the students, he asked, “Lend me your iPad, will you?” If you’re ready to join Captain Kirk and other Star Fleet officers, come along on this voyage of discovery featuring tablets in the English Language Learners’ (ELL) classroom.

To Boldly Go

In this blog entry, we will explore various approaches to blending technology into the language learning classroom. Our focus is on how to strategically empower language learners to make their thinking visible. Tips on how to save, collect, and share work using key apps will also be discussed in the context of a project-based learning activity.

Key Area 1 – Mapping Your Learning

Mapping digital representations of learning can be one significant way to make thinking visible. Some ways to accomplish that include:

  • Narrated slideshows
  • Enhanced ePubs/ebooks

The benefits of creating these types of items in your classroom is that they allow for a combination of audio/video and text in an engaging way. What are some of the ways student-created ebooks are used in your classroom?

Tools and Apps

Key Area 2 – Flipping Your Learning

Ready to flip learning in your classroom? You will want to watch this short video shared by Navasota ISD’s Todd Nesloney. It features an end-of-year interview with fifth graders.

tablet trek

Tools and Apps:

Key Area 3 – Creating Non-Linguistic Representations

Greater than fifty percent of learners are non-linguistic. This involves students generating a representation of new information that does NOT rely on language. Robert Marzano says “the average effect [of using non-linguistic representation] includes a seventeen percentile point gain in student achievement.” Wow.

For language learners, consider that “when students make concept maps, idea webs, dramatizations, and other types of nonlinguistic representation, they are actively creating a model of their thinking.” Building virtual worlds in Minecraft: Education Edition can “encourage exploration and experimentation by allowing learners to manipulate their learning experience and visualize results. When students then explain their models, they are putting their thinking into words” (Source).

Tools and Apps:

    1. Padlet.com or the Padlet app
    2. Popplet Lite app
    3. Chatterpix
    4. Graphic Organizers
    5. Infographic Tools:
      1. Thinglink
      2. Canva
      3. Easel.ly

Key Area 4 – Making Interactive Print-Outs and Pictures

You can make interactive print-outs and pictures using augmented reality (AR). You are able to augment real artifacts and objects that may be around with images, audio, and text. Add QR codes to augment real objects, adding voice or video links.

Tools and Apps:

Key Area 5 – Blending Products with App Smashing

App-smashing is when you give students a specific assignment that can best be solved using more than one app.

Tools and Apps:

Key Area 6 – Classroom Tablet Management

The final key area involves relying on tools like NearPod and Seesaw to quickly share lessons and assess students, as well as gather student work on devices. NearPod and Seesaw empower teachers (and students) to create assessments and turn in their work via tablets like the iPad, as well as other devices (e.g. Chromebook, MS Surface Pro). Using Seesaw, students can turn in their work. Teachers review and approve the work for sharing in the class blog (see example).

Want to Know More?

If you are interested in learning more about these tablet trek away missions, fill out a workshop request form to have it facilitated at your school, district, or education service center. You will take on the role of one of Star Trek’s famous captains and explore the various tools and apps embedded in a Star Trek away mission.

 

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TCEA Responds: Digital Fax Solutions

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Welcome to TCEA Responds #8.  Submit your own question(s) online. Today’s topic is digital fax solutions for your school or district.

Dear TCEA Responds:

Do you know of a reliable cloud fax service that I can use in my school district? I’m a technology director and need to know who you use and what your experiences have been. Also, how does it work with people sending and receiving faxes? Thanks, Charles

Dear Charles:

Thanks for your question. When I worked as an instructional technology director in a large urban school district, one of the challenges was finding a fax machine to get faxes sent. While most have shifted to using a document copier (or mobile app) to scan documents to PDF and then email them to the recipient, there remains a need for faxing documents. The main benefits of digital faxing include the following:

  • Send a fax (single or multi-page) from your computer, smart device, or integrated Multi Function Products without print-to-scan
  • Eliminate on-site fax telephone lines or costly fax telephone service
  • Receive faxes by email
  • No computer or server software to install
  • No telephone system integration required

There are several ways to accomplish this goal of digital faxing. Here are a few possible solutions for your consideration:

Solution #1 – Digitize Paper with Inexpensive Tools

Using mobile device apps like Microsoft Office Lens (free for Android, iOS, Win10) and Readdle’s Scanner Pro (alternate iOS/Android app: Fast Scanner: PDF Doc Scan), you can quickly scan and save to cloud storage. Or use a solution like a Fujitsu scanner to capture information to PDF quickly. These inexpensive devices make scanning documents via your desktop a snap. Their low price point meant every secretary in my school district had one handy to digitize content. You can archive these files in traditional file folders on your computer, in the cloud, or a note-keeper program like Microsoft OneNote (free).

Solution #2 – Setup Your Network Copier as a Scanning and Fax Machine

Most copiers in schools today are connected to the network. Make sure that when you purchase a network copier, you get the fax module. This lets you set up a phone extension for each user mailbox, which allows incoming faxes that support extension dialing to reach your users.

Solution #3 – Use a Cloud Fax Solution

When I think of a digital fax solution, cloud fax solutions like eGoldfax, eFax, or hellofax come to mind. Depending on the service, you can receive faxes sent to phone numbers and these will be auto-delivered to an assigned email address or email group. Faxes can also be sent via email, allowing you to send documents straight to your digital fax solution. The digital fax then securely delivers it on your behalf.

Making the Right Choice

The right choice involves shifting from analog/print to digital. How you get there will depend on the size of your organization, the level of support your end users need to make the transition, and the budget available. For the low-budget, once-in-a-while fax, consider digitizing content with a copier/scanner and then emailing it to the recipient. Or use Hellofax. If you need industrial strength faxing for multiple phone numbers, then eGoldfax or eFax may do the job for you.

Other Solution?

Have another solution your district uses? Please share in the comments!

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