Some Glitches

Although, the iPads have been great in the classroom, I have encountered some snags in the sharing and usage of the iPad cart.

For instance,  those who know me can say that I usually pack my lesson. I keep the students busy until the bell.  Consequently, I had to rush to get the iPads back into the iPad cart and roll it across the hallway to the science room on time.  I've since asked my students to remind me when there is 10 mins left of class time.  It is a bit of an inconvenience to share a cart between different rooms.  Although the set- up is easy, it still takes up a few minutes.  My other TLLP partner, Sue DiLaudo, has been very patient and understanding with my less than stellar timeliness.  She uses the iPads with two of her science classes.  I get the cart first thing in the morning. A part of my problem is that I teach the s similar gr. 9 math course right after and  I compare the amount of material covered.   Trying to do too much in one period can get frustrating.  I've learned to be more relaxed and less concerned about the pace.   I'm confident that I will get back on track now that the iPads have become a daily routine.

Another glitch that I've encountered is the usage of two projectors, the one connected to the AppleTV and the one for the SmartBoard.  My lessons are on the Smartboard. I have to remember to switch from one projector to the other.  It is clearly redundant.  Still looking for a solution.

Unpacking the iPads

Just spent the morning getting the iPads organized.  All thirty are now labelled and sitting in the shiny new cart with the computer expert downloading our long list of apps.  My TLLP partner Sue and I stood back admiring how fancy the whole setup looked and then simultaneously sighed at the realization that we are now responsible for turning those awesome new toys into educational powerhouses....thankfully we still have a lot of summer left to figure out how to transform our courses into ipad-friendly formats.  

We purchased ipad cases that seem to work well and offer some level of protection.  We also purchased the ipad screen protectors...we aren't huge fans.  They are difficult to apply and even after several minutes of tinkering there are still air bubbles we can't get rid of (even using the credit-card-like device that was included with the protectors and is supposed to smooth out the bubbles...not so much).  The protectors take away from the look of the screen and after trying with 3 or 4 ipads, we abandoned the process for now.  If we can get refunds, we will return them and take our chances without the protectors.

We used a label-maker to apply labels to each ipad and the storage cart has numbered slots that will help with the organization aspect.  Each student will be assigned a specific number for the duration of the semester and is responsible for the care and condition of that ipad.

Our cart now holds 30 ipads, the macbook pro, a BENQ projector and the apple tv.  We also have an external storage for backup that will be stored separately from the cart.  The cart has 2 padlocks - one secures the ipads and the other comes with a cable and bracket that allows the entire cart to be padlocked to the wall. We will be adding a set of computer speakers to the cart as well to have a completely mobile presentation unit.  Our computer tech recommended purchasing the iworks (pages, keynote, numbers) or microsoft suite of software (powerpoint, word, excel) for the macbook so that it can be used as more than an ipad configuration centre...will see if our application budget allows for that addition.

Now the challenging part...designing the courses with the ipad in mind and making sure the use of the devices is authentic and has a meaningful impact on student learning.