As painful as the initial setup is I know things only get better from here, at least until Apple updates the OS.  Last semester I did not have to update or restore a single student iPad and I would expect the same thing this semester.  We will be more focused on the use the iPads and may need to update apps but that will be simple compared to the initial install.

Here are the apps that I installed for our students:
YouVerison Bible, Civil War, DocToGo, Dragon Dictation, Dropbox, Evernote, Flashcards, Google Earth, HistoryTools, iBooks, iResponsePro, Kindle, LabTimer, Math Ref, Pandora, ChemTouch, GraphicCalc, Chemistry Tutor Videos, Calc XT, The Elements, Good Reader, iThoughtsHD, Keynote, Whiteboard, Numbers, Pages, PhatPad, SketchBook Pro, USA Today, and TWC Max+.

We are using the Apple iPad cases.  I like the protection but they are very difficult to keep clean.  I will be on the lookout for a good basic case that will protect the iPads but that is not so difficult to keep looking good.

I have created an iPad Policy document that our students and parents will sign before they are permitted to take the iPad home.  You can access the document here.  I have also created a MindMap (with iThoughtsHD) that attempts to show what I am thinking for the iPad Pilot program.  I am working on a video and a page on our website, but they are not ready yet.

I’m not too excited about the first round of any of the iPad competitors…except for the possibility of HP and I think they will be just as expensive. Here are my reasons:

-Windows – Balmer has said they are not developing an OS specifically for the touch tablet but that Windows 7 is ready today. I don’t agree that Windows 7 is right for touch tablets, nor would I want to manage a network where every student had a Windows 7 device.

-Andriod – a lot more promise when the next version comes out but I think it will take Google and the vendors a year to get things worked out. It is going to be harder to develop for the range of screen sizes and device types that we are hearing about.

-Hardware – this will be the first time that most of these vendors attempt and device like this. First generation device = trouble. I don’t see the iPad as a first gen device. Apple learned from the iPhone and iPod Touch before they attempted the iPad. The other PC vendors don’t have that same mobile device experience. The mobile phone vendors have the experience with the smaller touch devices but they don’t have the PC experience. Apple has done both well and the iPad fits in a neat place in-between the 2.

The key is focusing on tools that are web based on the iPad and not app based so that we are not locked into any platform and that is going to be hard to do until HTML5 is a standard.

http://mobile.discoveryeducation.com/

I set the slate down and picked up my iPad to write down some of my thoughts and immediately thought the iPad would make a great slate product.  Being touch based and having a real display would solve the issues I was having with the other slate products.  I did not want to have to connect the iPad to a VGA cable and be tethered to the front of the room so I looked for a VNC application that would allow the iPad to control my MacBook Pro.  I downloaded the RealVNC VNC Viewer app ($9.99).  Because I was on a Mac I was able to use the built in screen sharing app after enabling screen sharing inside of sharing in system preferences.  For Windows machines I download the free RealVNC Server to make the connection.  After setting up the host computer and verifying that VNC was running, I made the connection by entering the host name or IP address and password in the VNC Viewer app on the iPad.

The VNC Viewer app behaves like VNC or Remote Desktop on a computer giving an image of your computer screen and full control of the keyboard and mouse functions.  The biggest issue I ran into was remembering that my touch was controlling the cursor on the computer just like I would use a trackpad on a laptop.  So, if my cursor is in the upper right corner of the screen and I want to click on a hyperlink in the lower left I can not just touch the hyperlink.  I have to use the touch screen like a trackpad to move the cursor of the the hyperlink and then double tap to follow the link.  This took a little getting used to but after using it for a few minutes I began to like it.  Another challenge is with multiple screens.  If you have your computer setup in a dual display configuration the VNC Viewer on the iPad will move between the displays as you drag the cursor.  It is actually a very slick implementation but it makes it harder to control from the iPad.  A final issue is writing on the iPad.  Because you are controlling the cursor and not interacting directly with the touch interface it is difficult to write.  It is usable for quick notes or for highlighting text but not for heavy writing or drawing.

I have used this setup in the classroom and it has really freed me from my computer and the front of the room.  I appreciate being able to keep my focus on the class and still see what they are seeing from the projector.  It has also been very helpful to be able to jump online and have full use of my computer without having to go back the desk.  I am confident that the iPad with a VNC connection to a computer will help teachers to be more mobile.  It will give them Smart Podium type interactivity for a fraction of the cost and with increased mobility.

http://www.labnol.org/software/keyboard-typing-shortcuts-for-iphone-ipad/13564/

I searched for preschool apps and found this helpful site. I downloaded a couple of the apps and found that the I was ready to go with Wheels On The Bus by Duck Duck Moose Design and Preschool Adventure by 3DAL.

Sitting at home the night before I decided that I should also try to teach them a little about computers. I grabbed the iPad, went to Google Images and downloaded some images of different computer components and used Keynote to create a presentation. I was very impressed with how the iPad enabled me to quickly create a good presentation with images and aminations that kept the kids focused (I am actually typing this post on the iPad as well). I also found an app called MeeGenius that allows the download of several children’s books and reads them for you.

As the classroom filled with 14 very awake and excited 4 year olds I realized I would have my work cut out for me. After joining them in their opening activities I was on. I pulled out the iPad and told them that it was going to read them a story.  As the story began they quieted down quickly. It was amazing how fast the MeeGenius story got their attention and how well they listened. After the book was finished I talked briefly about what I do at DCHS and then showed them the presentation about the different parts of the computer finishing up with a picture of of the iPod Touch.

I pulled out the case with the iPods and gave them a 30 second tutorial that I’m sure none of them actually listened to, then had them go back to their seats. My daughter passed out the iPods and the kids were quickly up and running. My daughter was able to show them how to get started and the kids spent the next 20 minutes learning colors, numbers and many other things.

The iPod Touch and iPad both proved very capable, not only in the high school classroom, but also in the preschool classroom.

I created a CourseSmart account and browsed through some of the over 10,000 books available.  CourseSmart claims that the average student saves $65/textbook but this claim does not hold up in a traditional high school setting where books are used for multiple years.  I found a book that I was interested in using for a Python course next semester and requested a demo copy.  This is one of the great strengths of CourseSmart.  Within a couple of days I was approved for the evaluation copy and with that approval was given access to the fist 25 pages of every book in their vast library.  It is a great tool for instructors to quickly evaluate texts.

I was not as excited once I started to browse the book.  I have become accustom to the smooth interface of the iBook application and CourseSmart is nowhere near as slick.  The books are lower resolution scanned images of the original book.  They do not allow for highlighting and note taking is not intuitive.  In the positive column CourseSmart books are searchable and your content is available on the web as well as the iPad and iPod Touch.  If I where a college student or a high school with a 1:1 program I would seriously consider purchasing my textbooks through CourseSmart.

CourseSmart is off to a good start making textbooks available online.  I hope that they are able to work with the publishers to convert these texts into true ebooks that utilize the benefits of current ebook readers.  As online courses with their animations and video meld with traditional textbooks these tools will be even more appealing and will truly start to change the face of learning.

Take all these issues and the concept of an electronic textbook becomes very appealing.  An etextbook solves most of these issues, except for cost, easily.  As publishers consider etextbooks for high schools I think that pricing will also be an incentive.  At this point it is not because the models are geared towards college students who only use the book for a semester.  A hardbound book may cost $150 and the ebook may only be $50/semester but for the high school who expects to get 5-6 years out of a book the ebook ends up costing more.  This, of course, allows for schools to update texts more frequently and manage course sizes without concern for the numbers of texts.  However, I don’t see that high schools who use texts for more than 3 years will see a cost savings under the current model.

While all of these things are interesting, to me the most exciting opportunity for etextbooks is the potential for the text to come to life for the student.  Having an platform like the iPad will allow textbook publishers to include at minimum hyperlinks to web content for the course.  I can see the line between online courses and the textbook blurring as publishers add video and animation to the textbook.  I am looking forward to seeing a publisher who pushes the textbook to the next level and brings the content to life for the student.

I spent some time with weekend with an etextbook from CourseSmart.  I will let you know in a later post how it went.