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/

The first product we were able to demo in house was the PolyVision Eno Click.  The eno was delivered by a PolyVision sales rep who went above and beyond in coming to our school to setup the demo and spending the afternoon helping me understand how to use the hardware.  He also spent a great deal of time talking about the different software options such as RM Easiteach and Wiz Teach.

The eno click is very easy to install and setup.  The board has large magnets in each corner and can be installed without any tools over a magnetic whiteboard.  There is no wiring needed to setup the board.  The pen connects with the host computer via bluetooth.  It took us about 5 minutes to get the pen to sync with OS X.  I had download the software and drivers from the PolyVision site prior to the setup so once we got bluetooth working we were able to get right to work.  The calibration of the board took another minute and we were ready to go. Another big positive of the board is that it is designed to be written on with standard dry erase makers and can be used just like a regular white board.

If you stopped here with the review you would think I was ready to go out and purchase these for every classroom in the school.  We did not do that, for a couple of reasons.  The biggest issue with the board was writing on it with the interactive pen.  It just did not feel natural and even after using it for a week and did not feel any better about it.  I do not see that it is a great tool for writing on the board.  The other big issue was that teachers would still have to have their backs turned to students to work with the board.  We also tested the eno mini slate but I found that to be very difficult to use because you can see what you are writing on.  Another issue for me was the requirement of the pen.  I have grown found of the touch response of the iPad and want an IWB that gives us similar functionality.

I do not see the PolyVision Eno Click as a bad product.  It does what it was designed to do well.  In a high school classroom I do not see the educational benefit of the eno.

We have decided to revisit this area again this summer.  I have spent some time doing research and am in the midst of testing various products.  As we progress in our evaluations I will keep you up-to-date on what we like and what we don’t.  If you’ve had successes or failures with IWBs or have a product you think we should evaluate let me know in the comments.

You can read more about CK12 and browse their book collection here:
http://about.ck12.org/

Or watch a video here: http://www.ck12.org/flexr/

The concept of the Flexbook is what I believe the future of the textbook is all about.  Taking content written by experts and supplementing it with online content.  This will allow the textbook to be relevant and alive for the teachers and students.  Teachers will be able to adapt the material to their school’s curriculum, using sections of the text that are applicable along with online content and their own material.  The ability to share this material with others at no cost makes the model even more attractive.

The big challenge in this is access to the online textbook and online material.  Students need to have access to a device like the iPad or a computer.  As costs of hardware continue to drop and the availability of material like that from CK12 increases schools will be able to provide better learning material at lower costs.

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.