Janice in NJ Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 (edited) Hi. Brainstorming here. I like reading a paper book. I like writing in a paper book. But my kids? They love screens. And I'm starting to realize that the Luddite in me might be getting in the way. So wondering. iPad. iBooks. Wandered over the the Apple store yesterday. Gave it a test run using WTM methods. Opened free version of Emma by Jane Austen. Read a passage. Highlighted the text. Made a (pink) note about the text - I'm thinking in terms of WTM reading.... 1. Summarize the page (or the chapter ala WTM), make a note about a literary device, etc. 2. Click on a word; look up the meaning; then make another note (purple for vocabulary work). Type the word, the definition, and then type your own sentence using the word. Save. 3. Working on an essay? Make a (green) note to return to this passage; it might support your essay. Then at the end of the reading session, hit two buttons and the device sends a email. The email includes all the notes (they are color coded) including the vocab work. Done. Your work is saved. And the momma can tell if you actually were reading. Viola! Accountability. Thoughts? As I said, I love my paper books. But my kids don't take the time to write in books. I have to MAKE them. And then I really don't have the physical space to house multiple copies of the same book. AND I'm thinking that this kind of work on-screen might actually be a better system/routine/habit to develop for a college student than the paper-pencil system. What says the hive? Peace, Janice Edited April 15, 2011 by Janice in NJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I might have to try this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in VA Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Good post! I haven't played with an iPad yet, but I've been thinking along those same lines. Wouldn't work for me, but my kids will actually read novels on their tiny iTouch screens! Then again, I say it wouldn't work for me, but I go to anything I have an electronic copy of before I try to find it on my overflowing bookshelves here at home... hmmm... I've stopped myself from letting the kids use electronics in the past b/c I don't want them distracted online, but it is the way the world operates these days, and certainly they need to learn to study with those distractions for college. Interested in seeing what others think. Shelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in VA Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 As for a tablet, does anyone have any experience or opinions on the Coby Android tablet vs. the iPad? Just wondering... HUGE cost difference, and the functionality seems similar. Shelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSNative Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 As for a tablet, does anyone have any experience or opinions on the Coby Android tablet vs. the iPad? Just wondering... HUGE cost difference, and the functionality seems similar. Shelly No experience with their tablet but I did try Coby's mp3 player. Junk - hated it. Thank goodness for amazon's return policy. Their tablet may be much better. I would def. go look at it in person and give it a test drive. OP, very interesting thoughts. Sounds very organized and useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 This is an interesting thought. Does it only work on the iPad 2? We have the original iPad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugs Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Sounds very cool. Wait...lalalalalalalalala.....not listening. (I have no ipad, no e-reader...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I had this in the back of my mind for whenever we start GB/Omnibus. I just don't have enough experience to know exactly how it would work. Sounds like you've got it figured out! So you're saying your dc makes these notes as he reads? Perfect. So will this make us Well-Tableted homeschoolers? Or will we have a Well-Trained Pad? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice in NJ Posted April 15, 2011 Author Share Posted April 15, 2011 nt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 How would this work with multiple kids reading the same book? Would each have their own copy on the same ipad? Or would you need more than one ipad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Hi. Brainstorming here. I like reading a paper book. I like writing in a paper book. But my kids? They love screens. And I'm starting to realize that the Luddite in me might be getting in the way. So wondering. iPad. iBooks. Wandered over the the Apple store yesterday. Gave it a test run using WTM methods. Intriguing idea, Janice! A year ago I would have said no way (being a Luddite myself -- I just love my books and bookshelves!). But ... last summer we got an iPad, and among many other features we like (including using it as GPS showing live traffic in LA -- so helpful!), iBooks quickly became almost indispensable. My son and I ended up reading along on the iPad while listening to an audio recording of Great Expectations. SO much handier than a fat paperback book -- we propped up the iPad on the dining room table so we could *both* see it while chomping on lunch, we could increase the font size and optimize the brightness, AND we could look up not only obscure words whose meaning we weren't quite sure of, but also phrases (such as "post office" or "Little Britain") whose significance we (I) had forgotten. No more flipping through a book over and over and not finding a certain phrase! Now I'm hooked :D I still read paper books 90% of the time, but I do find myself wishing I could just highlight a word or phrase in a paper book and find its meaning or where else it appears :001_smile:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Laura--is the audio on the ipad or separate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Laura--is the audio on the ipad or separate? Oh, that would be nice. No, it was from the library. Maybe there's an app for audio books for the iPad? I wouldn't be surprised, but I don't personally have one (yet!). ~Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 I tried it out on DH's iPad and it does work. Very, very cool. My DS has dysgraphia, so I can see this as a way to get him to actually "write" in a book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Well see that's what I was trying to figure out, whether you can play your audio file (iTunes presumably?) at the same time as you're doing all this. How many things can you have open on the ipad at once? At what point does it start to slow down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsidian Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 (edited) Maybe there's an app for audio books for the iPad? Audiobooks is a free app with lots of free audio books. I'm fairly certain there are other audio book apps, but that's the one I have. Well see that's what I was trying to figure out, whether you can play your audio file (iTunes presumably?) at the same time as you're doing all this. How many things can you have open on the ipad at once? At what point does it start to slow down? You can run an audio file on the Audiobook app or on iTunes and read a book on an e-reader app (I use the Kindle app) at the same time. There is almost no noticeable slow down. I think two apps at a time is all the iPad will run, though you can have up to four different web pages open while running an audiobook. Hope that helps.:001_smile: Edited April 16, 2011 by STEM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Can you run the audiobook *and* do all the things Janice described above with no slow down? Or am I asking for the moon? LOL You know, seems to me I can already have dd do all that on my imac. I just hadn't thought of that. Hmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsidian Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Can you run the audiobook *and* do all the things Janice described above with no slow down? Or am I asking for the moon? LOL You know, seems to me I can already have dd do all that on my imac. I just hadn't thought of that. Hmm. Yep.:thumbup: The highlighting and typing is done within the e-reader app and doesn't seem to affect the running speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 What if you do not have an ereader or ipdad? My son would love to have this option. He hates writing in books so he doesn't do it. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Can't we download the software and do it on our regular computers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jibaker103 Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Can't we download the software and do it on our regular computers? This is what I would like to know as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsidian Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 (edited) This is what I would like to know as well! What if you do not have an ereader or ipdad? My son would love to have this option. He hates writing in books so he doesn't do it. Holly Can't we download the software and do it on our regular computers? You can download a free kindle or nook app so long as your computer has fairly new software (Windows Vista or 7 or Mac OS X 10.5 or 10.6, I believe). Here is the link to the free Kindle apps: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_ipad_mkt_lnd?docId=1000493771 The Nook app should come up if you search for 'free Nook apps'. Edited April 17, 2011 by STEM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Well STEM, whoever you are, you're off to a helpful start on the boards! Thanks! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsidian Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Well STEM, whoever you are, you're off to a helpful start on the boards! Thanks! :) Glad to help. I've been a lurker for a while, but I couldn't resist when I saw a topic about iPads as ereaders. I :001_wub: my iPad as an e-reader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 STEM, we're trying the kindle for mac thing tonight, and it's marvelous! The only thing it doesn't do that Janice listed was to export the notes (at least as far as we figured out). Maybe there is a way to do this? Even so, it's not really necessary when you're doing it right here on a shared computer. So we're thrilled that you launched us into this! Now we have to figure out how you find books for it. Off to do a board search. Oh, *free* would be the operating word of the day, like all the Omnibus 1-6 books. :) Oh dear, now my dd informs me she has figured it out. Zow-wee, get 30-some years on you and you just can't keep up, lol. So anyways, thanks for launching us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Whoo-hooo! Downloading kindle app right now. This will really open up so many possibilities. Didn't realize you could do that. Now.. to figure out the note taking etc. Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugs Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Whoo-hooo! Downloading kindle app right now. This will really open up so many possibilities. Didn't realize you could do that.Now.. to figure out the note taking etc. Thanks so much! Me too! How fun! Count of Monte Cristro is on now! Thanks STEM and the poster who started the thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice in NJ Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 It uses the same Epub format at Google Books - another terrific source for free/to purchase material. And it allows a copy-paste function within the note platform. If you like, notes can be exported to a text file rather than emailed. Peace, Janice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 I have the kindle on the computer. Now I will have to figure out how to do the notes and exporting it. Thanks for starting this thread. This will make my son happy. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 (edited) Ok Janice, you're killing me. I'm downloading Nook for mac right now. Update: it's not working. It crashes on my mac, even though it's nook for mac. Go figure. Edited April 17, 2011 by OhElizabeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyFernDotOrg Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 This is fabulous. I think I knew about this but in the hubbub neglected to follow through. I have a kid who refuses to write in books but would totally annotate with his iPad. I know that you can do it with the Kindle and the Nook, too; sends you ntoes the same way. Thanks for the reminder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsidian Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Free e-books: http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_353485762_3?ie=UTF8&node=2245146011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&pf_rd_r=11W89HD04KXHE05N84QC&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=1272382422&pf_rd_i=Free http://welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232517 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathkath Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 You can also download calibre (free) and use it to convert epub files to ones kindle can read (mobi, I think?) I have an Ipad2 and a Kindle, and as exciting as color highlighting could be on the ipad, I would recommend a kindle over an ipad hands down. Ipad is fun but it is tough on the eyes compared to the kindle. You can still do vocab lookup and highlighting on the kindle, just not in color. I love my Ipad but I can only use it in small doses. I find it harder on my eyes than my regular computer monitor, perhaps because I hold it closer to my face than my monitor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Thanks STEM and kathkath! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzq Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I know I am a little late to this conversation but I think this is a great idea. We don't have an ipad but we have the Ipod touch and we were able to do all that you said except e-mail it to ourselves. Must it be an ipad? Or am I overlooking something? All we need is a way to save the notes that we make to a document of some sort. We also have the Kindle app and we were able to make the notes there as well but still did not find a way to export to our computer or e-mail? What am I missing? Blessings, Suzq PS I have been a lurker for awhile but just recently joined up.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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