iPad---for mom's personal use and for teaching

[JadeOrchidSong]

I got an iPad and all its accessories for my birthday yesterday from my m-i-l and my dh. They already helped me download free Bible and free books.

 

I originally wanted a nook or a kindle. Now I have a bigger thing with more functions. I was so overwhelmed with all the new info that I had to take a nap before we went out for my birthday dinner.:lol::lol:

So my questions are: What do you use it for your personal enjoyment? Reading books, check emails, listening to books or music? That's what I can think of.

Also, I would like to see how I can use it for teaching. I know there is ebook for Getting Started with Spanish for $9.99 as opposed to double the money for a real book. However, I like to teach from a book as slim as Getting Started with Latin without having to use the iPad. Can you put TOG, SOTW audio books on it? Or Lively Latin on it?

 

Please give me some good ideas for me to explore.

Thanks a lot!!!

[LisaMarie6]

My two year old currently has my iPad, so I can't look at it to tell you what is on it, but I'll try to remember.

 

I use it for email, facebook, twitter, Pinterest, magazines, web and I have two games on it for personal. I don't read books from the iPad because I have a kindle touch and the kindle app on my iPod touch, so just the magazines on the iPad - the bigger screen is easier to use.

 

The rest of my apps are educational. I've got LA, History, Math, Early Education, Problem Solving, Art and Music categories. Each category has 4 to 8 apps in it, some were free and some were paid. I also have a teachers resource category that I have a smart whiteboard app, dropbox app, and a couple other things.

 

What is kind of fun, I was able to save just the Instructor's Guide part of the SOTW Activity Guides to my computer (by printing to a pdf writer). Then I put them in dropbox and opened them up on the iPad. Now I can ask the questions, do narration, look at book suggestions without having to print the pages or have the computer up and running. It makes it a lot easier to interact with the kiddos.

 

I still have about 20 gig of space that I plan to use for movies and kids t.v. shows when we take our family vacation.

Edited February 26, 2012 by LisaMarie6
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[TechWife]

I love my iPad! I do use it to teach, but I haven't put any audiobooks on it yet. Anything you can get into iTunes will play on it, however. You can also purchase the .pdf of The Story of The World Activity books and your children can write on the outlines, color and do anything else they need to do to the pages using the iPad.

 

Search the forums for iPad and you will find several threads where people have listed their favorite apps.

 

As far as written work is concerned, there are many ways to use the iPad. There are some downloadable workbooks, I've heard, but the most exciting thing to me is the ability to write in on a .pdf and take notes. There are a few ways you can do it, here is one:

 

You will need to go to the app store and download Dropbox (free) and an app that will enable you to read files and take notes. My favorite is Notes Plus (I think it was $7.99). Notability is a lower cost alternative (about $4, I think) and Penultimate is another option (only 99 cents). Also, load Dropbox on your PC. You will be able to copy any file (.pdf or any other) from your PC to the Dropbox and then open it through the app on your iPad. For .pdf, it will give you an option to open in Notes Plus (or Notability, or Penultimate). Once the file is open in Notes Plus, you can write on it and save the work. Put it back in the Dropbox and you will be able to get to updated file through Dropbox on your PC.

 

I think Notability has the same functionality as Note Plus, but the interface in Notes Plus is much more intuitive to me and it is more refined for what I need. Penultimate is bare bones.

 

How I use Notes Plus:

1) Math - using the notebook feature, you can create a notebook and then write on the screen with a stylus. There is a zoom box so that you can write in your normal size and it will fit to the screen.

2) Note taking - again through the notebook feature, you can write on the screen to take notes. There is an in app purchase that you can make that will allow you to circle what you have written and it will convert it to typed text.

3) .pdf files - accessing them through Dropbox, then writing on them as necessary. You can click anywhere on the file and write a note. You can also highlight and change the color you are writing in.

 

I also have Print n Share, an app that allows me to print to any wireless printer (not just AirPrint printers).

 

How I use the iPad to teach at co-op:

I teach high school students and I have internet access at the co-op, so I can access my Dropbox there. I put my class notes in Dropbox and then I have them to guide my class discussions. I also connect it to an LCD projector and use it to display .pdf documents and web sites. This has been a great tool for me to use as a teacher as it basically acts as a Smart Board, but I write on the pad instead of a board.

 

I hope you have fun with your iPad!

[Dmmetler]

I have a bunch of e-books, including digital checkout from the local public library and classics (I have at least four e-book readers on the thing), facebook, Pocket Frogs (my current game obsession-I think it's because, since I'm struggling with accepting that I'm infertile, being able to have SOMETHING create offspring at a mere touch feels gratifying :) ), and so on. I have several streaming video and audio apps, including PBS, PBS kids, NPR, You Tube, and Netflix, plus being able to access DD's discovery streaming subscription on it.

 

I have Notability with many of the Scholastic $1 e-books on it, lots of school-related apps for DD, and various other things. I haven't put music on it since I have an iPod with music on it, and it's easier to use for carschooling and the like, and so far, haven't put video on it since I can get the streaming stuff, although I'll probably do so before our next trip.

 

I'm really loving mine.

[Allearia]

Besides the obvious email and web surfing for me, it is great to put movies and tv shows on, play music. I love the recipe program Paprika, you can easily download recipes from web sites, menu plan ,shopping lists, the best was being able to import all my Mastercook recipes into It. Now I can stand it up in the kitchen and flip between recipes or even look something up for a recipe, use the timer, and listen to music while I cook.

 

Educationally, I love notability to put PDFs in, mark things up, do planning, etc. surprisingly, I like using the stylus to handwritten notes. I can also take pictures from web pages compile. I put the hundreds of curricula I have downloaded as PDFs in so now I am actually looking at them, much easier to sit and a comfy chair and read through and highlight without wasting all that paper. I haven't had the kids fill worksheets in yet.

 

I try not to put too many attractive things on it so the kids will beg for it all the time, but the education games Stack the States and Stack the Countries have sparked an amazing interest in geography for my seven year old, my 10yo likes them too. And presidents vs. Aliens makes it fun to learn all of them, my seven yo again can recognize all of their pictures and lots of facts and nicknames, sadly far more than I know.

 

I have been trying out some calendar palanning programs, I like cozi because I can add items from any device and dh can bring it up at work or on his phone and see our schedule. Another one I am trying is Timetable, so I can put in a repeating schedule to remind us when to move to the next task.

 

Living Earth is an amazing clock/weather program. We have put lots of cities in it and are graphing the daily temperature of a selection. We aren't exact because of course it is a different time of day all ofer the world and we don't do it at the exact same time. This month we chose seven countries all in the same time zone, form Oslo, Norway in the north, to Rome, to Capetown, to Halley in Antarctica. Then we can see the temperature variation based on latitude. We also just do cities they like or where friends and relatives live.

 

The video taking is great to take videos of them playing the piano or practice an acting part and then instantly being able to watch it or easily to bring it somewhere, my ds likes to record a cool version of a song to show his piano teacher. I wouldn't use it to record really important family videos, but for spontaneous taping and watching it is perfect. Or of course you can put family videos on to show the grandparents easily. Of course this all depends on the amount of memory you have.

 

I am still finding out ways to use it,. It's great to have it at the school table or anywhere else to look things up on, have notes I can bring everywhere, much easier than a laptop and a pile of books. Remember to keep it mainly for yourself and have fun!

 

P.s. you also have to accept a few typos, not perfect for typing but on the WTM forum I am not so worried. Haven't sprung for a keyboard yet because I use my laptop a ton for work, haven't needed to type up much when I'm out, and usu I can use the onscreen keyboard or even use the stylus to write notes. It also functions as the world's most expensive pack of cards when you get the urge to play solitare.