Virtual Learning Network

Can anyone advise me on how my class can use websites like Animal Jam, Poptropica, cool-math Games etc on an ipad?  I'm sure there are other sites that I can't think of right now that are the same!

At times my class use these sites on rainy inside lunch days or reward time and the kids say they can't play games on that site using the ipad.  So I get this mad rush to use the desktop computers. 

Is there some techno wizard thingee I'm supposed to do - or is it out of my control?  I'd gratefully appreciate any sugestions. 

Yesterday Pt. Engand school hosted the inaugural padcampakl.

60 keen participants were warmly welcomed by hosts and organisers Fiona Grant, Helen King and Dorothy Burt with Russell Burt as our janitor for the day. : )

(i)PadCampAKL followed the unconference format with a focus on the creative use of iPads/iPods by students and teachers. The questions asked of attendees were "How can students use these tools to become artists, musicians, story-tellers, photographers, animators, scientists, mathematicians, sportspeople, movie producers and broadcasters?"

The mantra for the day was 

"Go with the flow, take responsibility for your own learning and follow your passion!"

The day kicked off with The Sharing an opportunity for participants to share something that students have created using an iPad/iPod.

Participants had 2 minutes to share. One device was attached to the data projector and participants were encouraged to add a link on the iPadCamp Auckland - Shared Doc to display. Check out this amazing shared resource for yourselves.

We then moved into The unconference

From this amazing start participants then identified area they wanted to learn more about and the focus for the sessions was written up and the sharing and conversations began!

So on a drizzly Auckland morning, eductors from as far as Russell and Christchurch gathered to share best practice using ipads, no money changed hands and the result was as the goal stated, a chance to grow your learning, network and have fun! 

 A huge thanks to Fiona Grant, Helen King and Dorothy and Russell Burt. : )

Thanks to all who came, contributed, listened and learned. : )

You can follow the twitter feed here #padcampakl

Date: Saturday 15th September, 2012, 9:30 -12pm Venue: Pt England School, Auckland

Jude Fletcher shares iPad apps in the video link below that her year 1-2 Waihi East School class have been using on their iPads. This link to 'Waihi East School iPad Apps' is a PDF summarizing our use of apps on iPads throughout our school.

Kia ora tatou, for all of those who have an avid interest or passion for iPads in education - you're not going to want to miss this!!!

NEW THREAD STARTS TODAY: iPads in education | An Enabling e-Learning event

/discussion/view/695568

Guest educators and teachers include Tara Fagan (BeL facilitator), Tania Coutts (BeL facilitator), Allanah King (iPad/iPod group owner) and Chris McKinley (Grants Braes School) - will be on hand to answer your questions and share their expertise.

    Stop by, introduce yourselves and share a story or two.

Soooooo cute!  That's my initial gut reaction to Howling Mouse from the National Geographic Society.  And it's one of those cases where it's so 'game-like' that, on first pass, you're completely oblivious to the learning.  But it's there!

Howling Mouse is a basic, jumpy, platformer.  Your mission...rescue your Howling Mouse babies.  But along the way, you learn about this cute little creature's habitat, what it eats, about its rival on the food chain, and it's primary predator (top left in the picture above...look out Howly!)

Phew!  That was close.

Howling Mouse was created in Dunedin, NZ, by Tim Nixon and the Runaway Play crew.  It's purpose...to raise awareness about the delicate ecology surrounding this cute little creature, and to have people interact with (rather than passively observe...or ignore) nature from the comfort of their iPad.

And, as I mentioned above, you learn some stuff along the way.

I did not know that!

So...has Howling Mouse succeeded as a learning tool?  Yes.  It gave me a great overview of this adorable beastie's existence, and spurred me to find out more about him/her...not sure of the gender exactly.  I'm rescuing baby mice so I guess it's a her.  Jury's out on that one.  Anyways, a great start to a research unit on animals and their environments.

Oh yeah, and did I mention that Howling Mouse is FREE?  Well, the first level is.

Enjoy and learn!

I've been playing with an app called groupboard. Seems simple enough to set up with your mac and share a common webspace with up to 5 users on the free version. I had 2 ipads, laptop and iphone connected. Works well in real time, simple tools that are easy to use and allows pictures to be added. Whiteboards can be saved and embedded.

When setting up you create a room and password for guests. In the ipad app you enter the room number at the end of the url and the user password to access. In the app tools you can even name your device to show which are your contributions.

Nice app and worth a look if other apps are not working out for you. also easy to share the collboration on a projector or big screen tv through on ipad or the laptop etc.

The Science Learning Hub is a resource designed to support teachers to plan for exciting and autherntic science learning. The resource is divided into contexts such as Icy Ecosystems, Rockets, Volcanoes and The Noisy Reef and stories such as Cycling Dynamics, Our Senses, Tsunamis and Surf. Video clips have New Zealand scientists enthusiastically discussing their work and explaining the science concepts. These science ideas are also supported by photographs and images.

Then visit the site: http://sciencelearn.org.nz/

After I had finished presenting an iPad workshop recently one of the participants started taking photos of my iPad apps with his phone.

Nice idea but I thought I would make it easier for him. I used Reflection app in its free ten minute trial to project the iPad screen onto my laptop and then took screen grabs.

I like how it puts a frame around my iPad to make it look iPad-y!

I put all the photos in to Flickr - you can see them as a slideshow here.

Hi all

Today's Apple Event releasing the new ipad is now available online at Apple.  As well as the event, there are the promo videos showing the new features including the retina display, voice dictation and 5MP camera.  From what I have read/seen it would seem that creating on the new iPad will be easier and maybe this will mean it will move from being primarily a consumption device.  

It is also great that the iPad 2's are remaining and will be reduced in price, making these devices affordable for schools, and students.  I wonder what impact this will have for schools thinking of BYOD.