Tuesday Tech Tip #16 - Gmail App for iPhone

I know that many of you have personal iPhones or iPads you use to check your work email. How do I know this? Well, there is always a dead give away - the name on your email when you send it from your iOS device.

Often iPhone users name their email accounts phrases that make sense to them including "NCS Email," "Star Academy," and "Work." I used to do this too. Unfortunately, when you send email using the mail app built into the iPhone the phrase you used when configuring your mailbox also becomes your sender name. In other words your email will display something like NCS Email <jwood@natomascharter.org> when you send it from your iPhone and it can be confusing when your recipient first opens the email.

You could easily fix this by adjusting your mailbox settings...OR...you could install the free Gmail app. But do I really need a different tool to manage my email? Yes, you do. Here are five reasons to give the app a whirl.

1. Search Your WHOLE Inbox
Let's start with the #1 reason I use the Gmail app. You can search your WHOLE inbox, not just the 50 most recent messages. This has saved me numerous times and is why I will always use the Gmail app over the native built in iOS Mailbox program. If you need an email on your phone from three months ago you can find it immediately!

2. Archive Button & More
Similar to the desktop inbox you have an Archive button on the mobile app, but you can also move messages to a folder, mark as unread, star, and report as spam. All of the buttons you are used to seeing on the desktop client are there and your workflow does not have to change simply because you are on another device.

3. Search Terms
If you are familiar with Gmail search terms they work perfectly in the Gmail app. Not sure what I am talking about? Take a moment to read this blog post and print out the cheat-sheet. It will save you tons of time.

4. Mobile Signature
All of us use standard signatures on our work emails including name, title, and contact information. When you send email from the Gmail app those signatures are automatically applied. However, you can also set up a mobile signature so that your recipients recognize that your short email or inevitable typos are simply due to emailing from a small screen.

5. Vacation Responder
Let's say you're headed to the airport and think, "Man! I forgot to set my out of office reply." No sweat, the Gmail app lets you set the away message from your phone. No need to find a computer to login to the Google Apps website.

What about Multiple Email Accounts?
This might be the only downside to the Gmail app. It only works with other Gmail accounts, so if you have Hotmail, iCloud, or something else you may also need to use the Mailbox app too. However, if like most people you have multiple Gmail accounts you can set them all up within this one application and easily switch back and forth.

Take a few minutes, download and install the Gmail app. You will be glad that you did.

Joe

What Would We Purchase? Considering a Device for Your Child

Similar to pumpkin spiced lattes, the red cups at Starbucks, and Black Friday ads on TV, part of the holiday season in the IT office is fielding questions from staff members and families about recommended technology purchases for students. These conversations are one of the reasons I love this time of the year. It is a perfect opportunity to connect with families about how their children are using technology at home. As I drafted an email response to a parent this morning, I thought, "Hey! This would make a great blog post."

All of our students have access to technology at school through Chromebooks, iPads, and multiple computer labs and home access is not required. However, if you are looking supplement these tools with the purchase a digital device for your child at home below are some recommendations from all of us in the IT Department. We tend to be a very pragmatic group, so our thoughts on the perfect device are largely based on these five criteria.

• Ease of use
• Instructional connections
• Maintenance and durability
• Lifespan
• Overall cost 

I'd also encourage you to check out the Digital Citizenship page on the NCS website. Any of these devices are great opportunities to start (or continue) the conversation about online behavior and responsibility. The Digital Citizenship page has useful resources for parents and families from Common Sense Media. Finally, regardless of what items you are purchasing this holiday season, consider using Amazon Smile by clicking on this link. Amazon will donate 0.5% of qualifying purchases to Natomas Charter School.

Early Elementary (TK-2)
Honestly, our first question for students in this range is "Do they really need their own device?" I've observed in my own home the gravity-level pull an app can have on a young child. A family computer that the child can access with a parent's assistance might be the best option for many households. However, if you have a child who is motivated by technology and has some ability to self-regulate (maybe with an adult's assistance) I find that tablet devices, especially the iPad or iPod Touch seem to work really well. They can be handy devices for developing some basic technology skills, such as trouble-shooting and navigating the web with a very simple user interface. Through the use of the built-in camera they can also be useful for exploring the world, taking pictures, and creating short videos. We do have a tendency to recommend Apple over Android devices mainly due to the simple process for setting up restrictions that act like parental controls and a pretty clean, intuitive App Store with quite a few educational apps.

Intermediate Elementary (3-5)
By fourth grade every child needs to be able to type "a single page in a single setting" according to the Common Core State Standards. This equates to approximately 20 words per minute. Additionally, at Natomas Charter School we provide Google Apps for Education accounts starting in 1st grade. Since children need practice typing on a physical keyboard and already have school provided Google accounts, an inexpensive Chromebook might make sense for this age range. The devices tend to run somewhere in the neighborhood of $250-400 and do not require any additional software or maintenance. If you have an internet connection you are good to go. The low price point also means that should it be dropped, splashed with milk, or stepped on by a heavy dog (all true personal stories) the device could be more easily replaced. Plan on a Chromebook lasting 2-3 years.

Middle School (6-8)
The perfect device for middle and high school really depends on multiple factors including family budget, student interest in creating multimedia (video, audio), and additional computer interests (gaming, programming, etc). A Chromebook is a perfect device for most middle school students. Students can easily access Schoology, Google Apps for Education, and other online tools. However, if you have a child who is into video production, Minecraft, or creating audio files then you are probably going to need more of a full-featured laptop (see below). This can be off set by having a shared family computer for special projects.

High School (9-12)
Similar to middle school, choosing the best device for your high schooler can involve multiple considerations. A laptop is probably the best choice as it will allow the student to access any online content, as well as create media files. However, if your family budget is limited, the Chromebook is a great place to start. Mac vs. Windows is largely a personal preference, although all of us in the IT department would probably chose an Apple product for two reasons - easy-to-use parental controls and minimal maintenance. Families (or ideally kids) with little IT experience can easily update the operating system, add hardware if needed, and keep the device running it's best. These computers tend to be a bit more expensive, but from our experience last longer and have fewer headaches. If I had a middle or high school student in my home I'd be looking at the 11" or 13" Macbook Air. They are portable, fairly robust, and have a long battery life. Sometimes you can save a bit more money by checking out education or refurbished pricing. Refurbished Apple products have the same warranty and honestly what I have been purchasing in my home for the past 6 or 7 years without any problems. If you are replacing a device with a new Apple purchase you might also be able to trade it in for some money.

If you have any questions after reading this post please let us know. We're always happy to help staff members and families find the perfect device for home use.

Joe

Star Academy Wireless Document Cameras

Student using the iPad
document camera

At the end of last year Star Academy teachers came up with a novel request - What if instead of new document cameras we purchased teacher iPads that could wirelessly display student work and do so much more? Instead of standard ELMO or AverMedia document cameras, for roughly the same price Star Academy purchased iPads, adjustable stands, and the Reflector application for all of the teachers. As I shared in my post on display options for iPhones and iPads last week, Reflector is a program that allows users to wirelessly display devices to their computers.

Our one concern was wireless - would the new network support all 13 iPads all broadcasting at the same time along with the school's other wireless devices (iPads, Chromebooks, teacher computers)? We're about six weeks into our little experiment and things seem to be working well. The wireless is holding up and both teachers and students have found the iPads simple to use.

Student work displayed
during Author's Chair

Through Reflector and an iPad teachers can quickly move about the room displaying different pieces of student work. They can also connect the iPad to the stand and provide a more traditional lesson under the iPad's camera. What iPad apps are they using? The teachers are keeping it simple, primarily using the iPad's native Camera app, as well as a free app called Stage that allows users to add annotations. The document camera function is just one piece to the iPad's use in the classroom. The teachers are also using these devices to model for students use of apps that are on the student iPads including iMovie, Keynote, and Pages. What's kind of handy is that switching between document camera and one of these apps is as simple as pressing the home button on the iPads.

If you have an iPad or are considering ordering one through a grant or donations try using it as a document camera. I think you will be impressed with how easy it is and you will be able to easily move about the classroom.

Joe

Photos: Courtesy of Hope Kloczko's 1st Grade Class

Tuesday Tech Tip #10 - Displaying iPads & iPhones

A question that I am often asked when I am in classrooms is, "How can I display my iPhone or iPad?" Increasingly, teachers are finding these to be valuable instructional tools whether showing students how to create a movie using an iPad or simply modeling how students might set up email or Schoology on their iPhones. There are a few different ways you can display your mobile device through a projector ranging from low-tech to fancy-schmancy. Some methods have an associated cost, while one is free and ready to go at any moment.

Document Camera - Free & Simple
Have something you need to display right now? Try putting your iPhone or iPad right under your document camera. As long as your camera is hooked up to your projector or computer you should be able to show anything being displayed on your mobile device. This strategy does have one downside though. Depending on the lighting situation in your room you might have problems with screen glare.

VGA Adapter - Dependable, but Pricey
Most mobile devices now have an available VGA adapter. For example, Apple makes VGA adapters for the iPhone and iPad that are robust and work like a charm. You simply plug one end into the device and the other into aVGA cable. If your projector has two sources you can then use the source button to toggle between your computer and mobile device. The only downside is that these little adapters alone can run anywhere from $15-$50 and they do keep you tethered to your projector.

AirPlay Mirroring - Magical, but Can Relies on Wireless
My preferred method of displaying iPhones and iPads is Airplay mirroring using the Reflector App. This program is installed on your computer (Mac or Windows) and once running will allow you to wirelessly display your device on your computer screen. Assuming your computer is also plugged into a projector, your mobile device screen can also be displayed in front of the class. This is actually how Star Academy teachers are using teacher iPads as wireless document cameras this year. If you are familiar with Apple TV, Reflector basically turns your computer into an Apple TV in terms of being able to AirPlay mobile devices.

There are, however, a few limitations with this approach. It does required paid software ($12.99) and both devices (computer and iPhone/iPad) must be on the same wireless network with robust wireless density. One of our projects this year is to investigate the possibility of displaying across networks (NCS-Staff Guest to NCS Staff and NCS-Student to NCS-Staff), but for the time being devices really have to be on the same network.

If you are interested in displaying your teacher or student iPads let me know and we can look into each of these options and find one that will work for you.

Joe

Tuesday Tech Tip #5 - Tracking Lost Apple Devices

When devices go missing one of the first questions we're asked in the IT department is, "Can you track it?" All of our school-owned devices have Meraki Mobile Device Management Software installed and this software allows us to do many things including track a device's location. It often comes in quite handy.

Did you know that you can do the same thing with any your Apple devices? Whether you own an iPhone, iPad, or a Macbook Pro you can track your device's location using iCloud's Find My Mac or Find My iPhone/iPad software. It's built right in and all you need is an Apple ID (aka iTunes account).

Last Monday I set up Find My Mac and Find My iPhone/iPad on all of my devices. This morning I was quite thankful I had thought to do this earlier in the week. In the midst of paying our bill and tipping the waitress I left my iPhone sitting on the table at breakfast. Naturally, I didn't realize it was missing for a good 15-20 minutes and we were on the complete other side of town. However, the moment I realized I didn't have it I was able to login to the Find My iPhone app using Kelly's phone and could quickly see that my phone was still at the restaurant. I was also able to send a message to the phone stating that it was missing with directions to call his number. Just a few minutes later after a quick trip to the restaurant the phone was back in my possession.

The Find My iPhone/iPad/Mac software will also allow you to remotely lock the device, play a sound, or just erase it all together. Take a moment to install it. You'll be glad you did. If you have an NCS Macbook or teacher iPad I would also suggest installing the software on those devices using your personal Apple ID. It is a useful back up to the Meraki software already installed and you'll be able to access the tracking software all by yourself.

A word of warning though - tracking software is not perfect. It only works if two conditions are met.

• The device is connected to the Internet (great for cell phones, not always great for iPads and laptops).
• The tracking software (Meraki or Find My iPhone/iPad/Mac) is installed and activated. Should someone erase the device the tracking software may also be removed.

You can find more information about Find My iPhone/iPad/Mac on Apple's iCloud website. Please let me know if you have any questions or need help setting it up.

Joe

Tuesday Tech Tip #3 - Choosing the Right Device

One of the great things about Natomas Charter School is that we have multiple types of student devices from which to choose for academic projects. Between computer labs, Chromebooks, and iPads we have tons of options for student work. However, the choices can also be a bit confusing. In the past few weeks I have received a number of emails or phone calls where teachers realized that maybe they chose the wrong tool for the job.

This post is an attempt to clear up some of that confusion. The tables below are not meant to be all-encompassing, but some of the considerations you might ponder when signing up for a particular cart or computer lab. However, as with any project I strongly encourage you to check out one device after school a few days before the unit begins just to make sure it does what you need it to.

iMacs (Computer Lab)

Strengths	Challenges
Full keyboard and large screen Complete versions of MS Office, iMovie/Garageband, Adobe Can use Google Earth Students can easily access Google counts Flash, Sliverlight, Java all work	Not Mobile Limited Access Have to take kids from your classroom Digital projects (iMovie, Garageband) are stuck on that computer.

Chromebooks 

Strengths

Challenges

Physical keyboard and decent size screen Can access any online tool or resource Works very well with any Google Apps EDU tool (Gmail, Docs/Drive, Sites) Work is not stored on the device - kids can access from any other Internet-connected computer Flash animations and videos work well No apps need to be purchased or installed Easy to navigate - it's Google Chrome and nothing else. Multiple carts available for check out (outside of SBAC testing).

No Java Support Multimedia creation (video, audio, photography) can be challenging Internet must be on to work properly Can't install programs (it's Google Chrome and nothing else).

iPads 

Strengths

Challenges

Mobile Great for taking photos and shooting videos. Multimedia Creation - iMovie for iPad is very similar to the computer-based version. Can also do stop-motion animation (Lego Movie Maker) and short photo shows (SonicPics). Screencasting and Whiteboarding - ShowMe, Educreations Text-Annotation Tools - Subtext app, iBooks App Can access Google Drive and Gmail for limited editing and communications Touch-Interface for apps that allow students to manipulate data and objects.  Very small learning curve since many students have them at home.

No Java or Flash support Digital projects live on the device (and are accessible by other students) until complete. No physical keyboard, but this doesn't slow all kids down. Not all Google tools work well or work the same as on the computer or Chromebook Apps must be installed ahead of time and possibly purchased (one copy per device) if it is a paid app

Nearpod in the Math Classroom

This week we have a guest post from Alicia Carter.  If after reading this you are interested in using NearPod please let me know.  We are looking into a small group of paid licenses.

Joe
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One of the great challenges of the modern educator is in how to balance the use of technology and the content of their subject area. Our students are surrounded by a vast array of technology on a daily basis, technology that is an integral part of their lives. For many of us, our students are much more knowledgeable about the technology than we are! So how can we make use of these marvelous tools in a meaningful way that supports the curriculum? In PFAA this year, we are fortunate to have a cart of ipads that we can use in our classes. This is a tremendous opportunity to provide the students with exposure to technological tools!

This semester, I have been working with a new app called Nearpod. This application allows me to design an interactive presentation for the students and to “send it” out to the students’ devices. In my case, we are using the school ipads, but the program also works with phones and other mobile devices. I have experimented with using this program in both my sixth grade math classes and my Pre Algebra classes. At this point, we have used the app to review a chapter just before a test.

Here’s how it works! I open the program on my device and give the PIN number to the students. They use the PIN number to link to my device and then they are connected! Now, whatever I put on my screen is broadcasted out to all of the student devices. I control what they are looking at, and they can interact with the material, sending responses back to my device for me to see. In turn, I can select student responses that demonstrate a strategy I’d like to go over and display that on all of the students’ screens! There are also ways to place polls, videos, websites, and more in the presentations.

In the past, students have reviewed and done test prep by completing a series of practice problems in the book. The Nearpod lessons have been an incredibly effective tool in helping my students review material and prepare for their tests. They are more engaged and on task, interacting with the material, asking each other questions, and staying focused on the problems. Also, it is very easy for me to quickly and easily see which students are understanding and which are not simply by looking at the screen and the student responses. After completing the first review day using Nearpod, I asked the students which they preferred: doing the homework assignment from the book, or using the interactive app. They overwhelmingly responded that the interactive app was very helpful in preparing them for the test and that they felt more confident with the material as a result.

I am looking forward to seeing how this marvelous tool can be implemented moving ahead, perhaps even in the design of interactive lectures!

Alicia

Amazing iPad App Saves Teacher!

Last spring when we first purchased the iPads and were able to buy educational apps for them, I was delighted to find one called Puzzling Plates. Even though I had already taught the 6th graders about plate tectonics by the spring, I had them try out the Puzzling Plates app anyway to test drive it. They loved it but they already had all the knowledge! How could I tell if this was a good app? So, this week, I have begun my favorite unit of all--Plate Tectonics--and I introduced the Puzzling Plates app as a way to introduce where the plates are and how they move. The app is very tactile and allows for the students to make geographical connections of plate boundaries as well as the connections between plates and earthquakes and volcanoes. Instead of my "normal" way of teaching this by having students "crash" graham crackers as converging plates, etc., I watched as they followed a textbook map of the plates, to place them correctly as pieces on their iPad. They also were able to experience creating mountain formations like the Himalayas. The graphics are so well done that it's like look at satellite maps. I have never seen students so intent on looking at maps! The app is so multi-layered and tactile and was engaging for every learner. The use of the app has probably saved me three instructional days of having to explain the seemingly ethereal concept of deep ocean ridges, divergent boundaries and how the Hawaiian volcanoes were formed. This is a case where my gut instinct about using technology to enhance my instruction paid off better than I could have expected. So the next time you have a unit that has a concept that is difficult to teach, consider using the iPads. You never know what you will find! Trust your gut! (I'll probably still use graham crackers, too! I already bought them!)

Solving Equations with Video

As we saw in yesterdays's YouTube post, video can be a great tool for introducing content and generating inquiry-based conversations.  However, video can also be used as a tool for helping students demonstrate their understanding of a particular concept.  This week Alicia Carter's 6th grade students completed a hands-on unit where they learned how to solve equations.  As a culminating activity each group was responsible for reteaching one of the concepts on video.  Using the camera tool on the iPad and some basic classroom equipement every group created their own video demonstrating one of the key skills for solving an equation.  Now Alicia has a great authentic assessment from each group where she can hear and see where they might be making any mistakes or are struggling with a particular concept.  On top of that she also has a group of students who are hungry for more - they asked if they could view each other's videos and provide feedback for homework.  If you are interested in checking out Alicia's videos for this project they can be found on her teacher website.

Joe