AirServer Provides Dual Screens For Production Efficiency

Teaching the final production steps from Explain Everything to publishing on Canvas was quite simple with AirServer.

Dual views allowed for the steps of exporting the video in Explain Everything and the uploading of the videos to Canvas to be displayed at the same time.

Detox From Tech

As readers of iPaddiction may have gathered from the last six years of blogging, technology is a great tool when used correctly to consume, collaborate, critically think, create, and contribute in an educational and personal setting.

However, as with all things, moderation is key!  Lunch N' Learn will focus on six simple steps that can be taken to take a mental break from technology.


Go ahead!  Try them!

Additional Resources To Be Successful:

👍Steps To Help Guide The Process

👍7 Hobbies That Keep Tech Workers Sane

👍The Importance Of Non-Tech Related Hobbies

👍9 Ways To Start and Stick To A Digital Detox

👍5 Reasons You Need To Unplug After Leaving Your Job

Highlights of Detoxing (if only for a small amount of time)

• Set achievable targets of time off
• Commit to changing one habit at a time
• Store the tech device in a different room than you overnight
• Make an effort to give others your attention
• Find a detox buddy
• Tell everyone what you are doing

To complete the above image which is also an interactive website and part of my collection, I used Canva which continues to produce!

Flex Mod Feature - Course Phasing

I was asked by our assistant principal to create updated videos that help others to understand the features of a flex mod schedule.  Two years ago, we created a series of videos called "40 Seconds With Flex Mod" which asked a question and got an answer.  This was created to inform students and parents while we prepared to enter the flex mod schedule which was eight months away.

We started the flex mod schedule in the fall of 2015, and we felt it was time to "tell our story" as it pertains to our unique schedule.

The process for completing the video started with filming of the three phases of the course.  I used the S1 Shoulder Pod iPhone Mount, an iPhone 6s Plus, MacBook Air, iMovie on a Mac, Canva, and YouTube.

The Process:

• Determine the meeting times of Chemistry for an entire week.  We always think of courses in weeks and how it looks.
• Capture video from Large Group on Wednesday using the S1 Shoulder Pod and iPhone
• Capture video from Small Group on Thursday using the S1 Shoulder Pod and iPhone
• Capture video from Lab on Friday using the S1 Shoulder Pod and iPhone
• Transfer video into three different folders on the MacBook Air utilizing AirDrop (amazingly fast and efficient)
• Import video into iMovie and edit
• Confirm names and spellings of students in movie via Chemistry teachers
• Create a YouTube Thumbnail in Canva
• Upload the video into YouTube (two places: PHS YouTube and my YouTube channel) and add a customized YouTube Thumbnail

Making a video takes time!  Everything does!  However, the tools are present that help the process to be efficient.  Hopefully, the final product(s) can be something that transports a viewer to the experience and walks away with a better understanding of the subject.  You owe it to your learning environment to "tell your story".  I look forward to seeing what you produce!

I would like to publicly thank Mr. Manning, PHS Media teacher, who I've had the fortunate opportunity to spend many hours creating videos so that we can tell our school's story. He has truly taught me so many video producing skills in the past five years.  I really didn't know what I didn't know!  However, that's the beautiful thing about a high school.  In a sense, it's a village or city with every profession who has a master trades(wo)man.  There is always someone who knows something about something.  And as teachers are always willing to do, they help people understand how to make, fix, or create something.

Adobe Spark Pages and Video for Creation of Content

The Adobe Suite, specifically Adobe Draw, Spark (formally Slate) Pages and Video are a great set of tools for students to create content on the iPad.

Adobe Draw allows for so much creation. 

During Lunch N' Learn, examples and features of Adobe Spark Pages and Video will be presented.

👉Adobe Spark Video

👉Adobe Spark Pages

Analyzing Poetry Utilizing Notability

Adobe Spark Page provided a great tool to create the story of the process. Even the US Army uses it to promote their activities.

Student Twitter Takeover Created With Adobe Spark Video

The Minutes Leading Up To A Presentation

Presenting in front of four year old students or forty year old adults isn't always easy (however, it is fun!).  I've presented in front of many people, and I am a firm believer that music makes things better! Last night, prior to the presentation Experts At Your Fingertips, music was playing.

 In 2008, I started "Fun Music Friday".  Music was played while students walked into the classroom in the morning.  It was amazing to see the positive attitudes that transcended because students heard uplifting music.  Dancing even started!  What a great way to start the day!

Below are nine songs that say,

• Welcome
• Hello
• Get Ready, 'Cause This Is Going To Be Awesome
• Just Try Not To Be In a Positive Mood

I do not have the videos playing for people to see.  The presentation that will about to happen is in one tab and the music is in a hidden tab.  YouTube continues to be a great tool to get free music and playlists are an easy organizational tool.

If you are presenting or getting in front of people to speak, consider the playlist and get your presentation off to a rocking start!

Notability To Assess Biology Slides

Today I team taught with Ms. Thut.  The Biology team, Mr. Anderson, Ms. Thut, and Mrs. Vertz,  created the lab and the slides of an onion that students were to analyze.  In the past, students would look through a microscope and then recreate the drawings of what was viewed.

With this learning opportunity, teachers took pictures of onions under a slide and provided them to students via a Notability note creation.  In this way, teachers are able to see students analyzing the slides via "mark ups" in Notability.  Students will return the lab via Canvas to the teachers.

I was able to support Ms. Thut while we helped students get set up for the first time.

Mindly App In Action

Today, Mr. Krause and I were able to guide students using the Mindly App which we have concluded is a great starting point for the creative process.

Mr. Krause used the Mindly app to create the labels that students were to personalize about the script they are to write.

Team teaching is the BEST part of my daily routine!

The writing process can all be completed on the iPad.

Notability Student User Guide Complete With Entertaining Clips To Stay Focused

As we progress through using iPads, Notability is a must have app for students!  I used the Notability app to create a High School Student User Guide and a Middle School Student User Guide.

I was also given the task of creating a video tutorial for our high school homeroom within a flex mod schedule day.  There are certainly hundreds of tutorials out their, but I felt it was important to capture all of the features of Notability while maintaining the interest of fifteen to eighteen year old students.

I used Camtasia  for the screencasting and Canva for the video thumbnail.  Truthfully, this project has used about 10 hours of my time to create.  Was it worth it?  I hope that it keeps the attention of the students and teaches valuable skills to be a successful Notability user.

Mindly iPad App For Organizing The Creative Process

Mindly is an amazing tool that we will be using in a wide variety of subjects so students can organize their thoughts.  It fits directly with the "creative" c in our four c's.  The tool was originally going to be used for THE WRITING PROCESS, but today's Lunch N' Learn will demonstrate that it can be used for any process!

A new digital workflow process that I used was the customized YouTube thumbnail above which was created in Canva using their templates.  If you haven't tried Canva, I highly recommend it.  I've been using it since 2013 for a variety of digital graphics.

iPad Challenges and Solutions We Experienced and Solved

Implementing 2,000 iPads within a two week period into our district has been organized and successful!  However, we have experienced a recurring theme of four challenges that we solve in minutes.  I wanted to share the workflow for staff and students in today's Lunch N' Learn to reduce down time by our students.

Challenges and Solutions

• Connecting to the WiFi (Slide 2)
• Email Set Up (Slide 18)
• Printing From An iPad (Slide 23)
• Self Service App Not Working (Slide 43)

I created the screenshots via an iPad and created the presentation in Keynote.  I exported the Keynote from the iPad to Google Drive in various formats.

I've stated before that Keynote is a great presentation tool while demonstrating workflow on the iPad. I use AirServer and with that I am able to quickly jump back and forth from the Keynote presentation to demonstrations on the iPad
Download the Keynote

Some people may not have Keynote to view the presentation.  Through my iPad, I exported the Keynote as a PDF into Google Drive.  I then made the settings "anyone with a link can view"
View in PDF

Finally, I wanted the visual on my blog, so I exported the Keynote as a Powerpoint via my iPad and uploaded that file to Google Drive where it converted.  View that below.

Research Topic Sign Up Cross Out When Taken

I just worked through a process where Mr. Gosse, Chemistry teacher, wanted students to sign up for research topics.  He created a Google Sheet that will be shared with students.  He added formulas to the right side of the sheet so that the topics are crossed out when a student adds their name.

Because the entire sheet needs to be shared with students in an editing mode, he wanted to know if certain cells (the topics on the right side) could be protected.

They can.

Students will now choose their topic and add their name all within the Google Sheets app on their iPad.

Here's the document.

Cell Respiration Utilizing Explain Everything Project Options

In the past, our AP Biology teacher, Mrs. Vertz, would have students either draw and cut or find and cut out images that represent the elements from the cell respiration process.  Since our entire student body obtained iPads after our district roll out this week, we decided to utilize a more efficient method.

Our teacher created four slides that contained all of the elements using Explain Everything. Once the four slides were created by the instructor, the project ONLY was exported to Google Drive.  The link from Google Drive with the .xpl file was placed for student access on Canvas our LMS.

Students were prompted to "open in" the file from Canvas.  The option to open the file into Explain Everything was present.  The teacher created file became the students personal file in which they explained the process of Cell Respiration.  Once student audio and action were complete the video was exported to the camera roll.  The finished product on the camera roll was submitted as an assignment on Canvas.

...and all of this was so simple because students WERE NOT sharing iPads.  Blessed!



View how Spanish II teachers utilized this same process with students.

Utilizing Open In - Workflow & Notability Apps Made It Happen

After taking five screenshots with my iPad based on the digital workflow of utilizing the "Open In" feature that I used, I utilized the Workflow App and the process of a screenshot how-to workflow. Once I completed the workflow, I exported the product into Notability.  Notability helped me add text and additional direction lines.

The finished product was then exported into Google Drive for sharing!

Two apps made my life easier:

• Workflow
• Notability

View the final product!

Twitter Notifications To Control Words That Are Viewed

Pulaski Community School District has focused to promote the great things happening in our district through Twitter.  As of Tuesday, November 15, Twitter is providing a mute button for users to essentially "block" any words from their Twitter feed.  Below is the workflow for students and adults to control what they see.  This workflow is based on using a computer.  The app that I have on my iPad doesn't have these features as of right now.  A student or teacher may be able to travel to Safari and log into Twitter from there.  The features may be present.

If it doesn't appear today, Twitter will continue to roll out this feature in the coming weeks.

Under notifications, the settings link will appear.

Options for Notifications:

First Time Directions:

Start Adding Words:

Remove Flipboard Article From Magazine in iOS in 20 Seconds

Swiping Right On An iPad/iPhone For Efficiency

Today, I'm handing out free tickets to our staff to inform them of the Lunch N' Learn topic: "Swiping Right On An iPad/iPhone For Efficiency".  Free Ticket Generator works on the iPad or on a computer!

I like using this type of stuff as it provides something different.  I received a great email from a teacher once she received the ticket at the door.

Swiping right on an iPad can provide efficient features for staff and students as they progress through getting to know their iPad.  I love creating with Keynote on Mac, AirDropping it to my iPad Mini, and then presenting to our staff.  However, to get the Keynote easily shared with staff, I export the Keynote on my Mac as a Powerpoint and upload it to Google Drive.  The presentation is below.
Slide Highlights:

• Slide 3: Widget Defined
• Slide 4: Each Bubble is a Widget
• Slide 8: Bubbles Provide Options
• Slide 11: iPhone View

Additional Resources:

• How to use the new lock screen
• Apple Ecosystem For Educators

View my Flipboard Magazine.

Canvas - Assessment Statistics Are Available

Today's Lunch N' Learn will focus on the many options Canvas provides once an assessment is given.

View The Options

Some conversation topics arose while teaching over four lunches.

• Have students take the tests while in Safari on an iPad
• "Moderate This Quiz" - Click Student Name - View Log (provides an in depth documentation of exactly what the student did during every second of the quiz.
• Teachers are telling students exactly what they can see based on their activity.  This is helping to reduce the fear of "cheating" while taking a digital assessment.
• If choosing "Shuffle Answers" and having one of the options as "All of the Above", the statement needs to change to something similar to "All of the Answers"

The Writing Process - Apps To Fuel Production

This is a preliminary digital workflow for students to complete the writing process on an iPad.
View a PDF version

Mindly Free

Google Docs Free

Notability Paid

Using Safari Efficiently on the iPad

Today's Lunch N' Learn is all about using Safari with all of its amazing built in features to efficiently and effectively complete research and reading on the iPad.  It is my hope to instruct teachers who will in turn share these great features with their students.

Highlights:

• Slide 3: Sharrow
• Slide 7: "Add to Reading List" explained
• Slide 10: "Favorites" defined
• Slide 13: "Bookmarks" understanding them
• Slide 16: "Add to Home Screen" quickly make link an "app"
• Slide 18: "Find on Page" this is awesome!
• Slide 21: "Request Desktop Site" why this would be helpful

Thanks to @tonyvincent for inspiring further investigation based on his creation on slide 18.  For further iPad efficiency, learn about these symbols.

*Integration Coaches: I created the presentation on my Mac in Keynote.  I used AirDrop to send it to my iPad which is what I will use for presenting.  I exported the Keynote from my Mac as a PowerPoint which in turn was uploaded to Google Drive for sharing!   

iPad Efficiency - Making Meaning Out of Symbols

Through a Tweet by @shfarnsworth, I discovered an iPad Fluency hand drawn chart which clarified common symbols found while using an iPad. With every student receiving an iPad in the coming weeks, I decided to make this a formal poster using Canva.  I titled it iPad Efficiency. While a PDF version may be of interest for staff to print, a digital copy is below.

Explore - Design Suggestions In Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets

Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets used to have a "research" area on each file to help with finding information while creating.  Google has changed that to "Explore".

Explore Colorful Image Above Created By Jack Wallen

All of the features are available on a computer or Chromebook.  Unfortunately, they are not available on an iPad at this time.  However, many educators continue to create lesson content on a laptop or computer, and these features may come in handy.

A detailed description of how these work can be found here.

The official Google Docs Blog also has some quick tips on how to use the new features.

Docs...

Slides...

Sheets

Many of the Explore options will be discussed today during Lunch N' Learn.

Reminder App as the Best Productivity App

As we are less than a month from 2,000 iPads entering the hands of our middle and high school students, teachers during today's Lunch N' Learn will learn about the Reminder App.  Every student and teacher will have the Reminder App on their iPad and/or on their iPhone.

I believe this app will provide an instant "to do list" based on a number of options.

• Students can create assignment reminders based on a time
• Students can create assignment reminders based on leaving a location or arriving at a location.
• Students can create assignment reminders using Siri
• Students can create assignment reminders based on priority

My favorite is the "Remind me at a location" feature in which I can state a specific address and the reminder pops on the iPhone home screen as I either LEAVE or ARRIVE at an address.  This will be perfect for students who are arriving at home.

Consider encouraging students to use the Reminder App and as a teacher try it!  It may just be the "To Do" app that makes things "To Done"

The Sharrow

Today's lunch n' learn focused teachers attention on "The Sharrow".

Made With Canva.com

The Sharrow is iOS's gateway to collaboration and creativity.  Every app that has options to connect with other apps can easily make it happen by finding the sharrow.

We looked at how PDFs are going to be placed into the best digital note taking app, Notability and other productivity and creativity apps.  

We also reviewed the options for images including the positives and negatives of students having access to AirDrop.

Positives:  Collaborating on research with images, pdfs, and websites.  With the collaboration of items, students could then create their own "show what they know" item based on the research of many.

Negatives: We realize that students could snap pictures or share completed PDFs via AirDrop.  This will provide us great opportunity to discuss digital citizenship.

Remembering the "Sharrow" and it's many ways that it opens the door to productivity can enhance the educational experience.

Notability App For Notes

Today's Lunch N' Learn Topic was the Notability App.  I described settings, features, and digital workflow to and from the app for efficient productivity.
View The Presentation

Customize Sharrow Options Order

Using Flipboard In High School Geography Class

The introduction and set up with students is in the presentation below.

PHS Live Video Announcements - Stop Auto Focus on iPad

We just completed day two of Friday live video announcements produced and created by students.  As anyone knows from the iPaddiction Nation, we use iPads.  We are using and might I add very impressed by Switcher Studio and the Switcher Pro app!



We are utilizing two iPad Minis, an iPad Air, a Mac, and a PC for production.  We chose to go this route because all of our students will have iPads and didn't want to purchase additional cameras, computers, and switchers.  We are utilizing a multi use device (iPads) to accomplish a task.  Our media teacher, Mr. Manning, announcers, Matt and Lauren, along with studio helper, Annika, are moving forward and starting to develop great content all while utilizing iPads!

As we progress to make it perfect, I noticed that "camera two", our main camera, was moving in an out.  I discovered that around 35 seconds the lens started moving in and out trying to refocus on the subjects.  After some research, I discovered that there is a "lock" feature on the iPad/iPhone camera.

The yellow lock is presented at the top of the viewer.  To remove, tap the screen.

Our team is looking forward to the next production!

iPad Mini - Set Up Suggestions

As we are preparing for 1100 students receiving their own iPad on November 1, our teachers were presented an iPad Mini at the beginning of the school year.

Today's Lunch N' Learn, which Pulaski High School staff have been faithfully attending for five years, is all about starting with a personal iPad.

I like to use the "One Page Home Page" where the most used apps are on the front page of the iPad.  All other apps are accessed through the "pull down and spotlight search" feature of the iPad.  I will be demonstrating that concept and providing productivity apps along with "must have apps" that help to make educational life easier.

I utilized Keynote on the iPad because I want to be able to use AirServer and toggle back and forth between the presentation and the apps that I will be talking about.  All with one device, the iPad Mini.

View the Keynote

Additional digital work flow steps included sharing the Keynote from my iPad to "other apps".  I produced the Keynote as a PDF and exported it to my Google Drive.  This allowed me to make a "anyone with a link can view" document to share the presentation.

One great resource that all students and staff should be looking into further as iPads rollout in our district is the Apple Ecosystem for Educators Flipboard magazine that I have created and contribute to on a regular basis.

Twitter Takeover: A Student Runs Our High School Twitter Page For A Day

As a continued emphasis of student ownership exists in our school community, we decided to allow students to run our @PCSD_PHS Twitter account for a day.

The process started in August of 2016 when our 3D group (review practices and set goals) met to outline actions for the upcoming 2016-2017 school year.  We focused on how we will promote positive aspects of our school to maintain a healthy, positive culture in our high school.

I had seen the actions of other school districts who allowed a student to takeover the school's Twitter feed and decided this is something we could do.  We set up parameters and shared them with two students that we thought demonstrated outstanding leadership in our school.  They thought the idea was fantastic. They even added that the Twitter Takeover should occur until after the football game!  This proved to be a tremendous idea as so many people liked Allison's account of the fun actions from the game!

With that we set up the second Friday of the school year as our first Twitter Takeover.

We promoted the day by placing posters around our school like the one above and digitally promoted it as well on social media and via email to the staff.

On Friday, Sept. 9 at 7:00 A.M. our first student, Allison Van Lannen met me in the library so that I could place the account and the password onto her person phone.  She didn't see the password and our agreement was that she would "log out" after the football game.  She was so responsible that she sent me a screen shot of her Twitter account after she logged out. (Great idea!  This will be a requirement for future Twitter Takeover students)  Please notice at the bottom of the picture below that only one account is on her phone. 

So was it a success?  Let's look at the Twitter Analytics.

On Friday, our student created 17 original tweets with total of 22, 200 impressions. (Impressions of number of times users saw the tweet on Twitter.) Compared to the previous Friday of two tweets (only a few adults have access to the account) and 5,000 impressions.  

Specifically,

• An Engagement Rate of 4.7%
• 37 Link Clicks (she did a great job of including pictures)
• 26 Retweets (mostly by students)
• 129 Likes
• VIEW SPREADSHEET of ALL STATS

The students and our community knew that a student was in charge of the content and were very interested in what she had to say!  Scroll through the day below or click here.

After the last tweet, Allison sent me an email and stated, "Thank you so much for the opportunity!  It's been a blast!"

Yes it was!  For Allison and our #RaiderStrong community!

The next time you are looking for some positive PR for your school, allow one of your students to run your Twitter account!

Using Flipboard in High School Geography Class

Today we presented the tremendous Flipboard resource utilizing an iPad or student's personal mobile devices.

The presentation described in detail how Flipboard works for personal and educational learning experiences.  In addition, we set up the parameters for the semester long project that can be found on slide 23.


After demonstrating to students the features and power of Flipboard, students were given time to investigate personal interests from football to hunting to politics.

Students commented on a regular basis, "This is so cool!"

Combine the coolness with one of our core objectives, productivity, for any tool that we use and, it was a tremendous learning experience for our students!

Canvas: Restoring Deleted Files

iPadU - Keynote & Instruction Recap

iPadU was July 4-6, 2016

It was an amazing presenting and learning experience for myself and 120 other professional educators!  I truly appreciated the opportunity to present, but more importantly the opportunity to learn from all of the enthusiastic and passionate educators!

My keynote presentation centered around a title of Individual, Incorporated.  

After presenting the keynote, I was provided the tremendous opportunity to conduct six different learning opportunities for teachers.

Sifting Through The Massive Amounts of Information Using Flipboard



Explain Everything: Progressing While Advancing



Adobe Draw To Promote You and Your Content



The Sketchnote Process



Workflow: The Undisputed Productivity King



You Can Do That On The iPad?!

Copy An Entire Google Folder

As seniors leave, transferring ownership of Google Drive "stuff" is important to many.  We've discussed how we do this with Google Takeout.  Now, we will also add the "Copy Google Folder" Google Chrome Store app that helps with this process.

Get the App

It's also amazing that the while the app is running, it provides a log for the user to see the progress of copying.

One nice thing with this app is that they provide "uninstall" options for the app.  In addition, many (50+)  positive reviews exist!