Many teachers and schools are buying iPads now in preparation of next year. I’ve made this list of ‘Summer Goals’ after a few schools have asked for assistance in getting teachers ready for Septembers iPad roll out in their schools. I’ve tried to order these from simplest to most complex task – but don’t feel like you must follow this order. After all, summer is about having fun!
1) Surf the Net and Watch Youtube
- I think that if you can enjoy the iPad, you can learn with it. And if you can learn with it, then you can probably teach with it. If the iPad is new to you, start slow by just enjoying the iPad. Read an your favourite website, go on Facebook, watch the news, etc.
2) Buy/Download 3 apps, and make an app folder
- Now that you can enjoy the iPad, start downloading some apps. Search for apps that you might like. If you need some ideas, check out some of the apps shared on EdApps.ca
3) Sync the iPad to your computer through iTunes and sync some music to it while you’re at it.
- Knowing how to use iTunes will make life much easier. Go to an apple store for help, or watch one of the thousands of youtube videos, like this one, or that one.
4) Use the camera to take pictures and video of family events, vacation, etc. Download photos and videos to your computer from the iPad
- Use the camera should be pretty self explanatory once you find the app. When you’re ready to take the photos off of your iPad, just plug the iPad into the computer just like you would any digital camera, and all off your photos are available. Watch this short video for more help if needed.
5) Follow a blog, or read Zite 4 Times – Find 2 activities for iPads that you can try in the fall
- Learn more about the Zite app
6) Create a movie of your vacation: a trip to the park, a zoo, Paris, or whatever you did that was fun.
- Watch our iMovie Intro on iPad to get started
- Already know this? Make a better movie!
- Here are 13 ways you can use iMovie in the classroom when you go back to work in the fall.
7) Copy A file through iTunes File Sharing iTunes File Sharing
- iTunes File Sharing will be useful once you start creating more lessons on the iPad and once students start using the iPads to be creative. Sometimes iTunes File Sharing is the only way to get your work off of the iPad and onto a computer, so consider this a core skill. Check out our tutorial here
If you have any other tips, comments or suggestions on related to this post, Please post in the comments below.
I like your summer theme. Might use it to do a fun oriented version of our activities to explore the iPad.
http://balancedtech.wikispaces.com/iPad+Exploration
Thanks! I like your iPad exploration page. It gave me some ideas and now I want to change the blog title to ’8 Activities…’. While looking at your site, I thought another great summer fun activity would be ‘write the great american novel’…or something like that