Adobe Presenter 9- Using the Drag & Drop Feature

With the release of Adobe Presenter 9 comes the Drag and Drop feature which gives developers a way to create interactive drag and drop questions to a quiz. The Drag and Drop feature is intuitive and allows you to create a number of different types of questions that can include both text and pictures. In the Halloween example, I created a simple Drag and Drop quiz called the Candy Challenge that allows the user to match a picture of the candy bar with the name of the candy. In the screencast below you will see just how easy it is to create a Drag and Drop question in Adobe Presenter 9.

To actually try the Candy Challenge click on the link.

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IPEVO Interactive Whiteboard System- Simply Affordable!

Let's face it, as wonderful as interactive whiteboards are in the classroom, with shrinking school budgets it is getting harder and harder to install these tools in each and every classroom. But with the range of students in classrooms with various learning styles having access to an interactive whiteboard to craft lessons can be advantageous to teachers trying to meet the needs of all students. With this in mind, I was really excited to try out the recently released solution from IPEVO, the IPEVO Interactive Whiteboard System. The IPEVO Interactive Whiteboard System is a cost effective way to turn any whiteboard or flat surface into and interactive whiteboard. The IPEVO Interactive Whiteboard System works with both Windows and Macintosh computers and the system is comprised of a small camera, stylus and supplied Annotator software. Teacher will need to

 IPEVO Interactive Whiteboard System

also have access to a LCD projector for the classroom to use this solution. Setting up my computer to use the IPEVO Interactive Whiteboard System was straight forward and easy to accomplish. First, I installed the Annotator software and drivers from the CD, then plugged in the camera to my computer and calibrated the system with the stylus and in less then 5 minutes I was up and running. While I had a chance to use it on a whiteboard which was fantastic, I recently used it in another classroom at the college which only had a traditional blackboard which worked just as well. In any case you are going to want to use this solution on a surface that is flat and smooth for best results. 

The Annotator software gives teachers the ability to use the stylus as a mouse to control any computer application on the computer with complete control to mark up the computer screen using a number of different annotation tools. Teachers can select from lines, squares, and circles to mark up the screen. I found the software to be intuitive to use and changing color of the ink and the width of the stroke was straight forward.

Annotator App

The IPEVO Interactive Whiteboard System was very responsive to the stylus and worked as a mouse even when the targets were small. The Annotator software also integrates with any of the IPEVO document cameras, adding more functionality to the system and giving teachers a way to bring in images to your computer that can be marked up. The folks at IPEVO do understand classrooms and realize that in some instances small children will have a hard time using the smaller stylus and includes an extension that attaches to the stylus giving students the opportunity to use the interactive system. Teachers can also access the Web and use the in-screen keyboard for inputting text as well as using the Screen clipping tool to add screen captures to the IPEVO notebook. As if this wasn't enough, the IPEVO Interactive Whiteboard System lets teachers bring up a virtual notebook that they can write on and bring in graphics from captured screen clippings or from your hard drive. Teachers can create multiple pages in the notebook and go back and forth within the notebook to review the material. I can only imagine where IPEVO will take this product as it continues to add enhancements to the Annotator software. 

The IPEVO Interactive Whiteboard System works as advertised and gives teachers an inexpensive solution to utilize their computers and projectors as an interactive whiteboard in the classroom. If you are looking to create more interactive lessons and you are on a tight budget then you have to take a look at the IPEVO Interactive Whiteboard System. If you are using the IPEVO Interactive Whiteboard System I welcome your comments.

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Join Me at the Adobe Learning Summit 2013

I have been involved in Elearning for some time now and am really excited to be speaking at the Adobe Learning Summit 2013 in Las Vegas, NV on October 21, 2013. I will be sharing the work that I have been doing with Adobe Presenter 9 in the graduate courses that I teach and how it has changed my perspective on how to deliver course content on the web. My topic for the session is: 

Understanding Learner Intervention & Collaboration in Post-secondary Education  Brian S. Friedlander, Ph.D. & John Dorbolo, Ph.D.

With a shift to learning anytime and anywhere, it is important for instructors to be able to provide timely feedback to students and intervene to keep students on course and heading in the right direction. In this session, learn about the Adobe Presenter 9 workflow and how college instructors can provide timely feedback to students who are taking courses online, as well as strategies to engage students to collaborate in the eLearning process. Find out how students can engage with the content as they interact with one another right within the Adobe Presenter 9 eLearning module. Case studies and examples will be demonstrated as to how this can be accomplished.

Brian Friedlander
Professor of Education
College of St. Elizabeth

Brian S. Friedlander is an assistant professor of education at the College of St. Elizabeth and a school psychologist with expertise in the area of educational and assistive technology. Brian has a passion for using all kinds of technology in his professional work;

he is very interested in the use of mind mapping, eLearning, and Web 2.0 technologies as it applies to his teaching responsibilities. Brian recently co-authored iPad: Enhancing Learning & Communication for Students with Special Needs, a reference guide available from National Professional Resources.

Jon Dorbolo
Associate Director, Technology Across the Curriculum
Oregon State University

Jon Dorbolo is the associate director of Technology Across the Curriculum (TAC) and a philosophy instructor at Oregon State University. He received his doctorate in philosophy at University of Oregon in 1987. He has received many honors, including the 2013 Catalyst Exemplary Course award, the 1996 Multi-Media Educator of the Year award, and the 1998 Oregon State University Extended Education Faculty Achievement Award, and was named one of the 2013 Top 50 Innovators in Education by the Center for Digital Education. Jon is currently co-developing immersive environments.

I hope you can join us! To register for the Adobe Learning Summit click here.

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Co:Writer App for IOS- WOW!

I guess patience is a real virtue especially when it comes to developing apps for Apple's IOS devices. In the case of the Co:Writer App for IOS from Don Johnston, Inc, the wait was certainly worth it.  Co:Writer for Mac and PC has become to large degree the standard in the assistive technology field for word prediction. I can remember when I first saw Co:Writer for the first time I was floored just how good the prediction algorithms were. It had the uncanny ability to feel like it was reading my Co:Writer for IOS comes complete with a large library of built-in Topic Dictionaries, what happens when the student is writing for example a current events paper on the Civil War in Syria? Not a problem, Co:Writer for IOS can go out to the web and create a Scraped Topic Dictionary on the fly. Wow that is some powerful feature!

Co:Writer for iPad

mind as I demonstrated it on the computer. But what could we come to expect from Co:Writer on an IOS device? With a long history of being the standard by which all word prediction applications are measured could it really provide students with the level of support that they would need? I have to tell you that since its release a couple of weeks ago, Co:Writer lives up to its reputation and then some. I am really floored to watch Co:Writer run on the iPad as elegantly as it does never missing a beat. The word prediction is top rate even when students spell phonetically or leave out vowels. The killer feature as far as I am concerned are Topic Dictionaries and Scraped Topic Dictionaries. Those of us who have used Co:Writer are well aware of Topic Dictionaries that are included with Co:Writer on the Mac or PC and how well they can support students when they are writing a specific topic. Sometimes we forget what a difference it can make when a student is writing when we can provide theme with all those technical and topical words they will need to access. While 

As you would expect you can customize Co:Writer for IOS by determining the base number of words that Co:Writer should access which would depend on the students vocabulary and grade level. You can also set the Text to Speech feature to read letters, words, or sentences and set the rate of the speech. You currently can utilize five different fonts and change the size of the text and utilize a high contrast feature, black background white text. While Co:Writer makes it easy to get your ideas down on the iPad-it also gives you lots of options when it comes time for sharing your ideas. You can send the text to iMessage, Facebook, Twitter or Email. Better yet you can save it to your Dropbox or Google Drive account for easy access at home or in school. You can also copy. paste and print the text directly from the app. Don Johnston, Inc recently added iCloud support which will now sync your files across multiple devices which is a great feature. Co:Writer for IOS also supports external Bluetooth keyboards and will work on the iPhone. For students who need spelling support, having access to Co:Writer on IOS will be a dream come true for them.

To get a feel for Co:Writer for IOS please watch the screencast.

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Adobe Presenter 9 - Powerful New Features!

Adobe Presenter 9 just might be one of Adobe's best kept secrets. As a long time Adobe Presenter user it is really exciting to see the evolution of this product and watch as the feature set grows. Adobe Presenter 9 has to be one of the best releases and one that will enable subject matter experts, teachers, and instructional designers to develop full blown courses with audio, video and multimedia. For those of you who may not be familiar with Adobe Presenter, it is a plug-in to Microsoft PowerPoint on Windows, that adds a full set of new features to PowerPoint making it easy to create eLearning modules. For those of you who have been using PowerPoint for years, having access to Adobe Presenter 9 will afford you opportunity to quickly turn your presentations into full fledged eLearning assets that can be published to Adobe Connect, a Web server, or your Learning Management System.

Adobe Presenter 9 Toolbar

As a subject matter expert, Adobe Presenter 9 lets me package my eLearning material in a very professional manner that is ready to be hosted on our college Learning Management System (Moodle). I will talk more about that a little later in this post. One of the new features to be added to Adobe Presenter 9 is Adobe Presenter Video Creator which opens up all kind of possibilities for creating high quality instructional videos from your desktop without the need to know a lot of about editing or videography. Being in the field of assistive technology, I want to applaud Adobe for making Adobe Presenter 9 a truly accessible tool for students with a range of visual, motor, hearing and learning disabilities. In fact, Adobe Presenter Video Creator lets you create Closed Captioning videos on the fly utilizing their proprietary speech to text engine when creating the video. Adobe Presenter 9 adds Section 508 compliance which is a welcome addition.

Once you install Adobe Presenter 9 it is easy to get started on crafting your eLearning material. The workflow could not be any easier, open up you presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint and click on the Adobe Presenter tab which now open up a whole new world for features for creating your materials. Depending on my goals there are times when I will add an audio narration to the slides which can be done simply using my built-in microphone on my laptop. There is always the option to import audio and utilize an external microphone for better recording quality. When it is time to sync the audio to your text Adobe Presenter 9 provides you with an easy to use feature to accomplish this. To spice up my eLearning material, I will often include one or two of the built in interactions that can be found in Adobe Presenter 9. Sometimes I will add a Word Search or a Jigsaw Puzzle to engage and have my

Interaction Types

students interact with the material in a fun way. Adobe Presenter 9 includes over 12 different types of interactions which you can add to your presentation. Having access now to both Characters and Scenes opens up the possibilities when using Adobe Presenter 9 to create scenario based eLearning materials. In fact of the newest features that is found in Adobe Presenter 9, is the Insert Scenario Interaction which lets you drop in a pre-set scenario whereby all of the characters and scenes with the associated paths have been programmed for you. This is ideal for doing what-if scenarios and gives your participants the option to test out what they have learned. At this

Insert Scenario

point in time the characters and scenes are slanted towards business and I have provided Adobe with my feedback that they need to include more characters and scenes that are relevant for K-12 and Higher Education. Despite the need for more relevant characters and scenes this is still a powerful tool to utilize as you put together your eLearning material.

OK, so I added my slides, audio narration, some interactions and maybe even some video-now I would like to assess what my students have learned from the module. From my perspective as a

Quiz Question Types

professor it is important for me know that my students are grasping the information and key concepts and what better way to do that than by adding a quiz to the material. Adobe Presenter 9 makes it easy to add a quiz and now includes 9 different types of questions that I can add to a quiz. One of the most asked for features, Drag & Drop was added to Adobe Presenter 9 which opens up all kinds of possibilities for assessing my students. While adding a quiz has always been a standard feature, I am particularly excited by the addition of the Collaboration feature and the Student Analytic Dashboard that was recently added to Adobe Presenter 9. With the Collaboration feature tuned on students can engage in an ongoing conversation about the material and learn from one another as they are interacting with the material. Adobe makes this feature easy to use and it doesn't require that you have a Learning Management System in place. Once this feature is turned on all users will see a question mark on the bottom of the learning module that they can click to view and ask questions. This is a great feature to get students more engaged and gives them the opportunity to learn from one another. One of the other benefits of Adobe Presenter 9 is that it supports Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) which makes it ideal of uploading to Moodle. Setting up the SCORM package is a cinch in Adobe Presenter 9 and when I am done I can upload it as a ZIP file to Moodle and my students can view the material and answer the quiz. Moodle handles the Adobe Presenter 9 SCORM files exceptionally well and will automatically report the students quiz scores to me.

The feature that I am most excited about in this release of Adobe Presenter 9 is the Student Dashboard which takes Adobe Presenter 9 to a new realm for me as I deliver more content online to my students. Adobe has done a masterful job of providing me with a way to monitor my students progress as they work on a learning module. I just started back teaching and have put up my first

Dashboard

module to see how this feature would work and all I can say is wow- this truly gives me a snapshot of where my students are in the module and if any of them need some assistance. The Dashboard is extremely visual and I have found easy to use. The heat map of where my students are in the process of completing the module gives me a quick overview of their progress. At any time I can email or share their progress directly form the Dashboard. Adobe Presenter 9 also gives me the capability to set an Intervention date that alert me of students who are not progressing through the eLearning Module- this giving me the opportunity to intervene. Having access to the Dashboard is a tremendous feature and one that I know I will take advantage throughout the semester. Kudos to Adobe for building this feature in!

When it comes time to publishing my course there are lots of options for output-you may want to consider uploading it to your Adobe Connect account, a web server, a LMS, or as a PDF that you can distribute. I have always been impressed with the options and the look and feel of the course when it is packaged within Adobe Presenter 9. Adobe Presenter 9 gives you complete control over how your published course will look and how users will navigate through the module. I for one like how Adobe

Published Adobe Presenter 9 Module

Presenter 9 creates an index and the sidebar, but if you choose you can completely remove that and utilize your own system for navigating the module. Adobe Presenter 9 also makes it easier to attach accompanying documents to your learning module which are then easily accessible to the learner. Adobe Presenter 9 opens up all kind of new possibilities for teachers, instructors, and eLearning professionals that are looking for ways to utilize their legacy PowerPoint presentations. With a little seat time you will be up and running using the powerful features in Adobe Presenter 9 to publish your courses to the web or mobile devices (IOS and Android apps are available). Adobe has added a number of new features to the recent release of Adobe Presenter 9 which makes this application even more powerful without the steep learning curve. As I said in the beginning Adobe Presenter 9 may just be the best kept secret in Adobe's suite of software applications -but I have a sneaking suspicion that they know they have a real winner on their hands with this release, and I'm sure they will do all they can to get the word out going forward.If you would like to try Adobe Presenter 9- Adobe has a 30 day trial version that you can download from the web.

Please look for another post soon on the Adobe Presenter Video Creator which opens up all kind of new possibilities.

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MimioTeach Interactive Whiteboard- A Powerful Solution

Let me start off by saying I have always been a big fan of the MimioTeach Interactive Whiteboard and have watched it over the years evolve to a very robust and powerful solution for the classroom. The MimioTeach Interactive Whiteboard from its inception is pure genius- simply affix the Mimio Bar to a whiteboard and within seconds you have an entire interactive whiteboard system at your disposal.

Not to date myself but when I was first introduced to the Mimio many years ago the big attraction was capturing ink from whiteboards when using dry erase markers- so you can see how quickly things have changed. Having the opportunity to try out the latest solution from Mimio- the MimioTeach Interactive Whiteboard was really exciting from the un-boxing to the point of actually using it in the classroom. The MimioTeach Interactive Whiteboard is now packaged in a beautifully designed high tech looking box which when opened reveals the newly designed white bow shaped MimioTeach bar. The MimioTeach is elegantly designed and has that high tech look we have come to expect from these type of products. On the MimioTeach itself there are two buttons and one Power/Status LED light, and on the left side of the bar is the docking station for the stylus which is firmly held in place with magnets that are inside the MimioTeach bar. The two buttons on the MimioTeach are designated for Calibration and Launching the tools and the Power/Status LED light on the front gives the user feedback that the bar is on and communicating  properly with the Mimio Hub, which plugs into the USB port on your computer which supports both Mac and Windows.

It is nice to see that a lot of thought has gone into the un-boxing experience and getting up and running. Once you open the box there is a ten step visual prompt on the inside of the box cover that moves you through the getting started process. From installing the MimioStudio software to doing a firmware upgrade on the MimioTeach bar the process was smooth and flawless. Following the visual steps was easy and straight forward and within minutes I was up and running. While I was familiar with MimioStudio and using the MimioTeach Interactive Whiteboard solution I wondered what it would be like for my students to use the system who were not familiar with the MimioTeach Interactive Whiteboard system. So during one of my summer classes that I teach, I decided to bring it in and have my students set it up and get it up and running.Using the visual set-up guide and the MimioStudio Guide, which I gave to my students, they were up and running without a hitch. Many of my students commented that they could not believe how easy it was to use the MimioStudio software and utilize right out of the box. My students found the software and using the stylus to be very straight forward and many of them were surprised at the cost effectiveness and the functionality as compared to standalone interactive whiteboards that are often installed in classrooms and cost thousands of dollars. My students enjoyed using the MimioStudio software and the vast array of pictures and interactive media in the Library to craft some quick pages in the notebook.  Teachers can also add MimioVote, MimioCapture and MimioView to round out this classroom offering. Having access to the MimioTeach Interactive Whiteboard gives teachers the flexibility to create interactive and engaging lessons that students of today expect from their teachers. Having access to the  MimioTeach Interactive Whiteboard gives teachers a great starting point that can grow with them as they need more functionality. Considering the austere budgets that schools have to work with the MimioTeach Interactive Whiteboard is a powerful and full featured classroom solution that is easy to install and use right out of the box. As I like to say, if you have a whiteboard in your classroom you are half way there to providing your students with an exciting and engaging interactive learning experience-now all you need to add is the MimioTeach Interactive Whiteboard.

Please look for another post about the MimioTeach Interactive Whiteboard and the MimioMobile app for the iPad coming soon!

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Using Some Peripherals with the Surface RT

The summer really kicked off for me when I attended the ISTE 2013 Conference in San Antonio the end of June. It has been a busy summer doing workshops, consulting and working with new hardware and apps. I was fortunate to receive a Windows Surface RT from the Microsoft Education Team at ISTE 2013 and have been exploring its feature set and how it could be used in the classroom. Using the Windows Surface RT, I have become accustomed to using Windows 8 on a tablet and have enjoyed learning the new operating system which has some nice features. Unlike the Windows Surface RT's big brother
the Windows Surface Pro- you can not install Windows 8 legacy software on the Windows Surface RT and are relegated to downloading apps form the Microsoft Store. While the number of educational apps is growing there is still a need for more high quality apps for use by educators. Having said that, there is still a good base of apps for students and teachers to utilize on the Windows Surface RT especially since the Surface RT, comes standard with Microsoft Office. I would imagine that many students will be coming back to schools which have invested in the Windows 8 tablet platform and will find themselves needing to get up to speed. 

From an instructors perspective you will find it easy to use the Windows Surface RT as an instructional tool and I would highly recommend that you go out and purchase a HDMI to VGA cable that will enable you to plug your Windows Surface RT into your data projector. There are many companies on Amazon that sell this cable for a couple of dollars that will

really make your life easy using the Windows Surface RT in the classroom. For that matter you can also plug the Windows Surface RT into a larger external monitor and use it as an alternative to a laptop. The Windows Surface RT also has an audio out jack making it easy to plug it into an external speaker. If you are so inclined you can also pair your Windows Surface RT to a Bluetooth speaker giving you complete flexibility. I was quickly able to pair the Surface RT with my Hidden Radio Bluetooth speaker and enjoyed watching videos on my Surface RT. For those of you who would rather use a mouse with your Windows Surface RT you may find the Microsoft Touch Wedge mouse a good alternative. The Microsoft Touch Wedge mouse is small Bluetooth enabled device that lets you scroll both vertically and horizontally utilizing the Windows 8 operating system. Pairing the Microsoft Touch Wedge mouse was fast and easy and it worked well on all of the surfaces I tried it out on. As much as I enjoyed having access to the Surface Touch Cover, I found that it just didn't work for me and I went out and replaced it with the Surface Type Cover which adds minimal weight to the device. Having access to the Type Cover gives me a great working experience when I am typing or using Microsoft Word on the Surface RT. 

Using the various peripherals with my Surface RT enabled me to customize my working environment when using the tablet and made for a much more enjoyable experience. If you were one of the lucky teachers to receive a Surface RT at the ISTE 2013 Conference stay tuned for some other ideas and tips and tricks of using the Surface RT in the classroom.

 

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Presented at the Teacher Meetup NJ 2013 Unconference Today

What other profession do you know of, that would sacrifice a whole day for professional development without pay? Welcome to the world of teaching and the un-conference model which is turning the world of professional development on its heels. Today more than 200 teachers arrived at Richard Stockton College for a full day of professional development with a focus on educational technology . The day started off with a Kidspiration Maps and iReadWrite. Both programs were very well received and offer students a great deal of support in the area of written language.

series of quick 20 minute presentations by teachers on all kinds of interesting technology topics. I presented in one of the 20 minutes modules with a focus on reading and writing apps for struggling students. In the 20 minute time period I was able to demo the recently released apps:

If you have't taken a look at the Kidspiration Maps which was recently released, I urge you to do so. It incorporates a great deal of features which adhere to the concept of Universal Design for Learning. Kidspiration Maps allows students to use text, pictures, and audio recordings to express their ideas. Teachers will love the way they can give students audio instructions and students will just love the colorful library of high quality vector based graphics. For those of you who like to kick the tires, their is a lite version of Kidspiration Maps that you can download and test out.

iReadWrite offers students a great set of tool for writing which includes word prediction, text to speech, dictionary, and homonym checking. This is a powerful app with exceptional word prediction. Please take a look at my complete review of iReadWrite which I did when it was released.


In the afternoon I was fortunate to be able to present with Mike Marotta a long time friend and assistive technology specialist where we delved into the accessibility features on the iPad and had a chance to take a look at some of the other apps for students with reading and writing disabilities. During the course of the day we demoed: CoWriter app, Clicker Docs, Clicker Sentences, Inspiration Maps, Book Creator, Voice Dream, Learning Ally app, and AudioNote. This was a great day of presenting and our participants went home with a new appreciation of how the iPad could be adapted and used in the classroom to better support students.

I have been using a new tool called Edcanvas which is a great way to share information and links which I showed today.

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Kicking the Tires on the Microsoft Surface RT

ISTE 2013 is long gone and is now just a fleeting memory- but wow was it fun! The ISTE conferences by and large remains one of my most favorite conferences to attend. This year was a lot of fun as I had a chance to meet educators from around the globe who see the potential for creating environments in the classroom and beyond that engage and enlighten students. No doubt we are moving into a post PC world which was evidenced by the sheer number of companies showing off their tablet solutions for the classroom. One of the companies which certainly made a big Public Relations splash this year was Microsoft. As part of Windows in the Classroom Surface Experience Project, Microsoft gave away 10,000 Windows Surface RT's to educators who attended the ISTE conference. It was quite interesting to see educators at the conference carrying their iPad in one hand and their new Surface RT in their left . I even spotted a group of teachers in the hotel one night sitting around the table figuring out how to get started with the Surface RT and Windows 8.  I will disclose that I was fortunate enough to meet with Cameron Evans, National Technology Officer and Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft Education, Cameron Evans, who is responsible for shaping and executing Microsoft Corp.’s technology and policy strategy in U.S. Education. Attending the ISTE Conference as Media, I had a great conversation with Cameron and he shared with me Microsoft's dedication and commitment to the education marketplace, understanding that his company had to become more focused and amplify the message as to the range of products and services that educators could rely on from Microsoft to achieve their goals in the classroom. At the end of our meeting Cameron was gracious enough to give me a Surface RT to take home and use. 

For those of you who know me-you know that I was an early adopter of the  iPad since it was released and own an iPad 1, iPad 2 and an iPad Mini. The iPad revolutionized how we work and  it has been a real boon for the work I do in the field of assistive technology. With that having said, I wanted to be open minded to the Surface RT and give it a test drive to see how it would perform. Overall, I have been pleasantly surprised and am really enjoying using the Surface RT around my home and when I travel. The Surface RT is very well constructed and made of a type of magnesium alloy that gives it a great look and feel. The Touch Cover is an innovative and functional cover/keyboard all rolled into one. At first glance you are not too sure you will be able to use the Touch Cover effectively but with a little practice you will find that it works quite well. The kickstand which is part of the Surface RT always is there when you are ready to read or type and having a full USB port makes it handy for the times when you want to transfer a file to your Surface RT from a thumbdrive. While I am familiar with Windows 7, Windows 8 is a whole new operating system that took me a little bit of time to figure out (well about 10 minutes give or take a few :-)). Its use of colorful tiles for apps and live feeds is innovative and very inviting.Using the familiar swiping action lets you navigate through the screens as you would expect and customizing the tiles is as easy a dragging them to the desired location. It did take a little getting used to the idea of the Charms on the

right hand side of the screen but I have found it a welcome addition to Windows 8 to help me navigate through the Surface RT. While many have lamented about the look at feel of Windows 8 (Metro style) I found it to be attractive and enjoy, having real time feeds appear in the tiles from my various social networks which are linked to my Windows 8 account. Having access to the touch enhanced versions of Microsoft Office Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote is another helpful perk especially when I am concerned about not losing the formatting going between different systems. I have found that the Surface RT has wonderful battery life and connecting it to various WiFi networks was fast and fluid. Bering able to switch from one app to another by swiping is a great short cut and one that I use often. While Apple has decried the use of Flash on their iPad, having access to Flash on the Surface RT has been great especially the way it is integrated into Internet Explorer. If I had any gripes I would like the Surface RT to have a faster processor so that screens are rendered faster. There are times when you wait for the information to show up on the screen.

One of the areas which needs to be addressed is that there are far fewer apps for educators that are available for the Surface RT in the Microsoft Store. One of the short comings of the Surface RT is that since it sports an ARM processor it is not possible to install legacy Windows 7 or 8 applications that you might want to. Therefore the only applications that you can install are those that have been written specifically for the Surface RT. While most of the major apps that you would expect to find are currently there, (ie. Kindle, Amazon, Netflix, Evernote etc.) there are still too few apps for the classroom especially in the area of assistive technology. Yes, Microsoft did embed a lot of accessibility features into Windows 8 (Text to Speech, Narrator, Zoom, and Speech Recognition)  there needs to be more work done to persuade developers to provide educators with a range of apps so that we can use on the Surface RT with students with special needs. 

As much as Microsoft has taken a hit in the press with regards to writing off $900 million dollars due to poor sales of the Surface RT- it was necessary for Microsoft to show the industry that it could design and develop top of the line hardware so that they can control its destiny in a post PC world. The Surface RT is an interesting tablet with a lot of functionality but one which was not really well defined or understood from the outset. This in my opinion cost Microsoft ground in its race to achieve market share in the tablet space. Now that Microsoft has lowered the price of the Surface RT to $349 dollars it has an opportunity to refocus its marketing and communicate to educators and consumers the value proposition of owning a Surface RT, compared to the other tablets in the marketplace. While this may be a formidable task- one gets the real sense that Microsoft is in this for the long haul and is just getting ready to rock and roll! 

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Belkin Sets the Stage!

As the iPad takes hold of the classroom, educators are looking for new ways to extend the functionality of the device and take advantage of it's powerful feature set. While many of us have utilized the camera on the

iPad for still photographs or for taking classroom videos- companies like Belkin want to extend the reach of these capabilities and help teachers get the most out of their iPad investment. With this in mind Belkin has just released the Belkin Tablet Stage which turns your iPad into a document camera and presentation system. Having had a chance to work with the Belkin Tablet Stage first hand, I am impressed with the quality and attention to detail of the design.

Putting together the Belkin Tablet Stage took about 10 minutes and was rather straight forward using the step by step directions in the booklet that accompanied the device. The Belkin Tablet Stage cradle can accompany a wide range of tablets, everything from the iPad 2, Samsung Galaxy, to the iPad Mini. The cradle can easily be pivoted from landscape to portrait mode making it easy to use when using apps or as a presentation tool. The Belkin Tablet Stage has an easy to use release button that allows you to easily and quickly remove your iPad or tablet from the stand. The Belkin Tablet Stage base is securely weighted to ensure that your tablet stage does not fall over. Teacher who prefer, can secure the Belkin Tablet Stage to the desk with screws, with the cut outs provided  in the base. Zooming in and out with the Belkin Tablet Stage is easily accomplished by pressing down on the latch on the post and moving the arm up or down.. The designers of the Belkin Tablet Stage took into account that teachers would be connecting their tablets via a cable and have provided a cabling management system that works well and keeps it out of the way when using the stand. As a nice touch, Belkin has also included a light that affixes to the post which can be turned on when you need to illuminate an object or page under the iPad. Teachers will really enjoy the freedom of this device when the iPad is paired up to an Apple TV which allows you to use Apple Airplay technology to wirelessly send the video and audio to the data projector.

While teachers can utilize any number of apps that takes advantage of the iPad camera, Belkin has also released a free app called the Belkin Stage app which compliments the stand. Stage is an easy to use app that can be utilized to mark up and annotate whatever is under the camera. Its innovative user interface pops out from the sides when you are using the various tools and then slides back to the sides so that it doesn't get in the way. While you have the traditional pen tools with various line widths and a laser pointer the really nice touch is being able to create label flags ahead of time that you can then pull out from the drawer to highlight important features of your pictures or objects that are under the camera. Once you have annotated the image you can capture the image and save it to your camera roll for later viewing. One of the unique features of the Stage is the ability to record a video complete with annotation and audio. This does require an in app purchase but is definitely worth the cost of $1.99 for the video and recording feature. Teachers that are moving to providing students with videos for a flipped classroom model will enjoy using the Stage app and the annotation feature for crafting their videos. The Stage app also allows you to use the app as you would a blackboard and you can even bring in pictures from your Camera Roll and annotate them as well. Here is a video demonstration of the Belkin Stage that I prepared utilizing the Belkin Tablet Stage.



All in all, there is a lot to like about the Belkin Tablet Stage and is it a great iPad accessory for the classroom that you will enjoy using. While working with the Belkin Tablet Stage, I did have a tendency to want the be able to swing the iPad around the post which is in a fixed position. In order to rotate the iPad from a portrait or landscape mode you need to rotate the frame which takes a little more time. I also wish as a presenter, that there was a lighter travel version of this Belkin Tablet Stage which would make it easier to transport from classroom to classroom. I also did note that when working in the Belkin Stage app that the Flags did not always rotate to the right orientation when going from Portrait to Landscape mode. Except for a couple of minor issues, the Belkin Tablet Stand and Stage app are a strong contender to move to the top of the class when it comes to iPad accessories for classroom use. If you are attending the ISTE 2013 Conference stop by the Belkin Booth #5247 so that you can see first hand what a great product they have designed.

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ISTE 2013- What I Will Be Packing!

Well it is hard to believe that another year has come and gone and I will be off to ISTE 2103 Conference in San Antonio in a couple of days! It figures to be an exciting venue with over 18,000 educators attending. I am sensing a lot of energy this year which should make for a great show. I put this Haiku Deck together to give you a glimpse of what I will be packing. Enjoy-and stay tuned for some new product announcements on my blog!


www.haikudeck.com

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iPad Workshop: Using the IPad for Students with Learning & Organization Disabilities

Join me for a full day workshop as we explore how the iPad can be used with students with learning and organization disabilities.

The multi-sensory design of the iPad has made a big impact in the field of education because it appeals to all learners. There are thousands of applications (apps) in the area of education, with many designed specifically for students with learning disabilities and organizational

difficulties. Come learn about the built-in IOS features that make the iPad an ideal device to support students with learning and organizational difficulties. Learn about some new workflows and how students can use the iPad to organize their school life. Come learn about apps that can be used as students move through the writing process, from brainstorming to publishing. During this session you will learn about mind mapping apps, word prediction, text to speech, speech recognition and other supports to assist students in the writing process. Similarly learn about some new and innovative apps for reading. Find out how you can use the iPad as an instructional tool to engage students in the learning process. Leave the workshop with new ways and strategies to use the iPad when you return to your classroom.

Bring your iPad so that we can do hands on activities with the various apps. Participants will be emailed the names of apps we will be working with prior to the workshop. This is a Bring Your Own Device Workshop- so please feel free to bring your iPad to the workshop- WiFi connectivity will be available in and air conditioned setting.

Seating is limited so register early!

Registration Fee: $99.99 & Includes 1 iPad Laminated Reference Guide
For more information email: brian@assistivetek.com or call 908-852-3460
School Purchase Orders are Accepted made payable to AssistiveTek, LLC, 174 Stephensburg Road, Port Murray, NJ 07865


To Register click on this link http://adobe.ly/11qndbs

Location of Workshop : Delaware Township School District -501 Rosemont-Ringoes Road
Sergeantsville, NJ 08557

Time: 8:30 am - 2:30 pm

Hope to see you there! Brian

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Doing Somersaults with The MAX HandStand DX

As I had noted in a previous post one of the technology trends that you be seeing in the upcoming school year will the be the use of the iPad as a document camera and as presentation tool! The iPad will give

MAX HandStand DX

teachers the flexibility to teach and do demonstrations like no other tool they have ever used. It is truly exciting times for educational technology and for teachers to harness the power of these tools. I for one no longer take my laptop with me when I do presentations, but instead reach for my iPad and Apple TV. By connecting my Apple TV to my Epson PowerLite 915W projector with HDMI, I can take advantage of Apple's Airplay Technology and project images and apps from my iPad to the screen. 

What a great experience it is to be able to utilize my iPad as a presentation and teaching tool. But now watch what happens when I pair up my iPad and Apple TV with the MAX HandStand DX, The MAX HandStand DX is a solidly built stand for the iPad that can be affixed to the tabletop with a clamp to give me even more options when I present. Imagine a rugged stand that has the flexibility of being positioned just about any way you want so that you can use it as a presentation stand or better yet as a way to project and annotate what you see under the iPad's camera. The MAX HandStand DX can securely fit your iPad with its spring loaded frame and comes with a security lock so that once affixed it can not be taken out of the frame without the key. The MAX HandStand DX can be permanently affixed to the table top if you so desire-but having the flexibility to place the MAX HandStand DX where you want in the classroom makes it ideal. With a 360 degree swiveling and articulating arm the MAX HandStand DX allows you to position that iPad in innumerable ways. Once the iPad is secured in the MAX HandStand DX you can lock it and then use it in the landscape or portrait mode.The fun really begins when you use the MAX HandStand DX and your iPad as a way for students to see what is under the iPad's camera. Using a number of free annotation apps like IPEVO Whiteboard, Skitch, or Board Cam teachers can use these apps to annotate anything that is under the iPad's camera and project it to students. While it helps if you have an Apple TV so that you can take advantage of Apple's AirPlay technology the same thing can be accomplished using an Apple 30 pin to VGA or Apple's Lightning to VGA dongle that is directly connected to your data projector. Giving teachers the the opportunity to make their lessons more visual amplifies the learning and gives students the chance to learn new concepts and ideas in new ways. To get an idea of how to use the MaxCases HandStand DX watch Jon Corippo an Apple Distinguished Educator use  the iPad and Apple TV and the stand in the classroom.

Using the MAX HandStand DX with your iPad opens up teaching and learning opportunities that were just not possible. So give the MAX HandStand DX a try and let me know what you think. In addition to making great products, the folks at Maxcases are wonderful to work with and strive to help teachers make the most of their iPad investment. So if you are not familiar with MAXCases- just click here and find out about all of their great technology products for the classroom.

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Lantronix XPrintServer Network Edition

Lantronix xPrintServer Network Edition - Print server - 10Mb LAN, 100Mb LAN - AC 90 - 260 V

xPrintServer is an easy-to-use, affordable 'plug-and-print' solution for Apple iOS devices, enabling wireless printing from the native print menu to networked printers. There's no need to install any printer drivers or

download any applications. xPrintServer also eliminates the need to sync documents back to a Mac or PC. Now, you can print documents, photos, e-mail, web pages and more in minutes. Open the box. Plug the xPrintServer into the network. Print. It's that easy. With xPrintServer, schools no longer have to invest in brand new printers to enable iOS device printing. Purchase the Lantronix xPrintServer today for $149.95 from AssistiveTek, LLC. Call or email me about ordering your Lantronix xPrintServer

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Just Keep Moving-LG-HBS-700 Bluetooth Stereo Headset

In my effort to walk towards better health I was a little stymied when I wanted to listen to my music on my iPhone as I was walking tethered to the supplied Apple Ear-buds. Looking for a better solution, I came across the LG-HBS-700 Bluetooth Stereo Headset which looked like it could foot the bill. I was able to find them for about $46 dollars online and ordered a pair to try out. The LG-HBS-700 Bluetooth Stereo

LG-HBS-700 Bluetooth Stereo Headset

Headset has a unique design which is makes it ideal for anyone that may be walking or running. The LG-HBS-700 Bluetooth Stereo Headset goes around your neck and the ear buds are attached on each side of the arc for easy placement in your ears. The volume controls and Rewind and Fast-forward controls can be found on either side of the headset. The LG-HBS-700 Bluetooth Stereo Headset is also equipped with a microphone which can be used to answer in-coming calls. After charging the LG-HBS-700 Bluetooth Stereo Headset with the supplied Micro- USB charger, I found the headset easy to pair up to my iPhone 4S and within seconds I was up and running. Just today I took a walk on a trail near my home and used my LG-HBS-700 Bluetooth Stereo Headset as I walked. It is great being hands free and be able to listen to my favorite music as I do my walk. And yes walking to the Doors and Led Zeppelin did in fact help me pick up the pace-turned in my best walking times today on my 4 mile walk :-).

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Walking to Health

Oh the years do catch up to you and when I turned and looked at myself in October 2012, I knew I had to chart a new course with regards to my weight and health, and so I decided to make some changes. I joined Weight Watchers in mid October and have been attending the meetings religiously which has helped to keep me focused and on track with their program. Each week our Weight Watcher leader encourages us to talk about a topic that  pertains to changing behaviors and thinking about food differently. Having a group of supportive members in the meeting allows us to share new strategies and tactics to help propel us in the right direction. As much as it is a diet - it is really about changing your attitudes and behaviors with regards to food and one's life style. Weight Watchers really instills in you the

importance of looking at the ingredients and the size of the food portions. Using their helpful Weight Watchers app for the iPhone, I can quickly determine the Point value and decide if it something that I will add to a meal- which is invaluable when I am shopping. During the meetings there is a great deal of emphasis on getting off of the couch and keeping active which I have really embraced. Of course being a gadget guy- I knew that in order for me to embrace this change, I needed to throw a gadget or two into the mix and so I decided to purchase a FitBit Zip- which I have been wearing for the past 6 months-which syncs up with my iPhone. The FitBit Zip is a really small digital pedometer that I wear on my belt throughout the day to track my steps and the distance I have walked. It is extremely unobtrusive and has worked flawlessly for the past 6 months providing me with the necessary feedback and encouragement. Yes- encouragement. You see if I walk the 10,000 steps a day it sends me nice messages and keeps me motivated. The feedback and the charting of my activity has really helped me to continue to lose weight on my journey.

I recently got my Kickstarter Pebble Smartwatch and have been using it with the RunKeeper app for the iPhone which has added another dimension to my exercise. Utilizing both technologies I can now track my walk and see the distance, pace, and time on my Pebble Smartwatch. Every five minutes RunKeeper will announce my progress and tell me my pace which really keeps me on track. Once I am home, I can go to the RunKeeper web page and look at the route I just walked, which is a lot of fun. Having tools like the

FitBit Zip and RunKeeper are keeping me motivated to stay on task and continue my new regiment. During this past week, I have walked 31 miles and continue to shed weight as I move closer and closer to my goal. Having joined Weight Watchers has been a god send and has motivated me to make the changes in my diet and activity level which will propel me to good health. For those of you out there who struggle as I do with weight management-commit yourself to a program - add a spice of technology- and walk your way to better health! You will be glad you did- I am!

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Tools of the Trade- A Day of iPad Training

MaxCases Educator

Today I set off to do an iPad Training and thought it would be interesting for you to find out what I packed for the workshop. Of course, I packed my trusty Apple iPad which I have been using for the last 2 years and it has treated me well. I also used my Epson Powerlite 915W projector which not only supports VGA but HDMI which is great for using with the Apple TV. If you really want to experience the iPad when doing training then you need to carry your Apple TV with you, so that you can move around the room with the iPad as you are projecting the screen. Apple's Airplay technology is just great for sending the video and audio to the device. I also used the Maxcases Educator Case with my iPad which allowed me to hold the iPad securely with the adjustable hand strap which gave me the freedom to write directly on the iPad using the free IPEVO Whiteboard app. Using the IPEVO Whiteboard app enabled me to use the iPad as if I were using an interactive whiteboard and could simply write on the screen on the iPad and everyone was able to see the contents. I also demonstrated the IPEVO Ziggi-HD document camera and IPEVO Wireless Station for iPad which gives you the power of utilizing a document camera with the iPad. For my presentation, I used a Haiku Deck that I customized for this training session which looked spectacular- the graphics really popped.and having a 3000 Lumen, Epson 915W projector really sets the stage for some fantastic looking images on the screen. I also used the Belkin Tablet Stand which worked great to position my iPad on the desk when I wasn't using the Maxcases Educator case. It's really a symphony when all the pieces come together! A super day of training was had by all :-)

Created with Haiku Deck, the free presentation app for iPad

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Clicker Docs for iPad Updated to Version 1.2

For those of you who are using Clicker Docs for the iPad it was just recently updated to version 1.2 and some really nice features which include:

Clicker Docs- Large Size Prediction Bar & Word Count

What's New in Version 1.2

- Option to set a bigger size for the Predictor/Spell Checker suggestions
- Improved predictor performance
- Improved hardware keyboard support – predicted words, spell checker suggestions and SoundShift button can now be accessed while the virtual keyboard is minimized
- Word count added to Document menu
- Thumbnails of Word Banks are shown in Explorer, Favourites and Recents
- When adding a new grid, this is now inserted after the current grid
- New View & Edit option when pasting text in Edit Mode – makes it even easier to create an A-Z Word Bank from any piece of text
- The language (British or American English) is still set automatically when the App is first used, but this setting can now be changed
- More pronunciation improvements

I for one am very happy to see that the you can now change the size of the Predictor/Speller Checker bar which should make it easier for students with visual or fine motor disabilities to select words from the predicted list. Likewise, it is now easier to use the word prediction feature when a student is using a Bluetooth keyboard. i also like that students can now get a word count and some overall stats on what they have written. All in all, this a very nice upgrade and I would suggest that you go to the apps store and upgrade your copy of Clicker Docs.

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