My Evernote Workshop at the Library

Over the past couple of years I have done a number of technology sessions at my local public library which have pretty well attended. This year I decided to do a presentation on Evernote, which I thought would be of interest to the community  I have been an Evernote user for over 5 years and use it more and more for my own personal and professional needs. During the presentation I demonstrated how to use the Evernote application on a computer, iPhone & iPad. Using my trusty Epson PowerLite 915W projector, I am able to connect my laptop via a standard USB cable to the projector and connect my iPad via the VGA cable. Using the Epson Remote that is included with the projector, I can quickly switch between the two devices which makes it really handy and easy to switch between the computer and the iPad when doing presentations. I should note that the USB connection sends both the video out and audio to the projector which makes it a really easy set up when doing presentations. During the presentation I used a presentation deck that I created with the Haiku Deck app on my iPad which I then imported into Keynote. Once the Haiku Deck presentation was in Keynote, I could now use the Keynote Remote app to move through my slides which works really well. I will do another post about this workflow in  the near future. I am really enjoying using Haiku Deck and the finished product looks like I hired a graphic designer to create-in fact I did it myself and you too can with Haiku Deck. Below is the Haiku Deck that I used for my presentation. Enjoy!

Created with Haiku Deck, the free presentation app for iPad

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Great Day Presenting to Undergraduate Students Majoring in Education

It was really great being able to share the work that I am doing with undergraduate students who are majoring in Education at the College of St. Elizabeth. Today was their annual educational association conference and I had a chance to share the work I am doing using iPads in the classroom. I had a chance to demonstrate a number of new and innovative technologies that in some way all connect to the iPad. The students got a real kick out of the demonstration I did with the iPevo Wireless Station and the iPevo Ziggi HD document camera. I placed three quarters under IPevo Ziggi HD camera and then handed three groups of students an iPad with the iPevo Whiteboard app installed  Once the students logged into the iPevo Wireless network they were all able to see the three quarters and annotate on top of the image. I shared with the group how this strategy and approach could be used as students set off to solve real world problems having access to high quality video feeds. In my presentation, I next demonstrated the Mighty Scope Connect, a handheld wireless digital microscope from Aven, Inc. The Mighty Scope Connect, is an impressive microscope that easily creates an adhoc wireless network with your iPad and utilizing their Wi-Viewer app it wirelessly sends the image to the iPad. The quality of the image under the microscope was really crisp and clear and the future teachers could think of some interesting ways to utilize this tool in the classroom. Just like the iPevo solution, students could log into the Mighty Scope Connect network and view the image in stunning detail on their iPads using the supplied app.  I plan on doing a more in-depth review of theMighty Scope Connect in another blog post. As part of my presentation I also demonstrated probeware from Pasco and how it could be utilized with the iPad using a Bluetooth connection. Using the PasPort Airlink 2 connected to a Temperature, Sound Level, & Light probe, I was able to demonstrate how the device could capture the light level in the room in real time and display it on the iPad. It was enjoyable day and the students were very excited to learn about all of the innovative technologies that are out there and find their way to the classroom.

Created with Haiku Deck, the free presentation app for iPad

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Using Inspiration 9.1 to Visually Map Our Process

I think that we have all come to realize that using visuals is a great way to communicate ideas and processes. This is especially true when we need to communicate a series of steps to complete a process. While words and step by step directions can help us understand the process,I have found that for most students as well as adults having that visual support is a great way to ensure that everyone is on the same page and understands the steps needed to accomplish the task. I just recently was working with a school that will be utilizing the Boogie Board RIP to take digital notes and while using the Boogie Board RIP is a fairly easy, there are some important steps involved to do use it correctly so that the notes are recorded properly. Rather than write a long list of step by step directions, I decided to use Inspiration 9.1 to create  a visual that would explain the process. Having access to tools like Inspiration makes it easy for teachers to create great looking visuals that can explain complex processes. If you have Inspiration take it out and give it a try the next time you have to explain a complex step of directions or process!

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Livescribe Helper-to the Rescue

I use my Livescribe SKY WiFi pen almost everyday to make classroom observations, take notes, and when I am doing assistive technology evaluations. Having the Livescribe SKY WiFi pen sync all of my notes to Evernote has really changed my work flow and giving me the freedom to use my pen where ever I may be. Not having to manually sync my Livescribe SKY WiFi pen has been huge for me-eliminating a big step in the process that I had to do with the Livescribe Echo pen. Now I don't even have to think about it and when I am in a WiFi area the pen automatically connects and uploads all of my notes including the audio which is really fantastic. But there are those times when I am in places that while I have access to WiFi, requires web authentication which unfortunately the Livescribe SKY WiFi pen cannot negotiate. This is the case in my office on my college campus, where I teach. To solve this issue, I have been  using the Livescribe Helper application which I have installed on my desktop. With the Livescribe Helper application installed I can now plug in my Livescribe SKY WiFi pen and it will automatically sync my notes to my Evernote account. In addition to allowing you to sync your notes when you don't have a wireless connection, the Livescribe Helper will perform firmware updates to your pen which I have found go a lot quicker when plugged into your computer and using the Livescribe Helper. So if you have been trying to find a way to sync your Livescribe SKY WiFi pen when you don't have access to WiFi then do take a look at the Livescribe helper application- you will be glad you did.

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From Inspiration 9.1 to Inspiration Maps-Seamless!

It is exciting to watch as software publishers are rolling out software that take advantage of each of the respective platforms and in the process creating some powerful workflows. Such is the case for Inspiration 9.1 on the desktop and Inspiration Maps on the iPad. If you have Inspiration 9 installed on your computer and are using Inspiration Maps on your iPad, I would strongly suggest updating your desktop application to version 9.1. I recently did a presentation to administrators on how they can use Evernote to organize their workflow in the cloud and used an Inspiration Map to visually demonstrate the uses. I was able to quickly accomplish this task by opening Inspiration 9.1 on my laptop and creating the map. Since I used web based graphics in my map it was a lot easier to create the map using my computer. When I was done using Inspiration on my laptop, I simply went to the File Menu and selected Export to iPad Inspiration Maps... This automatically saved it to my DropBox account and when I went to my iPad and opened Inspiration Maps, I could open the map. It was really that simple. This solution really leveraged the strengths of both platforms and when I was ready to present to the administrators, all I needed to do was open the it from my iPad. It was really that easy!

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Exporting your Clicker 6 Grids to Clicker Docs

If you haven't updated your copy of Clicker 6, I would highly advise it- especially if you are also using Clicker Docs and Clicker Sentences on an iPad. One of the really nice features of the recent update to Clicker 6, is the ability to export your grids to Clicker Sentences and Clicker Docs. The process could not be any easier and it is a great way to re-purpose your grids so that they can be used by students on the iPad.. You can see from the screenshot that under the Clicker Set menu there is now an Export Clicker Set for App option. Once you select either Clicker Sentences or Clicker Docs- the grid is automatically saved in your Apps folder within your Dropbox account. In this example I created a grid with text from the book Call of the Wild in Clicker 6 and then Exported it to Clicker Docs. Now once in Clicker Docs on my iPad, I can click on the Folder icon on the Top Left and Select Dropbox to see the Grids that I have Exported. Now all that is left for me to do is select  "Call of the Wild " and I am ready to use the words. It really is that easy to do. Give it a try you will be glad you did! To update your version of of Clicker 6 click here.

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Setting Up A Kanex meDrive File Server

OK, I'm a bit of a geek and I admit it. I have used hundreds of software titles and apps but setting up a file server-that I have never done. So when Kanex offered me the opportunity to review the Kanex meDrive File Server I was a little hesitant but thought I would give it  try. I had watched their video on their web site and thought - wow that looks easy. So last week, when the Kanex meDrive File Server arrived, I was eager to see just how easy it really was to set up. The Kanex meDrive File Server is a little smaller than an iPhone in an all white enclosure that resembles what you would expect to purchase from Apple In the box you will find the Kanex meDrive File Server and a micro USB cable, an Ethernet cable, and getting Started Guide. To power the Kanex meDrive File Server you will need to plug it into a power adapter which is not supplied. I found an Eveready Power USB Adapter at Staples for $5 dollars which is plugged into the supplied cable. I next plugged the Ethernet cable into the Kanex meDrive File Server and then plugged that into my wireless router. Next, I then plugged in a 2 GB Flash drive into the hot swappable Kanex meDrive File Server which served as my storage. With the Kanex meDrive File Server connected I downloaded the Kanex meDrive App from the App store to my iPhone and opened the app. I configured the meDrive app and within seconds I was up and running. Who knew that I could install a file server on my home WiFi network so quickly.

The beauty of having a file server set up in my home is that I could back up and store my files that I routinely save when I use Keynote and Pages app. Both apps support the Copy to WebDav which is ideal for the Kanex meDrive File Server. To test out the Kanex meDrive File Server I went to Pages on my iPhone and used the Copy to WebDav command. Once I entered my IP address and user name and password for the file server drive into the dialog box I was able to save my files to the Kanex meDrive File Server. It was incredible just how fast it took me, to configure the file server once I took it out of the box. In addition to supporting WebDav, I was also able to import pictures and videos which was a great way for me to back up my files. All in all, the Kanex meDrive File Server was easy to set up and could be a great tool to use on your iPad in the classroom to store and curate Keynote, Pages, Numbers and other Apps that support Copy to WebDav. Kanex meDrive File Server is available from Kanex for $99 and is well worth the money. Set-up was a snap and n excellent value proposition!

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