To Lion or not to Lion - that is the question !

I recently had to incorporate a number of new laptops into our bank. With the demise of the Macbook (of which I was never a BIG fan) the decision had to made to what we would purchase. The macbook is still available for education but it is technology that is a few years old (and obviously on the way out). The choices were the Air or Macbook Pro. To fit into the educational price range (at least for our budget) it would have to be the 11" Air. This isn't much bigger than the iPad ( but a dearer price) and the 13" Air was going out of our budget. The decision was to go with the base model MBP 13".  I felt fairly happy about this as I feel that the MBP is a much sturdier product than the MacBook and will live up to the riggers of multiple users. Also a 13" laptop fitted the needs of the present Stage 3 classes. They will be using the iPads as well but I'll explain that in a future blog. The major decision was to be "What operating system ?" All of our computers run Snow Leopard and we also have a Mac mini server that runs Snow Leopard. Although they will come with Lion will we bring them back to Snow Leopard or keep the existing ?

I decided to see how Lion fitted in. I had a few weeks before they needed to be fully integrated so I started with one. I had ordered a couple of teacher units with 8G of Ram and set one of these up as a trial unit. My first impressions were rather reserved. I thought that most of the changes were cosmetic - therefore no real reason not to back date them to Snow Leopard. But the more I used it - the more I found and the more I liked. Everyone finds things they like and dislike that are different to popular opinion. I was no different.

The two major aspects , Launch Pad and Mission Control, I rather dismissed at first. Until I started to use them a little more effectively. Launch Pad, which looks like an iPad or iPhone, I decided was a fairly quick way of students finding the programs you want them to use (and tucking away the ones you don't - such as the App store). You can make folders - therefore have all the programs that a particular class uses often (say a Year 5 folder with Google Earth, Sketchup, Scratch etc).  Mission Control would help the students find where they were and what they had open.  The scrolling for different desktops is great. You could have one desktop with Safari open, one with Pages and one with a PDF of your lesson notes. Very handy!
Preview has also been revamped and made more useful. You can do a lot more editing in it. The aspect of "full screen" view - I was at first rather cynical - but I find I use it a lot. If you are working on a 13" screen, to easily go from full screen to showing toolbars is a God send. Even the "backwards" scrolling I found no issue with. I go from a Lion machine to a SL machine and I haven't found a need to change the scrolling direction. The changes in Mail and iCal, which the critics all raved about, I find rather ho-hum. Students won't really use them in my set up. I am yet to road run Airdrop, but I am thinking this could be very handy for distributing files to students as well as students sharing work with each other. All in all, Lion  - a winner - therefore stay with it.

My next dilemma  - can I clone Lion and have the machines boot off the server ? With Snow Leopard my work was minimised by being able to ghost an image , with all the programs and settings I wanted, putting it on the server, and then having a laptop boot from the server. This meant that if a computer had an issue (other than hardware) I would have it boot off the server and re-image the machine. This was quicker and more effecient than spending hours trying to find out what little, niggle issue, was causing issues.  What I had done in the past was to use Carbon Copy Clone. At first I cloned an image to a portable hard drive and set the laptops on this. When we got our mini mac server - I put that image on the server. Because Lion has a recovery partition I wasn't sure it would be straight forward.
Here's where I ran into difficulties! I tried CCC, making an image and then putting it on the server. When I booted up the new machines - they couldn't find the server. Hours were spent trying to figure this one out. I   also tried booting off the portable hard drive - it still couldn't see the image ! Frustration - as I've stated earlier - I am a wood butcher - therefore have no real knowledge of these matters. Ironically - I attended an iPad  presentation, where an Apple engineer was present. I asked him about my problems. He said that I would need a Lion server to deploy a Lion image. Ok - one issue solved. But why wouldn't my Lion machines see the image off a portable Hard Drive ?

I did a lot of reading off the net and trials. I ended up trying "Super Duper".  This worked ! I managed to clone a Lion machine (with all programs and settings) to a Hard Drive. I then used this image to boot a number of MBP's . Then loading the image to the HD. Success !
As far as using Lion on my network - I have found no issues. It picks up the network printers, I have linked the student home drives from our windows server , as well as their folders from the mac server. It manages to pick up everything that the Snow Leopard machines could.
I can see and control them through Apple Remote Desktop which helps immensely. I can update them and send packages. I may upgrade the server to Lion at a future date (certainly expense is not a factor) but will hold off for the moment. It will be to my advantage because I can administer the SL machines as well as Lion (which is going to be any new machines) as well as the iPads. But, to save myself the learning curve (I am just getting a handle on SL server) and to make sure there are no hic ups (after all - it is only version one)
Bottom line - upgrade to Lion ? Yeah , why not ?

Ah - are we too old to learn ? I don't think so ! Marco Torres and Beyond Chalk.

The last week have been extremely stimulating and has lifted my spirits in regards to education and the use of technology. Notice that I wrote "education" first. Gone are the days tinkering for technology for technology sake.THe modern approach is " I want to do such and such - what tools can assist me ? " Not " How am I going to make technology fit into the task I have to do ?" This is certainly not the thinking of students today. This was exemplified by an example I heard today, which was reflected within my own family. On two occasions my son was bought a wristwatch by well intentioned relatives.  They both have never been worn. He has always used his phone to tell the time. Today I heard a similar story of a young lady who gave  her niece a wristwatch - only to be asked "What else does it do?" Kids today - or should I say - reality today.

Last week I went to a very stimulating presentation by Marco Torres, a LA educationist, film producer, and keynote speaker at numerous International Technology and Education Conferences. It was a day of stimulating thought and discussion. He was a man who appears to be one of the people who initiated  the Apple “Challenge Based Learning” (have a look at the Apple Educational website). He also produced a number of the “Myth Busters” TV series and the show is based on the Challenge Based Learning concept. When you look at the show you certainly see two guys learning ( not two guys teaching). Many of the aspects he spoke about are too involved to go into here - but as a brief summary these are some of the points that struck a cord with me. 

He spoke about people who have a passion for what they do. One thing they all had in common - they had a hobby ! He had made a study over a number of occupations and the most successful and passionate people were the ones who had an outside interest. They were able to make associations or connections with their interests and their jobs. He found the same for the teaching profession. If you want to be a remarkable teacher - get a hobby!

He also gave many examples of students who were not overly academic - but had drive and passion. The ones who were curious and endeavored to take things one step further. Really - the mode of which we should be teaching. The approach of the modern learner is  “ Learn, Create, Share”. We should be accommodating this style - not fighting against it because its not the way we have always done things. 

If I had to sum up two brief aspects I got out of his talk it would have to be “Teach Curiosity “.  Fits very comfortably with the concept of “teaching for life long learning”. When it all boils down - it is the main skill we can give kids in this every changing, turbulent world. 

The second was “Solve and issue and tell a story”.  His web site is rather chaotic but worth a look. Also if you get a chance to hear him speak or attend his workshops - I highly recommend it. His web site is http://torres21.squarespace.com/

The second workshop I went to was of a more practical, hands on style. It was presented by “Beyond Chalk” - a group I have had dealings with before. This was more about “you want to use the technology for your students - here’s how”. Beyond Chalk are a group who use young, enthusiastic and knowledgeable presenters - no easy task considering the aging teacher population (in Australia at least). I always come away from these sessions invigorated, enthused and more knowledgable. Tori, the young lady presenting took us through various aspects of working with the mac platform to help and enhance our students learning. Very practical, student focussed and a spurt of student focussed enthusiasm. I always come away impressed and invigorated.  

http://www.beyondchalk.com/

If you get a chance to attend any of their workshops - if you keep an open mind, - you will certainly get something out of it.

Ah - it's good to be stimulated and invigorated !

WEB 2 PROGRAMS AND IPAD APPS

Many of us spend a lot of time cruising the web for suitable programs to help with our teaching. We all tend to appreciate help - if someone can suggest a program or app - that might fit our needs. Like a lot of others, I too, have started trying to keep a list of things that might be helpful. Like others as well, I tend to have them all over the place.

Will any of this make any difference to Education ?

Two things,  that some people might find helpful, I have included here.
The first one is a list of Web 2 programs. These are programs that anyone can use  (windows or mac). I have listed them here (with screen shots) and although not extensive (only 11 pages and being added to all the time) someone may find them useful. The following pdf is the list.

WEB 2 Programs

I have also included a list of ipad apps that my be useful. You may want to check the "ipad 2" page (which tends to be neglected a bit - as this blog seems to have taken a different direction) for a few questions regarding schools introducing ipads.
But I have included a list of apps that we are looking at regarding our school introduction of ipads. It also has a list for Asian Studies (that I have mentioned on the other page) because of my connection to the Asia Teachers Association.
So - it is a bit of a mixture. Infant apps ; primary apps; and apps for Asian Studies (mainly Secondary). Hope it is helpful.

iPAD APPS THAT MAY BE USEFUL

Doceri (something different for your Interactive Whiteboard)

I was reading about a number of interactive "smartboard", "whiteboard" apps for the ipad - to make it a little more usable in the classroom for a larger group of students. When you start investigating there are a number of apps out there that do a variation of the same thing.
One that impressed me was a product called "Doceri". This one is a little different because it does a whole range of things.
First of all - it mirrors your laptop for Interactive Whiteboard presentations. From your ipad you can control your laptop and any presentation to your Interactive Whiteboard. For example - it may be as simple as a Keynote presentation that you control from the back of the room. Or it may be the Smartboard software and a lesson you have prepared. Instead of asking the student to come to the front and manipulate the smartboard - take the ipad to where the student is sitting, hand the ipad to them and ask them to do the same thing. Great for students who are a little hesitant or shy. Anything that can appear on your laptop can be used through Doceri on your ipad.

That isn't the only thing it will do. You can also write, annotate over any program on your computer. Anything on your computer (including interactive software) you can control (mac or windows), easily launch any document and annotate over them. You can record and save any drawings or presentations for later use. If you just want to use it as a whiteboard - you can. Write or draw on it (or have your students do it). I have tried it in the classroom with  students for Interactive whiteboard lessons and it works great. The shy students appreciate not being the centre of attention (just their work). I also used it for a ipad users group presentation which worked great. You can even use it to control projectors, DVD's and other audiovisuals (although I haven't tried that).  All in all - a great and very useful program. You need to download it onto your computer. It costs $50 to buy but you can trial it for nothing (but a reminder comes up about every hour or so - that it is a trial.) But other than that - it is fully functional. The app for your ipad is free - from itunes. Here is the link. Give it a go - a very impressive product.

http://doceri.com/index.php

A Few Little Changes in Technology !

We all realise that technology changes our life style but I wonder how often we stop to think how much has changed in a very short time. When we think the first computer happened in 1975 when Ed Roberts coined the term personal computer and introduced the Altair 8800. It was 1976/1978 that the first real consumer computers were introduced. It then took another 10 years for them to become more readily used. The Internet hit in the nineties as well as mobile phones.  In the twenty years from 1990 to 2010, worldwide mobile phone subscriptions grew from 12.4 million to over 4.6 billion, penetrating the developing economies and reaching the bottom of the economic pyramid. The iPhone came into being in 2007 and the iPad in April 2010. Wow. - how quick things have changed in a very, very short time.

Now let's put this into perspective for the over 40's/50's.  Black and white TV was started roughly in 1956. It really took another 10 years before it became common for most  ( I remember watching TV with my older brothers in the window of the local hardware store). Coloured TV was introduced in 1967 and again wasn't overly common for many until another 10 yrs. I think it was about  1982 before I got my first coloured set ( one of those small portable sets). VHS verse Beta, the cassette tape then  Cd,s introduced in 1981, Walkmans with cassette and then cd,s to be replaced with mp3 players in 1997 ( God forbid that was only 14 years ago !  Where did I put my vinyl record collection ?) 

Mobile phones - another very recent addition. Remember the first ones - looked like bricks and you just about had to yell into them because the reception was so poor! Probably up until 2001 my idea of a mobile phone was the TARDIS  (Dr Who)!  Why on earth would you want to be contacted away from home or work. Enjoy the quiet . 

Then the world changed. Very quickly and irreversibly. And we all got caught up in it - regardless of age. We bought CD's because we couldn't get anything else. We bought computers for our kids to do their homework on. We bought mobile phones so our teenagers could contact us in emergencies. The kids (and not so little kids) wanted digital cameras (“If you want quality kids - stick to film”). Suddenly  - these items became ours and we couldn't do with out them.

Phones got smaller, computers got faster, media entertainment became thinner, more high res with surround sound. In education we got interactive whiteboards and computer banks.  Things went along for a few years with really only minor change. 

Then the iphone hit ! It really did change a whole way of thinking. Call it clever marketing or what you like but it did cause a major mind shift. Phones weren’t being used for just phone conversations. You could interact with it. Receive emails, play games, listen to music, take photos, watch videos (suddenly because of screen size and quality - this became realistic ) and the introduction of “apps”. This was a personal device and mainly taken up by the younger, hipper members of society. Business wasn’t far behind. Linking calendars , emails, phone, notes, video chat had the business community flocking to it in droves. Suddenly - every business man had an iphone. The change of attitude had happened again - and without anyone really noticing. This was a major shift in communication. Phones, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, mulberries could do all this stuff before - but no one really bothered before the iphone. My old 5 yr old nokia has calendars, games, email etc but I have never used it. It just didn’t seem practical. Because of the screen and size the iphone was able to make these things practical and desirable. 

The arrival of the ipad !

Another major shift in thinking. Not a computer or iphone replacement but something in between that will appeal for many reasons. I managed to borrow an ipad 1 for about 4 months to see what uses they could be for education. I stayed with the brief of “education” apps and could see how beneficial they could be for children (although many of my colleagues were going off on tangents of how they would use them for administration or personal use). My conclusion at the end of 2010 was - yes - great for education but I personally wouldn’t own one. Then the ipad2 was released. My school purchased a number to trial. We looked at the educational use, tried them with special needs kids in our classrooms and did our administration on them. I must admit - I became hooked. I can’t really explain why. Maybe it was the smaller, lighter size. Maybe the screen was nicer. I don’t really know. I bought one for my wife. She loves reading, photography, games and using the web. She also became hooked (all for personal, non work related reasons - although she is now looking to how she can utilize it for work related tasks - for use with ESL children). The range of activities one can do on it. Read a book, watch TV, send an email, look up on the net, play a game, make a video call, listen to music, check your calendar - and that’s just scratching the surface. 
Apple seem to have that knack of, not necessarily creating something new, but of being able to put together a number of newer technologies in a format that people will use. Therefore , effectively changing the way people  engage with it.  My - how the world has changed (and me with it).

Ah well- time to reach over and turn the off button on my Black & White telle, duck down to the phone booth on the corner and make a call on my way down to the local library.

I Procrastinate - or do I ?

I sometimes wonder how many diaries/ organisers/ calendars/ task managers one can use. There seems to be a zillion of them on the market - often repeating many operations that the last or rival program offered.
But occasionally a little gem comes along that hits the mark.
I was prowling the app store the other day. Something I rarely do (there lies madness !). I don't even have it in my dock - that's how often I go there !
I came across this little program called "iProcrastinate". The title caught my eye. I am the biggest procrastinator I know. My house is never so clean as when I need to finish (or start) some project. Does this sound familiar ? When you need to settle to a task - you just notice how the photos hanging on the wall need a dust or that kitchen cupboard needs a clean out ! It really can't wait - it needs to be done now !
So ___ the name appealed to me. Better still - it was free. The generosity of some people never ceases to amaze me. Some of the programs I find most useful are given for nothing by people who obviously slave away for hours trying to make it work.
What does iProcrastinate do ?
iProcrastinate is a fairly simple task manager that syncs wirelessly with your iphone or through Dropbox over the internet. It was the connection with Dropbox that caught my attention. To me, Dropbox is the Queens Bees of cloud computing. I love it. I operate both Mobile Me and Dropbox. I prefer Dropbox for my day to day files. It is quicker, can be used with any platform and operates like a normal hard drive. Mobile Me I use to host a web site, mail and a calendar.
Enter iProcrastinate. It doesn't replace either - but it does fill a gap. If you have a task or project to work on. You can list the tasks you need to do, link them with a calendar, attach any necessary files, have a check list of whether they have been done or need doing as well as sync them with Dropbox.
Very handy if you are working on a project at home but want to see a checklist at work or on your iphone. You need to have the app on both computers (or iphone). Working at home - you sync to Dropbox.  At work -assuming you have both Dropbox and iProcrastinate loaded, click on your Dropbox file and it updates  your tasks on iProcrastinate at work.
There are a thousand and one uses you will find for this handy little program. I have just given you one example. I am thinking of the education sphere - but because of it's link with the iphone (which I don't have) I could see the use for travelling business men as fantastic.

Give it a go. From mac to mac I have found it really handy (wish they would make an ipad version - but considering it's free I can't complain).






You can see more at
http://www.iprocrastinateapp.com/mac/

Maybe there is no further reason to procrastinate with this handy tool ! Or is there ?

The "eye" in ipad.

It goes without saying that the ipad is a great administration tool and a fantastic teaching aid for students with disabilities. Most people have found a thousand and one uses for it.
 One little aspect that I came across last week reminded me how good the apple platform is for people with little or no sight. Yes - it does sound like a contradiction. But it isn't.
Considering the effort apple goes to to make the display of it's products hard to beat - one would wonder why on earth you would want something like an ipad if you had limited vision.
Well - the ipad has one nifty little feature that makes it accessible to all. It has "VoiceOver". This allows the ipad to talk to you.
It will tell you what app your finger is on, what orientation the screen is at, read email and webpages to you. It enables you to operate the ipad even if you were totally blind. If you touch an item it tells you the item. Double click and it activates, flick three fingers to scroll.

It is found in your settings. In "General" - then "Accessibility" - "VoiceOver". There are a number of functions in the Accessibility tab that are worth experimenting with.

Have a play. Just when you think you know all there is to know about the ipad - you discover something new. At least I do.