Nearpod can control the iOS classroom

For a few years now, more schools are beginning to adopt the iOS classroom.  I'm not sure if that's a real term yet, but if it catches on, I will appreciate royalties.  iPads, especially, are being considered to enhance classroom learning.  From what I've observed, schools take two approaches to this: either they like to play it safe (toes in) by buying a few to pilot in a classroom/whole school or they pull out the checkbook and commit themselves to a large investment (the cannonball splash).  Both have their virtues, especially when budget is in consideration; however, neither one really has much chance of success without an implementation plan.  Just saying "I want an iPad so we can let students use all those educational apps" isn't a plan as much as it is simply wanting to keep up with technology trends.  If you're going to spring for a classroom iPad set, it needs to become a part of your curriculum that students don't see as a toy for playing games on all the time.  I find this reminiscent of when I attended elementary school and we got our first computer lab all so that we could play Oregon Trail.  It was a first step in implementation before really grasping the learning capabilities inherit to such devices.  My research has lead me to discover an app designed with forward thinking for how teachers can truly harness the iOS classroom. 

Summary: Nearpod, launched in 2012, is a device management system that allows a superuser (teacher) to push content and deliver interactive presentations to the student users.  It takes on properties similar to an MDM (mobile device management) system, putting the teacher in control  by synchronizing content of what students see and do.  The most impressive feature for this is the ability to create rich presentation material that includes audio and video multimedia, internet content, and interactive quizzes that push results back to the instructor.  There is also a public library of content appropriate across a broad range of ages and topics.  Creating content is intuitive and fun (at least for the first couple), and the delivery to other devices is great.  Imagine being in control of all those devices.  Feel the power...

Who doesn't love dinosaurs?

Cons: Alas, there are drawbacks to Nearpod.  The first is obvious - MONEY.  While there is a Silver Membership, it really feels more like brass.  Its privileges provide the limited capabilities of a demo: 30 devices, maximum 10 presentations, 200mb storage.  All in all, not impressive.  Cleverly designed to have you try it, like it, and affect your sleep once you realize you've used it to full capacity.  A Gold membership is a great way to go when dealing with a single classroom set, but $120/month is too much for teachers out-of-pocket, provides unlimited access.  If your school has multiple sets, a School Edition Membership may help you negotiate the right price. Drawbacks include:

• price tag
• content you create is only available using Nearpod
• cancellation of service may affect your ability to retain projects
• iOS compatible only (sorry, Droid)

For a classroom with iPads and iPods available for student use, this is a tremendous step forward in the instructional value.  The price tag coming with this app, in my opinion, is worthwhile to provide meaningful delivery of content  that engages student learning and still allows teachers to be put into control.  If you're going to spend the thousands of dollars to invest in classroom iPad sets, you need to also budget for ways get the most of them.  We don't buy toys for students (except when I was a kindergarten teacher), we provide tools for learning.  You can't buy a car as a single purchase - you need to continue to budget costs of gas and maintenance to get the most out of your vehicle.  Our technology purchases need to take on that same line of thinking.  Consider looking into Nearpod to meet those needs.  I believe this is the first of many MDM apps to come that will enhance the way iPads are used in education.

Brain Pop Jr. for iPad

While I was teaching Kindergarten and First Grade, Brain Pop Jr. may have been my lesson planning best friend (other than Courtney and Trish, of course).  Brain Pop provided an easy way to integrate technology through the use of colorful, animated multimedia that closely matched many of the concepts I was teaching at that time, whether it was for math, reading, health or history.  I could not envision my classroom without it. BPJr. follows Annie and robot Moby through a vast array of learning topics.  Each video lasts only about 5 minutes which gives you, the teacher, ample time to set up an activity (or clean up one!).  Using the videos also provides transitions in the lesson.

Here's what you need to know about Brain Pop Jr.

Like Brain Pop (Sr.), it requires a subscription to get full access.  This means all the videos on MLK, counting by 10's, nouns, George Washington, and exercise are neatly tucked away until you're willing to shell out some cash.  If your school has a subscription already, take advantage of it!  It's worth every penny and may not be there forever.  While the cost is not unreasonable, its impractical for a teacher to pay out of his/her own pocket.  At the very least, you can use it for upcoming holidays and historical events, which are typically featured for free during the week of the event. 

Pros

• Short, engaging videos
• Easy Tech-integration tool
• Follow-up quizzes (easy/hard)
• Topics familiar to Kinder-2nd Grade curriculum
• Catchy music, corny jokes
• The App is Free...

Cons

• Paid subscription needed for full access
• Post-video activities are weak
• Students can print scores from Quizzes, but cannot send digitally to teacher
• Catchy music, corny jokes

In closing, I feel without a subscription, this app will be quickly forgotten due to its limited features.  However, since it doesn't take up much space on the device, it's worth keeping if you have a few iPads in the classroom to use as a holiday lesson.  

Is the App right for You?

How do you know if an app is worth downloading?

How do you know if it is safe to put on your device?

I am that person who loves downloading new apps just so that I can see what it looks like and how it feels.  Whether it is for a game, department store, or traveling I have a my own checklist to help me determine if I should A) Download it and B) Keep it once I do.  This article is to provide some fundamental security-related FYIs as well as help you become better at rating/reviewing content.  Most of the suggestions are standard for Android or iOS apps.  However, the security recommendations are primarily geared toward Android apps via Google Play store, which has looser restrictions and screening of developers and the apps they post. 

Before you download...

How much does it cost? 
Remember, there's no refund.  If it doesn't look worthwhile, there is probably a reason for it.  Just because its not free, doesn't make it worth avoiding.  Sometimes its worth dropping $.99 on an app!  Think how many times you shop from McDonald's dollar menu and that should put things into perspective.

Who Makes it?
Does the developer have a good/bad reputation?  Have they developed other apps in the past?  A first-time app publisher could be a red flag for an app teaming with bugs that may or may not be adequately addressed.  How often are patches and updates released?  If an app released last year has had no updates, don't expect any new features to be coming soon.

How Many People are Using It?
If its a new app, you may be first in line...but it may be worth your while to wait a little while.  User feedback is important and apps could be potentially malicious.  Let some of your peers try it first.

Read the Reviews
Ignore most of the people offering 5 stars.  You want to know why people DON'T like the app.  Some people will have shallow reasons for their displeasure with the program, but others will provide meaningful insight as to how expectations feel short, usability issues, bugs, or design.  Negative comments don't have to deter you, but it should educate you at the very least.

What do you want it to do?
Think about what you are looking for in an app before using it.  If you want to know the weekly sales for a store but can't easily find it on the app, then it is not meeting your needs.   Check your expectations.  If you're expecting a full-scope of interactive features and user interface quality, maybe demanding all that from a free app is unreasonable.  A couple bucks may get you EXACTLY what you want, but if you got it for free, take a deep breath...it's going to be alright.

What does the App Access?
This is especially important when dealing with Android device security.  All app developers must specify what device features an app will access.  You, as the user, must agree to allow all these permissions in order to let it run.  Be wary of apps that require access to your contacts - very few apps actually need this information.  This could be the result of careless developing or a means of stealing personal data. 

Always Write a Review
If you took the time to research an app, whether you love it or hate it - Rate it!  Be fair during your review and offer a review worth reading.  Writing "It's a piece of crap" does not help anyone, nor will it win you a Caldecott Award.

Book Creator for iPad

Become a Self-Published e-Book Author!

In January 2012, Apple released a beautiful free program called iBook Author, which allows you to create rich and beautiful e-publishable books to upload to an iPad's bookshelf.  Despite being a free download, the program has its drawbacks:

• MAC device-only 
• steep learning curve
• EULA (End User License Agreement) concerns 

This PC-user was disheartened, especially knowing that a similar program (i.e. Adobe InDesign) could cost as much as $500.  A little iPad App Store search brought me across this gem, Book Creator.  While I normally like to keep my app purchases below $1.99, I took a leap of faith and picked up this $4.99 treat.  So far, I am not disappointed.  Book Creator allows you to create digital e-Pub books to upload to your iPad Library.  After a quick tutorial, I set out in full pace.  5-10 minutes of playing around should make you a Pro...or at least comfortable enough to use it.  The features are limited, which helps minimize the learning curve, but I was still impressed by how much I could do!  Here's a quick list of features available on my current version of the app:

• Font editing (size, font, color)
• Change background colors
• Adding images
• Hyperlinks
• Embed video clips
• Add/Remove/Reorganize pages
• 3 Layouts (Portrait, Landscape, Square)
• Animated Page-turning features
• Import to iPad Library, send to Printer (app required), Email, or send to Google Drive (app required)

What drew me to this app is how easily I imagine using this with a group of students.  They can quickly learn the features and create their own work adding interactive content.  I quickly saw limitless potential with a group of students.  My first brainstorming lesson ideas were:

• Demonstrate a process/steps for a task
• Short story
• Informational Book using Web-search images
• Reinforce writing process (Publication phase)

Alas, this app is not all gold.  As stated earlier, this app sells at a mid-range price ($4.99) that can really add up when downloading to multiple devices.  The features are limited, which means for some (like myself) this hinders creativity and what you can do, but that is at the sacrifice when making a very user-friendly app.  Also, typing long expositions using the iPad keyboard is tedious.  I would recommend copying and pasting from another document or using a Bluetooth accessible keyboard for lengthy works.  Red Jumper Studio seems to take care of this app and provides regular upgrades and maintenance.  They have created something fun, imaginative, and inspiring.  Time to put all those great novel ideas to pen! 

To learn more about this app and its developers, visit the Red Jumper Studio website.