Discovering the iPad

I have been experimenting all week with the iPad.  I had saved a number of lists of recommended Apps from other iPad/iPod users and have spent most of my free time going through to see which works best for me.  So far, I have selected any that were free and convenient and mostly related to social networking.   I have downloaded Facebook, Twitter, NPR, Pandora, iBooks, Weightwatchers Mobile, Dropbox, Google, Dragon Diction, Puppet Pals, Netflix and Evernote.

Dropbox is a free online storage feature which I have used in the past to save items between school and home.  Once you have set up a Dropbox account, you can download the software to any computer that you work on and save items into the storage area.  Whenever you log into a different computer the files will sync to that location as long as the Dropbox has been installed.  It is useful to have this option on my iPad as well so when I travel all these files will be available to me.  

Google has a voice search feature so that you can speak your search requests rather than typing.

Evernote allows you to save personal notes and items from the the internet.  This account can also be shared from other computers.  There is a webclip features that allows you to save information from a website into Evernote rather than cutting and pasting into Word.

Dragon Diction allows you to create a voice message and then deliver it as a text message or email.  This could also be useful as a speech tool in a school setting.

My next project will be to finds apps useful for English Learning activities and those that are worth spending money on.

Bring on the iPad!

I am waiting for Christmas Day to open my new iPAD (that I have already purchased for myself on behalf of my husband).  Most people I mention this too ask me what do you do with an iPad?   For me, it is not only a technology toy but an educational tool. I sat with my sister in law last week who is a speech pathologist in a different school system.  Her administration gave her an iPad to use with her students who have difficultly communicating.  Most of the Apps she showed me were free or relatively inexpensive.  One particular App was called Puppet Pal where students create a story by choosing a background and pulling puppets in and out of the scene.  They are able to record their voice as they tell their story.  One student she works with speaks with a stutter and amazingly, when he was telling his story, he was so engaged in the application that there was no evidence of stuttering at all!   So my intent is to use the iPad to engage students.  My first trial will be to find Apps to help two ELL eighth grade students that I tutor.  That's what I'll be doing on my December vacation and hopefully will go back to school well equipped with some new ways to learn English!