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=Assignment 1=

Reynolds, B. (2010, January 27). How will the iPad Change Education? [Web log post]. Retrieved from PBS Teacherline: []

This blog post points out some of the basics of what a tablet does and how it might be capable of entering the world of education. It points out the obvious reality that textbooks could be distributed on tablets, rather than published on paper, thus saving trees. It then goes on to cite a seperate blog that lists some of the reasons why tablets might be useful to education (they are mobile devices, affordable, more capable than e-readers, etc.) The blogger also says that tablets are able to bring learners together into a community. I think the idea of saving trees is important, but the changes in the publishing world with the advent of electronics, e-readers, and tablets is about so much more than saving paper. With electronic publishing, there is no investment required to publish something. There is no distinction between what is written down, and what is published anymore. Everything that is written down and stuck on the web is “published.” There is no longer any filter, any gatekeeper, to decide what is publishable, and what is not. This article, in fact, which really isn't an article at all, but rather a blog post, if there is a difference, was not reviewed by any editors or academics. It was simply the ramblings of an individual who has access to the web. There are benefits and dangers to all of this. A benefit is that we have access to the ideas of the many instead of just the elite few. It democratizes information. The danger is that the internet becomes littered with so much insignificant information that it becomes difficult to find high quality information.

Article 2
McCrea, B. (2010, January 27). Measuring the iPad's Potential for Education. //THE Journal//, Retrieved from []

This short article was written upon the release of the iPad. It is a speculative look at what might be in store for the iPad in the rhealm of education. As such, it, like everything else related to technology, has a very short shelf-life, and almost seems outdated already, even though it was only written just over a year ago. The author gives an example of how textbooks might look different in a few years, with the ability on the ipad for the textbook to become a “living” document, updatable in real time; and the iPad's ability to allow the textbook user to interact with the text in a way not possible with a traditional textbook. The author also quotes J. Gerry Purdy, who states what makes the iPad different from other handheld devices-and more useful for education, is that it has its own software development kit. Neither Purdy nor McCrea explain what this means or how it would be useful in education. Here is my question. Why would the arrival of the iPad on the market have any effect on the publication of textbooks? For years, we have been hearing about the possibility of electronic textbook publication. The PC is completely capable of delivering interactive, electronic textbooks to us, yet it has never taken off in the marketplace. I agree that electronic textbooks make total sense, and I don't quite get why schools haven't adopted them. If the arrival of the iPad makes electronic textbooks available to us, that would be great. I just don't understand why it hasn't become popular before this time.

Article 3
Rosoff, M. (2011, April 23). Tablets: Maybe They Really ARE a Passing Fad. //Business Insider//, Retrieved from []

This article is from a business analyst, speculating on whether or not the tablet will or will not replace the PC, and at what rate and to what extent. The author's point is that recent sales trends would indicate that maybe the post-PC era is not truly upon us just yet. Tablets might not come to dominate the marketplace and doom the laptop to become a quaint artifact from a bygone era as it has been assumed that they might, after all.

It is worthwhile for us, as educators, to monitor projections like this about what the future of computing might look like. Because there are so many technology options available, and so few that will be around for any length of time, school personnel have to try to look into the future when spending technology budgets. Of course, information like this can also be self-fulfilling. If there are a lot of projections that say that tablets won't come to dominate the marketplace, districts will shy away from investing in them, and that will hurt their sales.

Article 4
Glicksman, S. (2011, April 11). Assessing the Impact of iPads on Education One Year Later [Web log post]. Retrieved from Tablet Computers in Education: []

In this article, the author takes a superficial look at the promise the iPad holds for the field of education. A year after the release of the iPad, the author still doesn't explore what things are being done with the iPad in the classroom, focusing instead on the features that make it potentially appealing for educators. The features detailed by the author include long battery life, instant-on, price, touch-screen interface, and improved digital reading; among others. The author also explains that while the iPad is usually seen more as a device for consumption than creation, it is pointed out that that is not as major a limitation as it might seem, because the iPad is a GREAT consumption device, and the importance of consumptive information acquisition to education. The author goes on to explore a few limitations to the iPad for classroom use, including the difficulties associated with sharing iPads, since apps don't generally include a login layer. The information that the author shares is somewhat interesting, but it surprises me that he doesn't go into detail about the things that have happened in the year since the iPad was introduced. Several commentors on the post did mention specific apps or uses of the technology in the classroom, such as one teacher's use of the Faces iMake app. More of that kind of information would be helpful. Also, I think the author has some valid concerns about the managability of a classroom set of iPads. As of the writing of the article, there really wasn't a way to manage a group of iPads in the classroom setting. One commentor stated that Apple plans to introduce class management software.

Wetschler, E. (2011, February). Going Out of Print. //District Administration//, //47//(2), []

In “Going Out of Print,” the author looks at the digital direction some school libraries are going. An example is Cushing Acadamy, a private school in Massachusetts, that in 2009, gave away most of its 20,000 books, and replaced them with 200 Kindles. The article looks at the benefits and costs of e-readers versus traditional books. The author also makes note of the transformation taking place from the old school librarian to the new library media specialist.

In the case of Cushing and other schools moving in high gear toward digital libraries, a dose of moderation might be in order. How idiotic to dump 20,000 books for e-readers. Not because the technology doesn't work well; it does. But for all intents and purposes, the Kindle has become obsolete in the two years since the move was made. What now? Scrap the Kindles and purchase a bunch of iPad 2's? Umm, the iPad 3 is coming out in September, 2011. My point is that technology is evolving so fast that nothing has a shelf life of more than a few weeks. Schools simply can't afford to spend big money on platforms that will be obsolete before they get into the hands of consumers. Not to mention the fact that library content is specific to the one kindle on which it was ordered, so you'd have to either keep track of what was on each kindle and make that list available to everyone who used the library, or else allow every user to purchase every book they want to read seperately, so that for popular books there might be a lot of redundancy. Not very practical.

Article 6
Demski, J. (2010, May). The Device versus the Book. //Campus Technology//, //23//(9), 26-34. Retrieved from []

In “The Device versus the Book,” the author examines three university pilot programs that gave e-readers to students in certain classes. The classes were chosen were ones that did not rely on color or graphics, so as to not have the devices' known limitations interfere with student learning. The study was conducted with the Amazon Kindle, The Sony Reader, and the Barnes and Noble Nook. It was done on the eve of iPad introduction.

A lot of what was concluded by these studies pointed to the fact that the soon-to-be-released iPad would be the perfect solution to many of the shortcomings of the eReaders then on the market. Some of the students in the studies didn't like the fact that they were carrying with them, in addition to their phone, iPod, and often laptop, another device dedicated solely to being a reader. It was felt by some that there was a certain amount of redundancy since the laptop could and had beeb used, more or less, as a reader by many of these students. In describing their perfect reader, students claimed that they'd like the page-flipping ability they were used to with their iPhones, which is not available using the Kindle's E Ink technology, and also to be able to access the web and note-taking apps. Both of these features are built in to the iPad. One thing that other studies have found, though, is that for academic reading, the iPad, with its access to social networking and the rest of the internet, tends to promote shallower, less well-comprehended reading than either the eReader or traditional books. Books tended to be the easiest and most preferred method for students to use, even those digital natives upon whom this study was conducted.

Article 7
Raths, D. (2010, November). Mobile Learning on Campus: Balancing on the Cutting Edge. //24//(3), 19-23. Retrieved from []#

In this article, David Raths explores the challenges and rewards associated with campus-wide distribution of mobile computing devices. The author spoke with school personnel involved with the decision to provide incoming freshman with iPads at IIT, iPod Touches at Duke in 2004, and iPhones and iPod Touches at Abilene Christian University in 2008. The article brings to light controversey that surrounds these campus-wide rollouts. Often the school faces criticism that they are doing it as a publicity stunt or recruitment tool, rather than as a heartfelt effort to maximize student learning. My opinion is that it would be an idea worth looking into for a school district to consider issuing iPads to all students, or even netbooks, for that matter. And not in spite of the fact that it might be perceived as a publicity stunt, but precisely because it would. I think it would send the message to our community that our district is committed to being on the cutting edge. Plus, the fact of the matter is that students are motivated to use this kind of technology, and at least some staff would find productive uses for the devices in the classroom, much in the same way that most staff have implemented, to greater or lesser degrees, computers into the classroom. That would not have happened to the extent that it has if the computers were not available for use because the district had purchased them. Much of what we do in public education has become, for better or worse, a part of a recruitment process. We are constantly losing students to open enrollment, home-schooling, alternative school placements, and expulsion. I think distribution of technology would build a desire in students to come to or stay in our schools.

= Assignment 2 =

Educational Apps

=USA Presidents=

[] Flash cards with info on all of our presidents. Something for students to do if they finish an assignment early.

=US Citizenship Review =

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This app is to prepare people for the US citizenship test. An interesting way for US students to guage their civics knowledge.

=United States History =

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This is a US history trivia game. Would make a great class starter.

=HD History of the United States =

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An encyclopedia of U. S. History.

=World Geography Challenge =

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A quiz game in which you drag and drop country names into an outline map.

=World Geography Hangman =

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Like the name implies, it is hangman with geography themed answers. Probably most appropriate for elementary students.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; page-break-after: avoid;">World Geography Crash Course =

[] Utilizes the latest brain research to make learning geography easier.

= A<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">merican History Funblast Trivia Quiz =

[] Another US history quiz game. A fun class starter, ender, or Friday activity.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; page-break-after: avoid;">Oregon Trail Free =

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A game people in my generation are familiar with, but many students are not. Useful for teaching about westward expansion.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; page-break-after: avoid;">History Today =

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Gives a list of historical events that happened on any particular day. Nice class starter.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; page-break-after: avoid;">US History Clep =

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US History flashcards.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; page-break-after: avoid;">Pass the Past =

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US History quiz game.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-top: 0.17in; page-break-after: avoid;">Personal-Use Apps =

=<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Fragger =

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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Totally addictive and fun strategy/puzzle game.

=Bejeweled 2=

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Super stress reliever-very relaxing and fun.

=Google Earth=

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Same old google-earth, but better on the iPad because of the graphics and touch-screen. Plus its free.

=Map my Ride=

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This app will use gps to track your bike ride, and you can share the route and all on facebook. Probably better for an iPhone, which could easily be taken with you.

=SeeTouchLearn=

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Nice app for my step daughter who just turned 2 last week, for learning shapes. Needs to be used with an adult, who reads the cues to the toddler.

=I Hear Ewe=

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Another nice one for my toddler. Tap the picture of the animal to hear the sound they make.

=Table Tennis=

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Fun game that utilizes touch-screen technology at its best.

=Assignment 4=

Ebooks
Either of these could be used for classroom or personal use. __The Red Badge of Courage__ Crane, S. (2006). //The Red Badge of Courage//. Kindle Edition: Amazon. __The Jungle__  Sinclair, U. (1994). //The Jungle// (Kindle Edition ed.). Kindle Ebooks.

= Assignment 5 =

iIunesU; Podcast/Vodcast
[] The vodcast I chose is from Yale Open Courses, a lecture series by Professor David Blight on the U.S. Civil War. There are a series of titles totalling about 12 hours of audio or video material. They are available as free downloads on iTunesU. In them, Blight goes into detail on the issues leading to the Civil War, its fighting, and results of the war and Reconstruction. I would have students use excerpts of Blight's lectures to learn about specific aspects of the Civil War, such as the Compromise of 1850 or the Dred Scott decision. It would be nice for students to be able to see what a traditional college lecture class is like. Also, Blight is one of the most well-respected Civil War scholars of our time.