Tag Archives: iPad

Ken's Final thoughts on the iPad

Using the iPad this semester was interesting. I already had owned Android and iOS phones, but this is the first tablet I’d used for a long period of time. Having the extra screen real estate on a mobile device was nice, although I realized that for the work I do the best device is a MacBook and that a phone is more convenient for most mobile use.

The one area where a tablet seems most useful is for reading articles and eBooks, which makes it an attractive device for students. On this I’m a bit torn because it’d certainly be better than using multiple textbooks, however carrying three separate devices with me seems strange. This is probably an irrational aversion though; I’m sure I could get used to the idea of having a device in my pocket, two in my bag, and soon maybe even one on my wrist. The biggest conclusion I’ve reached at this point is that buying stock in Apple is probably a good idea.

iPad reflection – Final

I cannot express how glad I am I took this class. The last 13 weeks have tough me a great deal of technology, being able to interact with students have helped me understand their needs better, being back to school have renewed my understanding of how complicated student lives can be, but most importantly, having used an iPad as my only technical device for the class has shown me the potential of such little device.

After these 13 weeks, I find that iPads are a Jack of all trades and Masters of “most”. An iPad does a tremendous amount of things, GarageBand, iMovie, KeyNote, POP, and the endless array of productive applications are just some of the examples of the power of this tablet. It does a lot, and I mean a lot of things really really well.

When I compare it to my work device of choice, a Chromebook, there is only one reason why I would pick the Chromebook. The Chromebook only does one thing, but it does it exceptionally well. It provides a full feature web browser, and for work, in a Google environment, it is great news. However, putting work aside, and in a student environment, an iPad would, without a doubt, be my device of choice.

Ken's Weekly iPad Reflection, Week 12

Recently, inspired by Jay, I’ve been looking into sending MIDI between different apps on the iPad. One promising way is using Inter-app Audio, which was introduced in iOS 7. A lot of apps support it, including GarageBand and Tabletop.

There’s also an app called MidiBridge that lets you route MIDI to and from apps that support it. This might be more promising because it seems like more apps can use it. If I were to write an app that supported MIDI thought I’d probably look to support Inter-app Audio too since MidiBridge costs $8.99 so that’d be a barrier for people.

 

iPad – Shady – Week 12

In the theme of design, this week I had to be a companion at the hospital.  While I was there, I saw nurses scooting around computers on wheels.  The entire setup must cost thousands; big frames, bumpers, wiring, batteries, monitor cradle, etc.  The nurse goes from room to room asking patients a series of questions before surgery, and she clicks the appropriate boxes.

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Being in the field of IT, this interests me, and now, having been exposed to an iPad, I couldn’t help but thinking, how much easier would it be for this nurse to carry an iPad mini on her pocket.  The same software could be setup as an iOS app.  A fraction of the cost, and a simpler tool to carry.

 

 

Weekly iPad Reflection Chris W

After almost a full semester of occupying the iPad, I don’t know how I am going to live without this thing.  All my assignments and a majority of my internet browsing are done using the iPad.

Stony brook University uses a website called Blackboard to distribute assignments, post grades and weekly reminders, and have the students interact with one another. I navigate blackboard exclusively form my iPad. The layout is nicer. The design is nicer. Everything is nicer on the app end of Blackboard.

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Web version of Blackboard

imageApp version of Blackboard

The main difference between the two is the active panel the app version has. It is easy to navigate the different tabs as well as see exactly where you are.

Oh Back Button, I Hearken Ye

It’s been a while since I posted an update on what apps I currently have on my iPad. I’ve definitely increased the number of them that I use. Only the highlighted ones are used without fail every day, but I will definitely say that I still use most of them on a weekly if not every other day basis. I have now used the iPad for about three months, and have finally gotten used to not having a keyboard. Granted, I could never imagine writing a paper without a dedicated one. Other than that, I have noticed that I am much more productive throughout the day–I always have access to materials and tools for each of my classes.

I still want a back button. You think I’m joking, but I’m not. There are so many apps that you cannot simply go back one step; you must completely start over.

Apps As of 4_20_15

Technically Yours,

R.

P.S. I assure you that the game “8bit Doves” says exactly that. Image compression is a bit dirty..

 

Weekly iPad Reflection Chris W.

 

One app that would interesting to see in higher education is an app that shows students how much of their tuition is being wasted if they skip a class or something similar to that. This app’s purpose is to show students the dangers and costs of procrastination. If the students want it could give tips on better ways to allocate their time. The content would be clever and humorous. I’d like to call it CrnchTime.

 

(Late post because I need CrnchTime too)

Ken – Student App Idea

My app idea is an online marketplace, basically like Fiverr or oDesk but specific to Stony Brook. People could do small freelance jobs for each other in exchange for credits, which they can cash out or spend on hiring people to do jobs for them. Some examples might be designing a resume site for someone or making a logo for their app. I imagine many departments could use this a lot, for instance if the music department needs a programmer or the computer science department needs an artist. Basically it would create a market for trade within the campus.

I feel that limiting it to the campus would increase the quality of work over other online freelance marketplaces, and offer a greater degree of accountability since you might know somebody who knows the person hiring you. It could be integrated with Facebook, LinkedIn, and Yammer to use already existing social connections, allowing you to vouch for someone or find a friend of a friend with the skills you need. It would also provide an opportunity for networking or friendship among students by working on each other’s projects, and experience delegating parts of their own projects.

iPad reflection – Shady – Week 10

This is going to be tricky, because I wouldn’t be surprised if something similar already exists.

I would like an app that would show me a map of all campus activities going on per day. I.e. when I would open the app, I would see a map with push pins, i.e. one at the stadium representing a soccer game at 6pm today, and that at Staller there will be a play at 8pm.

I would also like it to have different color pins, i.e. green representing events today, blue representing events tomorrow, yellow representing events in the upcoming week.

The app would also provide alerts when you are near an event. I.e. Soccer game 100ft ahead in 1 hour.

Do Tablets in the Classroom Really Help Children Learn?

Take a look … any reactions?

Abilene Christian University conducted research around the same time that found math students who used the iOS app “Statistics 1” saw improvement in their final grades. They were also more motivated to finish lessons on mobile devices than through traditional textbooks and workbooks.

via Do Tablets in the Classroom Really Help Children Learn?.