ipads vs notebooks

Our school is debating which type of new technology to request.  What are your thoughts about the need for mini laptops vs iPads?  When it comes to class composition, I tend to revert back to notebooks.  Have iPads with the keyboard covers replaced your need for notebooks?  Must EQAO be completed on notebooks?  Our staff and students love the math game Prodigy which, unfortunately, is not compatible with the iPad platform. Thanks for your input.

Air Server

There has been a great deal of buzz in schools surrounding the use of the program Air Server.  So, what is Air Server?  Air Server is a program that mirrors what is on your iOS screen or allows you to stream content from an iOS device.  For example, with AirServer you can wirelessly beam your iPad display to your PC and from there to your projector, smartboard or HDTV. This gives you the freedom to move around the class with your iPad in hand. AirServer also supports multiple simultaneous connections, so one or more students could mirror their iPads to share their ideas and their work with the rest of the class.
  
Air Server is an amazing tool, but there are some system requirements that you need to be aware of prior to purchasing.  (1) This software MUST be installed on a laptop that is using our corporate wireless network - not on our guest network (i.e., personal computer). (2) It will NOT work on desktop computers.  (3) Your laptop must have Windows 7 installed - not Windows XP.  For further requirements, please look at the section "What do I need to run Air Server" closely before purchasing. 

Here is the link to purchase/download Air Server: www.airserver.com/en/Download

If you are using an EAL laptop, you can purchase and install it yourself. For board laptops, (ie. school laptops) you will need to put in a request to HelpStar to have your tech install it.

Hope this provides a little clarification!

e-Texts at Mariposa ES

If we provide access to eTexts and supportive technology, what impact will this have on student engagement and collaborative learning?

At Mariposa, we are trying to find the balance between old textbooks and new curriculum. We currently are using Geography textbooks that are clearly out of date, as the information and statistics make predictions for the population in Canada, for the year 2000. SO! We're tired of saying 'sorry' and have decided to venture into the world of e-Texts!

In our proposal, we outlined the value of being able use up-to-date texts as well as interactive features that will take the learning just from a note on a page, into actual context and understanding. 

We are also curious to see the effects of more access to computers in the classroom, on the acceptance of the SEA laptops for some of our students. Currently, there is a 'stigma' amongst our students, in that none want to be labelled as a 'laptop kid'. We hope that if EVERYONE has access, then this stigma will be broken down.

At this point in time, we are having some difficulty actually acquiring the texts. We are in the process of purchasing and hope to have them up and running for the next blog! 

E-Portfolio

I spent today working in Julie McColl's classroom. We've been working on E portfolios. Students are able to create learning goals tied to the learning skills as well as highlight various tasks they have completed in the classroom. Students are then using this portfolio to present to parents about the learning that is taking place in their classroom at parent teacher interviews. The E portfolio we chose to use is available through Desire To Learn, the provincial learning management system. 

Welcome

Welcome to the IIT 2013/14 Blog!!

We are thrilled to be working with you this year. We are going to use this space to share how we progress in using the technology for our IIT projects.