But lo, there is a tool for the Mac that makes iPad-friendly books, allows you to print and share individual pages of a book, and allows for handwritten notes. It doesn’t, like iBooks, allow the author to update all the readers with a newly edited copy, but copy-paste will work just fine. It’s called Pages. For the teacher who self-publishes, Pages is the better, more flexible tool for now.
As with anything Apple, the recent education-themed announcement has everyone dreaming of a better future for the children, and all that. The question you keep reading is "will e-textbooks change the face of education?", just like people asked about the iPad when it first came out. And while I'm very impressed by the design of the new textbooks available on iBooks 2, and I love the fact that they include touchable animations and videos to supplement text, the books themselves don't seem revolutionary.
"This is the only ergonomic and secure Apple® iPad™/ tablet device holder that allows you to have full 360 degrees rotation with the screen while still being attached safely and securely."
"Apple introduced AirPrint feature in iOS 4.2 which allows you to print your documents, photos, emails, web-pages etc wirelessly (over a Wifi connection) with your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. Apple removed AirPrint support in Mac OS X 10.6.5 (Snow Leopard) at the last stage before its launch because of some technical or patent issues. Following guide will allow you to activate AirPrint feature on OS X 10.6.5 for using shared printing on your iOS device."
"Web Apps are revolutionary! Say goodbye to expensive developer fees and nervously waiting for subjective app store approvals. Web Apps can be published instantly by anyone for free. Using the latest HTML5 technology your Web App will magically work across all popular devices such as iPhone, iPad, Android, and Windows."
I wanted to share with everyone a way to save Pages and Keynote files from the iPad to your Dropbox account. Here is a link to the document I shared with my students on Dropbox. http://db.tt/VySWoJ6y
"The iPad holds so many creative opportunities for the classroom, but is there a place for utilising this tool for online systems such as the Ultranet or On-Demand Testing in Victorian schools?"
"Handheld computers are everywhere. From mobile phones to handheld games, it's a very familiar sight to see people of all ages gazing into screens that they can hold. Schools are discovering that handhelds like iPod touch and iPad make great learning tools. In fact, handhelds can play a big part in project based learning. Not only do projects motivate students because they use exciting handheld technology, but they also lend themselves to student voice and choice. Watch or read below to be inspired to bring project based learning into your classroom, learn strategies for creating effective driving questions, and see how an iOS handheld can play a role in the the planning, research/investigation, and presentation of projects."
"One of the hardest thing with using the iPad in the classroom is finding the time to go through all of the apps in the iTunes Store listed under the education banner. We have started to list some of the apps we've found under each of the Key Learning Areas." The blog associated with this site is also a great read.