Cloning iPads or iPod touches isn't illegal. This note from Apple iTunes Support tells you that you can sync 10 devices to one account per authorised computer. If you read here you can see that iBooks is somewhat different. As too iCloud. If you have a home account for the iOS devices in your home then you obviously sync to that account. Your child, brother, sister, aunt, dog, cat, husband or wife all do the same. This amounts to a lot of copying of data and contacts (Can you see how useful that is for school? Not so handy for family though. I'm not sure your 14 year old child would want his/her contacts syncing to your iOS device!) to many devices on the same account. Is there a limit? Well, yes and no. I point this out below too. The limit we find is about 20 restores. Then it becomes a little sticky and we have to use more than one Mac to finish completely. Hence, below you see we use 5. I am not using Windows PCs with iTunes as you can't sync multiple devices at once with iTunes on Windows. See below from the Apple discussions board.
Read MoreIntegrated, Creative Educational Technology: A Fresh ICT Development
Integrated, creative educational technology means learning to use technology as the joint driving force for the lesson or project in hand. This is the mantra and ethos behind all of the changes we're putting in place at our school. It's a tall order. We have a very mixed set of abilites from both students and teachers alike - new students when they arrive seem to be off the pace and, by contrast, new staff seem to be right on. You can see, then, it's also very difficult to manage training for such a large number of teachers that is both meaningful and has an end skill they can use in the classroom.
Read More
Olympics QR Code Treasure Hunt with iPods and iPads
QR Codes, I have to say, are a marvellous method for discovery in school. Why? Because they offer up the 'unknown' to children and techers alike. The children, as you can see to the left, don't know what is behind the code until the image appears, like magic, before them. The game we played ensures good language and teamwork as they try to work out which image matches the code. Some children didn't know what the Olympics were and none of them had ver heard of Greco Roman wrestling or water polo - "What? They play handball in the water?" Well, yes, they sort of do.
Read MoreAnimoto
For a while now we've been using Animoto and to great effect. There are a bunch of creative guys behind the site and this shows in the way that the movies (photo stories if you like) get spliced together. Essentially, they are randomised according to the music you wish to use.
At school we decided to make a club for the more creative kids in our school first. The reason we do this is to iron out the kinks first - not to make an elitest group. The great thing about making a club is that the kids that attend the club become your in-class experts and helpers when things inevitable go awry! Just make sure you select the kids in your classes ;)
How to Create a Video in Animoto?
- Sign up for a free account
- Choose to do a short 30-sec video or a full length video
- Choose to upload images from your computer
- Or pick one of the following services: Flickr, Facebook, Picasa, Photobucket, etc.
- I chose Flickr & chose a set from my Flickr account after authorizing Animoto to access Flickr
- Then wait a few mins when Animoto gets your images and processes them
- Once it grabs your images you can choose to keep them all or delete the ones you don’t want
- Then choose a song from their collection or upload your own.
- Then finalize your video with a title and description and let Animoto works it’s magic.
- Email the video, download it or even embed in a webpage to share in with others. (like I have done top right)
If you had more than 15 images Animoto will warn you that you some images might get cut off or you can choose the full length version.
The great thing about Animoto is furthered by it's iPod app and the Education log in. The education edition allows several features of the fully fledged animoto edition - namely unlimited slide shows to be uploaded. To access the education edition you have to prove youare an educational establishment and you are who you say you are.
Lastly, Animoto gives you the option of HD. So, should you be a keen photographer and you know the images you have deserve to be in HD then there is this option. Perhaps then use them on Vimeo?