Tablets in Education? Yes please!

[written by our Guest Blogger, Erin Baker!!]

Ok. So even after my kindred spirit colleague, Kathy Brooks, suggested I start blogging about my adventures in teaching, I still wasn’t sure what I would write about. Seriously? Why would anyone care about what I had to say?

Now I’ve gotten over worrying and analyzing so much because I have truly found a calling: teaching and technology. What began as a personal search for a more organized, more efficient way to teach, keep track of my students’ individual needs, and enrich my personal interests has turned into a magnificently accidental breakthrough that I would love to share.

Tablets. I’ve been researching A LOT on a tool/gadget that could be exactly what I was looking for to be more organized. I didn’t want to keep track of a billion devices. Ideally, I wanted everything I needed in one place. Keep contacts, notes, classwork, ideas, projects, etc., all in one place; a manageable, kinesthetic, easily accessible place. A few months back I thought I had found my answer in the Samsung Galaxy Note. They call it a phone and tablet in one. It even has a stylus that lets you handwrite notes, highlight and do some pretty cool artwork. Unfortunately, it was only available through a different phone company and if I changed companies I would lose my unlimited data package. When I spoke to my phone company, they said to be patient because sometime in the future they would probably be coming out with something like that. So I tried waiting. Then I started thinking maybe there was another way.

Tablets! More research. Apple. Samsung. Connected to a phone service data package. Wifi. iOS. Android. Aaaaaagh. The only thing I really knew about what I wanted was that I didn’t want to pay $400 – 600. Through my google searching I found a great deal at Best Buy. $200, 9.7 inch screen. Hmm, but off brand. Risky. More research. Reviews. YouTube. I took a risk. Man, oh man! It was DEFINITELY worth the risk.

Despite the disconcerning fact that it didn’t come with a manual, I can’t stop playing with it! But to the point of the whole diatribe, let me insert the email I sent Kathy earlier today:

…I’ve been playing with my new toy (the Le Pan tablet) and I’ve been able to do some really cool stuff with it. First off, the Blackboard Mobile app is only with Sprint, so that’s a no go. I downloaded the Tegrity app and I could watch videos and add bookmarks, but I couldn’t figure out how to record as a teacher. Next, there’s a TON of apps out there. I had no idea. So, I’ve found some great apps that would work for our adult literacy classes, including a SUPERB math app, vocabulary flash cards, and grammar study helps. There are also other apps like Practicing for a Job Interview, How to Write a Resume, etc. that would be totally helpful to our students.

And finally, les pieces des resistance: I was able to download an Office suite, Dropbox and an app called FreeNote, which is similar to EverNote, but SOO much cooler. Not only is it a note organizing program where you can add tags, attachments, pics, links, etc., but you can handwrite notes, type with the keyboard, paint with a tremendous amount of tools.

So today, I took attendance in Angel, took handwritten notes (attached a worksheet) and uploaded everything into my Angel classroom in a matter of minutes!

Example of hand-written and typed notes on Le Pan

…And now I’m posting this from my WordPress app. Cheers to teaching and the technology that has the potential to make it that much better!

5 Organization Tips for eLearners

Edward Stern is a guest blogger for [[My Dog Ate My Blog (LINK TO: http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/blog/) ]] and a writer on [[online universities {LINK TO: http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/online-schools) ]] for the Guide to Online Schools.

College is hard. Classes are synonymous with intense workloads and difficult subjects, professors demand that students give their all, and in between all that you’re expected to enjoy the experience. For most students, figuring out how to stay organized and budget their time effectively is the greatest obstacle to succeeding in class, if not graduating.

For distance learners, ramp that up to the tenth degree. When taking classes on your own time, (often around working full- or part-time work or parenting), staying on top of school is an even greater component of scholarly success. For starters, here are 5 organization tips for eLearners. If you need more help, check out these great links for study help resources.

• Keep a daily planner or large desk calendar to keep track of important tasks and dates. The easiest way to sink is to let big tests and assignments sneak up on you; the surest way to swim is to be prepared and plan ahead. Studiously record all dates for tests, essays, projects, regular readings, and homework. Keep a daily planner or a large desk calendar. Even the very act of writing helps you remember better.
• Create a schedule and stick to it. eLearning is great because it can work around everything else going on in your life, but be sure study time doesn’t get shortchanged when things get crazy. Every week, schedule your days so that set times are allotted for school. Stick to your schedule to make sure you aren’t cheating yourself out of an education by getting crunched for time or mismanaging it. Hang a schedule chart by your desk, and bring another with you at all times to serve as a reminder of what you need to be doing when.
• Print out important papers and keep them in a folder. Even though all your coursework (and even classes) will be online, make sure you have physical copies of syllabi, assignment outlines, and other important class papers. Take the time to print them out and organize them in a binder or folder, just as you did in high school. It may be old-fashioned, but it will help you look things up quickly without having to go to a computer and search through websites and e-mails.
• Have a designated e-mail address for eLearning. Don’t let important class announcements and assignments get mixed in with YouTube videos from friends and all the other projects going on in your life. Set-up an e-mail specifically for school, so that anything school-related goes to one place. You’ll be able to keep track of them better and will be sure they don’t get lost, deleted, overlooked, or forgotten. Plus, many e-mail services have calendar and document storage options, so you can truly put everything having to do with your academic life in one place.
• Set personal deadlines. eLearning classes will have deadlines for assignments to be turned in or when readings need to be done. Sometimes they’ll give you up to a couple weeks to read the material, watch a lecture, and hand in assignments before the next batch goes up. Don’t leave it all to the last minute—it’ll make for a long day (and night) and will result in you churning out poor work. Set your own reasonable deadlines and stick to them.