2 great collaboration and advanced Clicker Apps for the iPad

Many of you - who did not yet! - are using Socrative, the easy to use web solution

on www.socrative.com to create quick polls, quizzes for a class, where students can use 

any device (laptop, mobile, iPad etc.) to answer the questions.

If you want a bit more than just a quick polling, there are now 2 more - pretty advanced - solutions to go for,

NearPod and LectureTools. Both are free (as is Socrative), and allow to create (or use existing)

rich lesson content. Students can add notes and opinions, and you can test their skills.

NearPod (www.nearpod.com)

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nearpod-teacher/id523540409?mt=8

"Design enriched multimedia presentations and course materials with the Nearpod Content Tool – simply upload a pdf and add interactive features such as quizzes, polls, videos, drawing activities and more" 

Nearpod uses a 4 step tool set:

and

LectureTools

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lecturetools/id521133554?mt=8

"LectureTools is a student response system that also allows students to take notes linked with the slides and videos presented in class, answer instructor generated questions and pose questions to the instructor. All notes, questions and activities are instantly synchronized with the LectureTools web application. It could be used as an advanced "clicker system" 

Somebody states: "iPads in class: now it's a no-brainer"

Well, we are getting there, no doubt. It is still a teacher who needs to create the content,

and those new tools have not developed any sharing facilities yet. Socrative allows

to share tests and quizzes, but there is no search function. Let's keep mentioning that

to those developers. Teachers want to collaborate too!

Marcel Ideler

Chadwick International

IT Integration

3D design ideas

Using Macbooks and iPads, students at Kings Christian College in Australia (Grade12) did some terrific work: they planned parts of their school.

See the amazing results here at their Tech Blog Website;  http://kingscc.it/students-designing-classrooms

(and, while you are at it, they have more great examples of students work on-line. That's what you get at an established 1:1 Mac school, that is even being recognized as an Apple Distinguished School all-together!)

Here an overview of the Software they used:

Archicad

https://www.myarchicad.com/

Free versions available for Students & Teachers

Artlantis Studio

http://www.artlantis.com

3D rendering software (Mac, free for educators and students)

iVisit 3D

iPad 3D viewing of Artlantis objects

Alternatives:

It would be also possible to use Google Sketchup (Pro), as is has a plugin for the Artlantis rendering software.

And having discovered this: I was asked to help find possible Tech options for an Art project: creating a virtual museum, that can showcase students work from 2 different campuses (as it's the case here at Chadwick International). Way to go???

Getting crazy, or Setting your Browser language back to English!

Living abroad? Like me in Korea? Always get your Google home page in Korean, no matter what?

You might have set your Google location to, e.g. New York. You thought that should give you English, right.

Well, that might have worked. 

More often, it will not. In my case, using Google Chrome as my browser, the home page

keeps switching back to a Korean version, making me *%$*^%$*%^ one more time, after I scroll to

the bottom of my page, where I can switch to English (again)

Enough is enough!

Here is the solution:

You will have to change not so much your location (I tried, believe me), but you will need to change 

your default home page settings!

This is done under the Basic settings (preferences). If your default is Google.co.kr, then you know

who is causing you trouble!

You cannot easily change that default however. Scroll down the list, until you see Google.com, select

that one, and then (magic), you can click "make default"

Do so! Ok, one more step (who said it's easy?), and DELETE the Google.co.kr, that is still sitting there, 

ready to cause more trouble.

Now it should look like in the picture.

That will work, keep you sane, and bring back your love for Googling stuff.

Take my word for it!

Marcel