Real Time Collaboration in Pages and Word Online

For those of us who have loved the real-time online collaboration that Google Docs has offered us,we now have additional tools we can use for the same results!  Once an iPad is updated to iOS 10, and Pages is also updated, students can collaborate in real time on their devices!  This is an wonderful feature for which many of us have been waiting a very long time!  Although it is an AWESOME upgdate to Pages, there is one drawback.  The person who creates the original document to share must have iCloud storage available.  Many students and teachers have limited or no iCloud storage space, so that is going to be a challenge.  The good news is that only the person who originally creates the document needs to have the space.  The collaborators do not have to have iCloud storage available.

To start collaborating in Pages on the iPad, start a new document (or open an existing one) and tap in the upper right hand corner on the three dots.  Tap on "Collaborate With Others."  Tap continue and then choose how you would like to send the invitation to your collaborators.  Email is a great option! Type in the email addresses of the people you want to share with, and send the invite!  Once a collaborator receives the email, all he or she needs to do is tap on the link in the email.  That link will open the document in Pages, and the collaboration can begin!  It will be important for everyone to have a chance to practice, as collaborating on a document in real time can be a challenge.  Giving each person his or her own space on the document helps a lot!

In addition to real-time online collaboration in Pages, we can also collaborate in Word online.   Students need to login to their Office 365 account. They can use the webclip on their iPads or go through Safari.  Beneath where it says Collaborate with Office Online, they will need to click on Word. Be sure to tell them not to click on Open Now to open and work in the app.  To collaborate online in real-time, they need work in their browser, not the app.Now they can start the document by choosing New Blank Document. When they are ready to share, they simply tap Share. Now they begin to type in the name of the person with whom they would like to share. Names will start to pop up as they type. They should select the person with whom they would like to share. Then hit share again at the bottom of the screen. The invited person will receive an email with a link to the document.  They should click on the link and choose to edit in Word Online.

Real-time collaboration brings many awesome possibilities into the classroom!

Aurasma

           

          Aurasma is an exciting tool to use in the classroom! This app / website allows you to create interactive images in just three steps. When users open the Aurasma app, they simply hold their device over the printed image, and they are suddenly taken to videos, PDFs, and websites! Students can hold their device over a picture of a math problem and watch it come alive with directions on how to work through it. Then, they can double tap the screen to be taken to a website where they can practice with the skill. Students can scan a picture of a polar bear and suddenly find themselves watching a video of a polar bear running on ice. The best part is that students can create these “auras” too!

          To begin, we will start with the website. Go to: https://studio.aurasma.com/home. Sign up for a free account.You will probably want to set up a username and password that are simple and generic so that your students can login and use the account as well. Your username will be how parents and others can follow your account, so you might want to make it something easy to remember. To be sure you get access to all the awesome features, click on My Account in the upper right hand corner. Under Account Administration, click on Enable Features. Click the box where it says Web Overlays and then click Upgrade. This is completely free. Now you are ready to create an Aura.

1. In the upper right hand corner, click on the plus sign next to where it says Create New Aura.

2. Click on the plus sign to upload a new trigger image. This is the image that you plan to print (that students will scan to launch the video). You can take a picture with your iPad and airdrop it to your Mac or download from the internet! Name the image, and choose BROWSE to get the picture from your files. Once you have your trigger image chosen, click Save. Then, click next.

3. Now you will choose your Overlay. This is the video or PDF or website that will appear on top of the trigger image. Once you have chosen the video, click save. If you’d like, you can add more actions to the Aura. In the box to the right, click Add Actions. Under where it says When Overlay is tapped, click on Add Action. Now you can add a URL that will take students to a website. Just paste the URL in the box. Then, click SAVE. 

4. Now you are ready to share with students! Click Save in the upper right hand corner. Then, click share. Now your aura is ready to be viewed! 

Parents and others can view your Auras by downloading the app (Android and iPhone) and searching for your username. Once they find you, they simply need to follow you. Once this happens, anytime you print a trigger image or post one, users will be able to experience the aura. The Aurasma app can be found in the app portal on student iPads. Creating an Aura on the iPad is just like doing it on the web. It will be easier if students all use the same login and password ( the username and password you used to set up the account). This way, they can add their own auras and view others. 

To create an Aura on iPad: 

1. Click on the plus sign in the upper right hand corner to create a new aura. 

2. Take the photo of the image you want to be your trigger image. 

3. Now choose your overlay (video). 

4. Share.

Aurasma makes it easy to create amazing images in just a few short, simple steps! 

Overlays can be videos from Doceri, iMovie, or the camera roll. Teachers can download videos to their Mac or Pc and use those videos as overlays in their Auras. The possibilities are truly endless!

Panorama 360

Teachers, are you planning a summer vacation trip to the Grand Canyon, Washington D.C., or New York City?  Now you can bring those experiences back to the classroom and to your students in the fall.  Using an iPad app called Panorama 360, you can take 360 degree pictures of the sites you visit and upload them to the Panorama 360 site.  You will then be given a URL to your pictures.  That URL can be placed in an iBooks Author Book or a Nearpod Presentation to create a virtual field trip for your students!  Virtual field trips are becoming more and more popular with the use of tools such as Google Cardboard, Nearpod, and more.  Now you can use Panorama 360 to create your own customized field trips.  To get started:

1. On your MacBook, go to https://bookry.com and set up a free account if you don’t already have one.
2. At the top of the screen, go to Author Tools, and choose to start a new book or simply open a book you have already created.
3. Name the book (if you have created a new one) and click create. You are only creating a book to have somewhere to store the widget you are going to create. So, don’t stress about the name!
4. On the right hand side, click on Add Widget.
5. Choose the 360 PanoramaWidget.
6. Now, go to your iPad and download the 360 Panorama app from the app store ($1.99).
7. Use the app to take your 360 degree photo.
8. Once you've finished taking your photo, you will need to touch the 'Upload' button and upload your photo. (You will need to create an account the first time you do this).
9. When your upload has finished you can now touch 'View my panorama'. This will open your panorama in Safari. Write down the URL of the photo listed at the top of the screen.
10. Go back to your MacBook to the Bookry website and the 360 Panorama page.
11. Type in the URL of the photo into the box where it says Panorama link. 12. Click Save.
13. Now, click Download.
14. Open your iBooks Author book.
15. Open Finder and go to Downloads to find the new widget you just made.
16. Once you find the new widget, drag it onto your page in iBooks Author. At this point, you might want to edit the caption and title above the widget.

That’s it! You now have a Virtual Field Trip widget in your iBooks Author book for students! If you want to use the field trip in a NearPod presentation, choose to add content from the web. In the box that pops up, type your photo’s URL. Now students can experience the field trip in multiple places!

Technology Newsletters

 

Below you will find past issues of the NWCS Tech Tidbits Newsletters. We hope you find them helpful!

September 2014

October 2014

November 2014

December 2014

January 2015

October 16, 2015

October 30, 2015

November 30, 2015

December 11, 2015

January 2016

February 2016

March 2016

April 2016

May 2016

October 2016

November 2016

December 2016

February 2017

March 2017

Time to Reflect and Celebrate!

iBooks Author

   

     If you are looking for an engaging way to package your lesson materials and resources for students, iBooks Author is a fantastic option!  iBooks Author is a free tool for the MacBook that allows you to create awesome interactive iBooks that include your class materials.  An iBook doesn't have to be long.  Many teachers create an iBook for a unit of study!
     To get started, you first need to identify the unit of study you'd like to use for the book.  Think of the way you have your digital files saved to your computer.  You probably have folders that include materials for one particular topic.  That folder of materials can now be put into an interactive iBook that includes Word or Pages documents, PDFs, images, videos, hyperlinks, interactive quizzes, an interactive glossary with study cards, and more.
     Once you have an idea in mind, to get started with the book, you will need to download iBooks Author on your MacBook by going to the app store.  In the search bar in the upper right hand corner, search for iBooks Author. Once it appears on the screen, click Get to download to your device.
While iBooks Author is downloading to your Mac, pick up your iPad and go to iTunes U.  Open the app and go to the upper left hand corner and tap on the plus sign.  Choose to enroll in a course.  Enter the following code:  DMD-TYP-ARB.  This will enroll you in a course called iBooks Author.  It is a course I put together solely for the purpose of getting an instructional iBook to you.  Once you have enrolled in the course, tap on the materials icon at the bottom of the screen.  An iBook will appear in the upper right hand corner.  Tap the cloud with the arrow to download the book to your iPad.
     The book you just downloaded has everything you need to get started with iBooks Author.  In it, you will find video tutorials to walk you through the tools and options in iBooks Author.  It will also walk you through the creation of a book.  You won't even need to read the text if you watch the videos because they include the same information.  You can watch the video tutorials on your iPad while you work on your Mac to create a book!  Rewind and re-watch as many times as necessary!
     The most important thing to remember when working with iBooks Author is to be patient.  It is a new tool, and it takes a little time to get comfortable with it!  Be patient with yourself and iBooks Author.  It will be well worth it in the end!  By the time you finish your first book, you will be ready to start a second one, and the process will be so much faster!
   

Post-it Note App for iPad

If you are an avid Post-it note user like me, this free app is for you! The app will allow you to take a picture of a group of Post-it Notes (or generic sticky notes . . . they all work) and create a board with them.You can drag and drop them into any type of order, category, or group.You can add new Post-its to the board (handwritten or typed), and you can rename the board and share it with others! They can then edit their own version of the board. In this way, the boards can be somewhat collaborative in nature. There are so many possibilities with this app!Think of all the ways we use Post-its in our classrooms and in our meetings! Now, we can take those Post -its, use the app to capture them, and have them in an editable, digital format on our iPads. To get started, just go to the app store on your iPad and search for Post-it Plus.

Here are a few tips to get you started:
1. On the main screen that opens in the app, you will choose to Capture a New Board.
2. Your screen will then open your camera. Position the screen so that you can view all of your Post-its.
3. Push and hold on the camera icon at the side of the screen. This will take a photo of the sticky notes.
4. When you are finished, at the bottom of the screen, tap Create Board.  Your Post-its will now be brought onto a digital board.
5. Tap on the board and options will appear above it. You can choose to align your Post-its in different ways. Tap and hold on a Post-it to drag it somewhere else on the board. Tap on a Post-it to enlarge it so you can see it better.
6. In addition to moving the current Post-its, you can also add another Post-it to the board by tapping on the white page with the plus sign next to it in the upper right hand corner of the screen. A new Post-it will appear, and you can change the pen color and Post-it color at the bottom of the screen. If
you tap on the keyboard icon, it will allow you to type on the Post-it. Tap Add in the upper right hand corner when you are finished. Drag the new Post-it wherever you’d like!
7. In the upper right hand corner, you will see an orange camera. Tap on it to take a picture of another collection of Post-its. They will then be added to the same board in a different “group”. You can combine the sticky notes into one group on the board or move notes from one group to another. This
helps to create categories.
8. To rename a group, simply tap on the board. It will turn orange and your options will appear at the top. Tap on Rename Group.
9. To share a board, tap on the box with the arrow up in the upper right hand corner. Tap on Share Board and you can Air Drop or open the board in another app. If you email from this option, recipients will not be able to edit the board. They will receive a PDF version of it to view only. You can choose to save the image to your camera roll here as well. This would allow you to upload the board to eBackpack.
10. If you want to email the board to someone so that they can edit it, when you tap the sharing icon (the box with the arrow up), choose Export Board.  Then, choose the format (Post-it Plus Board Export). Tap on Choose Destination. Next, select mail and email it to the person of your choice.
They will then be able to open and edit the board in the app.

This app is so very helpful to have on your iPad. Now, when your class creates a brainstorming list or you have a chart of Post-its created in a meeting, everyone can have digital, editable version on their iPad!  And you don't have to find a place to store the chart for later use!  It is always available on your iPad!