AirPlay directly from MacBook

If you are running the new Mac OS Mountain Lion you have the ability now to wirelessly stream what's on your screen to your AppleTV. Just click on the icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen and select your Apple TV unit and voila! If you have not upgraded or you MacBook is more than two years old (and therefore unable to access this feature) never fear because there's an app for that. AirParrot (http://airparrot.com/) will allow you to do the same connection. It's worth the $10 price. Easy to install and works right away!

 

Posted with Blogsy

iPad for Figure Drawing Demo

Here's a short video of me using the iPad in my 2D Foundation class for a figure drawing demonstration. To start figure drawing we use some printouts of figures to draw on top of, then draw from initially before working from life. Using the app "ArtStudio" I was able to bring up an image and then draw on top while my work was being shown on the wall screen.

http://youtu.be/oBFOBwyhvn8





 

Project Based Learning experiment

I used some time during spring break to visit my wife's junior high art class and try out an idea I had for using the iPad in the classroom to enhance student learning. I spent two class periods with her students who were working on a design project with skateboard decks. I showed them how to use the iPad to take photographs, shoot video and how to put those things together into a blog post. I asked them to try to document the work they were doing on their project in such a way that another class could learn how to do the same project. Here is a link to that blog.

 

An example of a photo documenting a painting method.

 


An example of a video with voice over narrative.

 

Using the iPad with pole vault practice

As the school's pole vault coach with the track and field team it has often been difficult to explain the fine points of this most technically difficult of field events. I am using my iPad with team daily. although the iPad has a good quality video camera and photo app, I use the the app VideoPix because it allows be to use slow motion and frame by frame viewing of boy's vaults to analyze problems and teach correct form.

A typical vault attempt. We can slow it down and view key points frame by frame using VideoPix

I am also able to use my iPad to have some video examples of strong high school and college vaulters on hand to show our vaulters for reference. I used my iPad to create a blog page for pole vault and have put reference videos there for my vaulters to study.

 

iPad Video Posting

 Trying out video capture with the iPad, then editing with iMovie, posting direct to YouTube from iMovie, then making this blog post with Blogsy. Worked easily! 

iPad in Use

As expected, the portability of the iPad makes it an easy image resource for students. Senior Rashaan Hollman, while working on a painting, needed to know the details of a men's tuxedo. A quick Google search got him the info he needed.

 

 

 

Wireless Projector Connection

 Finally assembled all the parts needed to connect my iPad to the LCD projector in my classroom. Needed and AppleTV, an HDMI cable, an HDMI converter, a short VGA cable and an stereo mini to RCA audio cable. Hooked it all up and we're good to go.

 The image from the iPad screen being mirrored through the projector as I'm taking the photo.

Wireless Printing w/iPad

 I downloaded and installed AirPrint Activator on my laptop. This small utility allows me to print from my iPad wirelessly to any printer that my laptop is connected to. Ideally I will set up a desktop with that utility, allowing me to print easily. It currently only works with the Snow Leopard OS (another good reason not to switch to Lion just yet. 

Week 2 with iPad2

Used the iPad in class with my 2D Foundation students. I photographed their finished mid-year projects with the iPad's camera, then cropped and made minor image adjustments with the Photo app. Then emailed the photo to them so they could add them to their VoiceThread critique. This certainly saved a lot of time from our previous method that involved shooting with a digital camera, loading the images into my laptop to edit and send.
I also researched how I might wirelessly connect the iPad to the Panasonic LCD projector in my classroom. I had already used the VGA adapter to connect so I knew I could do so wired, but wanted to make the most of the portability of the iPad. From what I learned the way other teachers were doing this was through an AppleTV unit. Although the Panasonic projectors can be connected to the network they won't work with the iPad for two reasons. First you can only send images to the projectors through wifi, the connection isn't fast enough to enable video or sound. Secondly the iPad software cannot "talk" to the projector. The iPad software though is designed to stream, using its AirPlay software, through the AppleTV unit to a connected display. The AppleTV though only has an HDMI out connector so an HDMI to VGA converter is necessary to connect it to the projector. Luckily the Apple TV is $99.00 and I found a converter for about $50. I've ordered them and should have them to try out this coming week.
I also purchased a few note-taking apps, that allow for handwriting, typing, drawing, and cutting an pasting from web pages. I am exploring them.
I was developing this blog, initially with the free "Blogger" software, but now I'm using "Blogsy" which has more features. Also began using the "Flipboard" app which is a beautiful interface for reading a variety of web pages and RSS feeds all in one place. Much nicer than the Google "Currents" app. I have begun to experiment with converting my class webpages to blog format anticipating students being able to access them through their iPhones, Androids and iPads.
Also purchased a new case for the iPad. Although the Smart Cover is certainly elegant, it really doesn't offer enough protection for classroom use of the iPad. After reading many reviews, I purchased a Speck PixelSkin HD Wrap. It has a rubbery case that comes all the way around to the front edge of the iPad and has a folding front cover similar to the Smart Cover. It doesn't have the same built in magnets as the Smart Cover but I may be able to modify it with some magnets of my own.

First explorations

Received my new iPad and began checking to see how it might do some of the things I imagined I'd be able to do with it in my classroom. I used the camera to photograph student artwork and explored the simple but effective image editing tools built into the "Photos" app. I can easily crop and straighten an artwork. I can also do some work to enhance the colors and exposure of a photo.

I loaded some apps that were recommended as art  creation  apps. That allow for drawing and painting images and on existing images. PhotoShop Express, Procreate, Draw Pad, SketchBookX, Inspire Pro and Art Studio. Will have to experiment with them all to get to know them better, but on first glance Art Studio seems the most powerful.