My favorite software from GoKnow, Sketchy, is now available in the App Store for iPod touch and iPhone! Sketchy has been around for years on Palm handhelds and Pocket PCs, and it has been enjoyed by thousands of students. They have a yearly contest and you can view example animations from my former students. The process of creating a flipbook-style animation is incredibly educational. When students of any age make an animation about any subject, they learn a lot during the process, and they have a final product that they view over and over and over.

Here's GoKnow's description of Sketchy for iPhone:

Get started now with Sketchy - the easy to use drawing and animation app. You can use different drawing tools, photos from your library or direct from the camera, and even text to create frame based animations (or flipbooks).

Features:

• Simple user interface
• Import right from the camera or photo library
• Paint brush, eraser, rectangle, filled rectangle, oval, and filled oval tools
• Select tool - double tap to select all
• Text tool - annotate your photos and drawings
• Many colors to choose from
• Adjustable drawing width
• Cut, copy, paste, and delete
• Undo function
• Duplicate frames

Quick How-To:

• Start drawing right away with your finger
• Use + button to add new frames - including from the camera or photo library
• Tools button lets you change the drawing tool, width, and color
• With select tool, double tap to select whole frame
• Edit button brings up Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, and Undo
• Files button to create new animation or open previous animations
• Tap frame number to jump to another frame

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later

Sketchy ($0.99) for iPhone is really quick to learn. Popular animation apps, Flipbook ($4.99) and Flipbook Lite (Free), are more complicated in comparison to Sketchy because Flipbook has many more features. The most important feature that Sketchy lacks is a way to share animations. There is not a way to export the animation for viewing online or on other iPods and iPhones. In contrast, Flipbook projects can be saved as an MPEG-4 videos on the flipbook.tv site (read my previous post about the Flipbook app). Another similar app, Animation Creator ($0.99) can export to YouTube. I hope an export feature is added to Sketchy soon because everyone loves to share their animations.

After working with Sketchy, Flipbook, and Animation Creator, Sketchy is the most simple. Animation Creator has a good balance of features versus ease-of-use. Flipbook has the most features and is the most complicated to learn. Sketchy has one very important feature the others do not: a text tool. It's so much better to annotate a drawing when you can type on the screen. Handwriting on an iPod touch or iPhone is difficult and usually looks sloppy.

It's great that we have options when it comes to animation apps. Whichever app you use, drawing with a finger can be challenging. You might look into a stylus for drawing.

Labels: appstore, iphone, ipodtouch, sketchy

The K12 Online Conference is an annual event where presenters share about various topics in education and technology. Most presentations are in video format and are freely available to educators around the world. The conference, run entirely by volunteers, began November 30th and is ongoing through January 9th. I'd like to point you toward two presentations about iPhones and iPod touches.

Just a "Touch" of Leadership – Using the iPod touch/iPhone in Administration
Andy Crozier and Mike Amante in Cedar Rapids Iowa and New Hartford, New York show you apps and success stories from administrators in the field that are using iPod touch/iPhone for data collection, organization, creating a mobile office, and personal professional development. Links to apps and resources mentioned in this video can be found at the Apple Learning Interchange. (Audio in the video below is not working correctly. Click here for a better version.)

 

The iPod touch in the Classroom
Kern Kelley from Newport, Maine shows some of the basic uses for iPod touch. Kern first takes you from unboxing the iPod to syncing with iTunes. After showing some basics, he shares a dozen of his favorite apps and they are listed here.

 

You can download the above videos in iTunes since the 2009 K12 Online Conference is available as a podcast. You might be interested in other sessions so check out the 2009 schedule.

Labels: events, iphone, ipodtouch

Dragon Dictation is a new iPhone app. It's a straight-forward voice recognition application from Nuance, the same company that makes Dragon NaturallySpeaking for desktop computers. Simply launch the app and tap the record button. Speak into the microphone. Tap Done when finished and Dragon Dictation sends your audio to their servers for processing. Within seconds, the servers send back the text created from your speech.

You will need to say punctuation marks you want to include, like "period" and "comma." In my testing I found that Dragon Dictation made fewer errors than I expected. It's easy to tap the keyboard icon to correct the text. After the text is the way you like it, you'll probably send it to the clipboard so you can paste it into any application. There's also the option to start an email message with the text or to send as a text message.

Voice-to-text is an exciting use for a handheld, particularly for students learning to write or those with writing or typing challenges. Unfortunately, Dragon Dictation will not install on an iPod touch. I see no reason why an iPod touch with a microphone attachment can't run this app, so I hope Nuance Communications updates the software to install on iPods soon. In the meantime, those with iPhones can find lots of uses for Dragon Dictation, especially since the app is free of charge (for a limited time).

Update: Dragon Dictation now works on iPod touch. You will need a microphone since iPod touch does not have one built-in.

Labels: appstore, iphone, ipodtouch

My talk, "Create It in Your Hand, Share it with the World," from Handheld Learning 2009 is online in video form! This is the presentation where I talk about the importance of creating and sharing, focusing on iPod touch and three types of products: comics, animations, and audio podcasts.

For links and a transcript of the presentation, read my previous blog post. For more video from Handheld Learning 2009, go to Handheld Learning's channel on Blip.tv or subscribe via iTunes.

Labels: events, iphone, ipodtouch, professional development, video

The Sunday, October 4th episode of The Simpsons cartoon pokes fun at technology in schools. The show opens with Bart Simpson's teacher, Edna Krabappel, grading papers as she gets out of bed.

The episode cuts to Edna standing in front of a classroom full of students playing games, watching videos, texting, and talking on their mobile phones. It is chaotic. She struggles to gain the class' attention. Many mobile phones have apps you can download for practicing multiplication problems. Perhaps redirecting students to those apps could grab their attention and be self-grading. Then she could walk around with a clipboard noting each student's progress. Admittedly, dealing with several different kinds of mobile phone platforms would be annoying since they all work differently and have different sets of applications available.

Ms. Krabappel asks, "You're children! Why do you all need cell phones?" They yell out "Safety," "Emergency," and "Educational." These reasons are shouted out as an automatic response to the teacher's question, all the while students continue their talking, texting, and gaming. The reasons to bring phones to class don't matter to the students. As long as they get to have their toys, they are are happy.

Edna then sighs and says, "Could you at least set them to vibrate?" Once on vibrate, the phones make even more noise. The teacher gets fed up and collects all of the phones from her students. She proclaims, "No more gizmos in this class." The students are very disappointed. There seems to be no happy medium when it comes to mobile phone use. The free-for-all didn't work. Simply putting the phones on vibrate didn't work. So banning, not classroom management or curriculum integration, is Edna's answer.

"Hey, don't worry, we still have the good old classroom computer," Edna explains as she walks over to a very outdated machine and inserts a floppy diskette. The game that appears on the screen is very simple and outdated, especially compared to the interactive and complex games the students were playing on their phones. The students' phones (a.k.a. handheld computers) are each far more powerful and interactive than the classroom computer. It's a shame that potential learning tools are locked in a drawer.

Because of unrelated events, Ms. Krabappel is replaced. Her replacement invites phones, texting, Facebook, blogging, Twitter, and other "cool" stuff into the classroom. Of course, the students are thrilled with his paperless classroom. The students are shown to be excited about what they are doing in class, but are they actually learning anything aside from the technology itself?

One of the "cool" things the new teacher does is emails his students a video where he wears jerseys with numbers that are multiples of seven. The jersey video reminds me of Mrs. Burk, the rapping math teacher. The new teacher may be on to something. Lots of teachers are making videos and podcasting. Students seem to respond better to videos that feature people they know.

During class, the new teacher asks, "Who can tell me what the Monroe Doctrine was?" One student recites, "The policy of President Monroe that America has a right as a nation to..." The teacher interrupts the student and asks, "Are you telling me that you memorized that fact when anyone with a cell phone can find it out in 30 seconds?" The student realizes, "I've crammed my head full of garbage!" Again, there seems to be no happy medium. It's either lots of memorization of facts vs. only search for facts. Yes, students need to know how to find information. And yes, there are things that students shouldn't have to research because they remember them.

In the end, The Simpsons' parody of mobile phones in schools probably changes the minds of no one. Those that are absolutely opposed to inviting student-owned phones will see the craziness of the first classroom scene as what would really happen in the classroom full of phones--a huge distraction with no learning. Those who want to give students access to any and all technology in classrooms will witness the excited reactions of Bart Simpson's classmates as evidence that using today's technologies are a very good thing--learning should be chaotic.

The happy medium that I prefer is using school-owned devices. A class set of iPod touches checked out to students for the school year can be more easily managed. Each student would have access to the same hardware and apps. The teacher can control what apps are installed and what features are enabled. Of course, it's costly to outfit a class of students with handhelds. I do continue to be interested in the idea of students bringing their own devices to class. It would be less costly and demonstrate to students that any device can be used for learning. But it has to be done in the right way with the right philosophy behind it. What are your thoughts about mobile phones in schools? Please comment.

If you enjoy The Simpsons brand of humor, you'll get a kick out of other gags in the show. Those in the U.S. can watch the entire episode, "Bart Gets a Z," on Hulu.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch, mobile phone, video

Below is some of my 30 minute talk at Handheld Learning 2009 in London.
The presentation is called Create It in Your Hand, Share It with the World.

I decided to become a teacher when I was in sixth grade. From then on I studied each and every teacher I had and analyzed each and every activity they had me do. As a student I vowed to remember what I liked and didn’t like like when I was finally the one in charge.

I was lucky enough to have Palm computers for my fifth grade students in 2001. I would have very much liked a handheld computer when I was 12 years old. Though, I’m afraid that even if they were available in the 80s, most of my teachers wouldn’t have used them in very engaging ways.

As a teacher, I tried hard to use the handhelds in my classroom as creatively as possible. Of course I wanted to make learning fun. Boredom is the enemy of learning. We had about 50 apps we used on the Palms. Most all of the apps were drill and skill apps. Which, don’t get me wrong, were great. My handheld-equipped students learned their multiplication tables, historical figures, and science vocabulary faster than they would have with ordinary tools. Even with thousands of Palm apps, it was sometimes hard to find or adapt apps to move beyond drill and practice.

My favorite handheld today is the iPod touch. It’s amazing to compare the number of iPod touch and iPhone apps to the number of apps for the Palm Operating System. Ten years after the launch of the Palm OS, we have 30,000 apps for Palm devices. After little over a year since the launch of the App Store for iPhone and iPod touch, we have 85,000 apps, with and average of 46 new ones being added each day. There’s just got to be some good ones for students, right?

Of course, many of them are silly or frivolous. In fact, this name tag on the screen is actually a web app for iPod touch. Just point your mobile browser to mkaz.com/nametag and input your name. Presto! You are now holding a very expensive name tag.

But peeking into the App Store, there are plenty of apps for learning. Multiple-choice quizzes, flash cards, math games, and the like are plentiful.

Benjamin Bloom ranked thinking skills from lower order to higher order in 1956. Bloom’s Taxonomy helps teachers classify the objectives we set for students. Like we just saw, there, are plenty of titles in the App Store that address lower order thinking skills, like remembering, understanding, and applying.

Anderson and Krathwohl have slightly reworked Bloom’s Taxonomy for the 21st Century. What’s the highest order thinking skill? Creating.

Creating is reorganizing elements to form a new functional whole. In order to create, you have to evaluate. But in order to evaluate, you must be able to analyze. In order to analyze, you have to understand. And to understand something, you must be able to remember things about it. So, creating is the ultimate activity.

As a student and as an adult, I love to create things. In sixth grade I produced a video about the U.S.‘s Strategic Defense Initiative. It wasn’t exactly assigned by the teacher, but I didn’t care. I wanted to learn how to make a movie and share it with my classmates. As you can see, there are lots of verbs associated with Creating. I enjoyed planning, producing, and broadcasting that video.

American writer John Updike wrote, “Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or doing it better.” We can kind-of-sort-of make our students care by holding grades over their heads. But that’s not authentic. Educators can invent activities (or have students invent activities) that are creative and that they will be excited to share with an audience.

I’d like to share with you three kinds of products that can be created on an iPod touch or iPhone: Comics, Animations, and Audio Podcasts.

Comics are a great way to synthesize information. The combination of images and text can be fun to plan and fun to read. Comics may sound like fluff, but consider that last year Google commissioned a comic book to tell the world about why they are making the Chrome web browser and the technologies inside of it.

Comic Touch and Comic Touch Lite are two of a few iPod touch apps where you can create comics. You can import any saved image into Comic Touch and layer text bubbles on top of it. There are also some limited special effects you can apply to the image. Where can you get images?

You can save images from the web. Mobile Safari makes it easy. Simply tap and hold an image and the Save Image option will appear. The image will be saved into your Saved Photo album, which is accessible in Comic Touch.

I want to share my comics on my website. I have to think about copyright--I should have permission to use copyrighted images. So I use Creative Commons licensed images. You can search for images that are labeled for reuse using Google Image Search. However, you have to choose to do an Advanced Search from the Classic view first. Then you can select to only search for images that are copyright friendly. I suggest bookmarking the Advanced Image Search page or saving it as an icon to your Home screen.

You can also save screenshots of what’s on your iPod’s screen. Hold down the Sleep/Wake button on top of the device and quickly press the Home button. The screen will flash and you’ll hear a camera sound. The screenshot is now in your Saved Photos album.

I think it’s fun to take screenshots inside of Google Maps. Sure, you can take screenshots of the satellite view, but it’s much more fun to go into Street View and take screenshots. Whenever I have a pin on the screen, I can tap the orange and white Street View icon to go into street view. Here’s I’m in Washington D.C. taking photos of the Supreme Court Building.

I can use these images from my virtual field trip in a comic. Another comic-creation app is Strip Designer. Strip Designer lets me have up to three panels in my comic.

Let me show you a comic I made using images from Street View and images I’ve saved in Safari. My goal is to tell about the three branches of the U.S. government and their role in a particular issue. I chose mandated health insurance as the issue. I ended up with three two-panel comics. I was able to save them in high resolution and email them to myself. If I was a student, I could email them to the teacher. The teacher could then put them up on a class website. Or, many blogging and photo services allow for posting directly from email. The comic I just made in my hand is just an email away from being published for the world to see! (Watch a video that explains how I made the comic.)

For even more fun, I could save my comic to photo or save a classmates comic to then use an app like Ali’s Jigsaw Puzzle to turn the comic in a jigsaw I can put back together by dragging the pieces around my screen.

So comics are a fantastic way for students to piece together their learning and share it with others. Now on to animations.

A favorite Palm app of my students’ was Sketchy. We could draw directly on the screen, duplicate the frame, make a change, and then duplicate the frame again until a masterpiece was created. When played in a row, you’ve got yourself an animation.

Planning and drawing a animation can take time, but it’s time well spent. The learner is interacting with content in a creative way and he or she enjoys sharing the final creation with others. Heck, they’ll watch their own creation over and over again.

Flipbook and Flipbook Lite are two of a handful of animation apps for iPod touch. It’s tricky to draw without a stylus and there’s no text tool. But there are useful features like layers and onion skinning. Then, when done, users can publish the animation to Flipbook.tv, where the file can be viewed by others and saved as mp4 video files. View samples.

Like comics, animations are great way for students to sythesize their learning and present it to others.

The third kind of product people can create on iPod touch are audio podcasts. There are a variety of apps for recording audio. The catch is that iPod touch lacks a built-in microphone. There are mics that attach to the connector on the bottom of the device. Or, you can buy earbuds with a build-in mic like the iPhone has.

When making audio recordings, I usually like to record directly into my laptop so I can edit and arrange the audio as I record. But, in classrooms where there aren’t enough computers or students need to record in the field, iPod touch can be made into a little podcast studio.

Let me play a short clip from a field trip I took recently. (Download the clip.) In Tucson, Arizona there is the Sonoran Desert Museum. Yes, there’s a museum in the desert about the desert. It was a really hot summer day. I took a break under a tree and felt a light, cool mist. I thought maybe the museum rigged up something for their guests to keep cool. I asked a couple docents under the tree where the mist was coming from...

I used an iPod to make a sound-seeing tour of my trip. I was forced to describe what I saw during my excursion.

The Voice Memos app is a pretty straight-forward app for voice recording. Besides a trimming option, it has a handy feature of being able to email recordings as an attachment. That’s great because the blogging service Posterous lets you post podcasts by email! Simple email the recording from Voice Memos to your Posterous email. It’s automatically posted to the blog and has a news feed so it can be subscribed to in iTunes.

Now, schools probably want to screen audio recordings before they are posted. Instead of emailing Posterous, students email to their teacher who could then post it after approving the content. It’s exciting that something recorded during a field trip can be instantly published online.

Comics, Animations, and Podcasts are just three of many creative endeavors that can be done on an iPod touch or iPhone. In fact, you don’t need an Apple product to create--other phones and handhelds have similar apps. But the key is letting students create. Letting them create something they care about because they are sharing with, educating, or helping others. Another key to success is letting students choose what kind of product they are going to create--give them a choice of making a series of comics, an animation, or podcast.

Twelve-year-old and thirty-four-year-old Tony Vincent both enjoy having choice. Giving choice engages learners because everyone likes to have a say in what they do. After using these apps for a while, students will get a sense of what they like to create--let them choose!

I worked with a school in Phoenix last month and I received an email from one of the high school’s English teachers. After showing how to create comics with students, Jason wrote, “It all of a sudden has become important to my students to get the information right, which isn’t always the case when they do a ‘worksheet.’”

If you’re interested in iPods, I have created a podcast called Learning in Hand: iPods. Like Jason’s students, it is important for me to get the information right in my podcast because I know that thousands of teachers download what I've created and shared. I learn so much in the process.

Labels: events, iphone, ipodtouch, podcasting

Learning in Hand: iPods Episode #19: Maps, Screenshots, & Comics is ready for viewing. In the video I show you how to take a tour of Washington, D.C., take photos along the way, and use those photos in a comic strip--all on an iPod touch. I use the Maps app, the screenshot feature, Google Earth, and a comic-creation app.

Watch all 11 minutes 37 seconds of Episode #19 to see the comic strip project come together. The transcript and sample comic strips are included below.

Transcript:

Episode #19: Maps, Screenshots, & Comics This is Learning in Hand: iPods. My name is Tony Vincent and this is the show where I share tips, how-tos, and ideas for iPods in teaching and learning. Episode 19, “Maps, Screenshots, & Comics” recorded September 2009, happens now!

Let’s take a tour of Washington, D.C., take photos along the way, and use those photos in a comic strip--all on an iPod touch. We’ll use the Maps app, the screenshot feature, Google Earth, and a comic-creation app.

My task for this comic is to create a comic strip to be published online that summarizes how a chosen issue is dealt with in each of the U.S.’s three branches of government.

Photos Creative Commons licensed: Supreme Court Justices by Steve Petteway,
President Obama by Steve Jurvetson, and Senate Chamber by Susan Sterner.

The Maps app is loaded on every iPod touch and iPhone. Maps requires a Wi-Fi connection because it uses the Internet to get its Google Maps data. I can simply search for Supreme Court Building Washington, D.C. and Maps zooms to the location. If your map isn’t showing satellite imagery like mine, tap the corner to select Satellite. You might also like Hybrid view to see street and landmark names layered on top of the Satellite images.

Slide to pan. Spread or double-tap to zoom in. Pinch to zoom out.

Google has driven around specially outfitted cars to take panoramic photos. These panoramas can be seen in Street view in Google Earth and Google Maps on desktop computers. But, guess what? Street view is available on iPod touch and iPhone as well! You’ll see a white and orange icon next to a description if Street view is available.

Where this red pin is dropped for the Supreme Court Building does not have the icon, so Street view isn’t available here. That’s probably because the pin is not on a street. I can add my own pin by tapping the icon in the bottom-right corner and tapping Drop Pin. A purple pin appears on the map. I can drag and drop that pin to any location. Let’s try to drag it in front of the Supreme Court Building. Notice that now the orange and white Street view icon appear. Tap it to switch to Street view.

Tap and drag to view the panorama. Stretch to zoom in and pinch to zoom out. Tap the arrows in the street to view a panorama taken 10 to 20 meters away.

This looks like a great photo op. I can take a photo of anything on the screen by hold down the Sleep button and quickly pressing the Home button. The screen flashed and you hear a camera noise.

“Where is the Photo stored?” you might be wondering. It’s saved into the Photos apps in the Saved Photos album. That makes sense. Let me show you. I tap Photos and then the Saved Photos album. Then I can tap to find the screenshot. It’s saved as an image file. I can email it, sync it to copy it to a desktop computer, or import it into other apps. I’ll show you how to import it into a comic app shortly.

For now, I’m going back to Google Maps. Remember, I want to construct a comic strip that summarizes how a chosen issue is dealt with in each of the U.S.’s three branches of government. For my comic, I’ll also need photos of the Capitol Building and White House.

So, I just type in a search. There it is, the United States capitol building. The pin closest to the building does not have the Street view icon. So, I tap to place a pin in the street directly in front of the Capitol. Like I did with the Supreme Court Building, I can hold down the Sleep/Wake button and press the Home button to take a snapshot of what’s on the screen. I’ll use that snapshot in my comic strip.

Next, on to the White House. Unfortunately, I could not find very good photos of the White House in Street View. I could take photo of the Satellite view of the White House. Instead, I’m going to launch the free Google Earth app and take a screenshot there. Google Earth doesn’t come preloaded on iPod touches like Maps, so you’ll have to download it from the App Store.

Google Earth has a snazzy zooming feature, ability to tilt, and information layers you can view. And like in any other app on iPod touch, I can hold down Sleep and press Home to take screenshot any time. I tap the Search button and away we go.

This looks just like Satellite view from Map. But, when I tilt the iPod, I get the tilted view, which will make for a better snapshot. I can zoom, rotate, and move around in Google Earth until I find just the right view. But, I don’t want those red pins in the photo. To remove them, I need to clear my search. Just tap the Search button and tap the X and then Cancel. The pins are removed! Now I can take a screenshot. In fact, I’ll take several so I can pick the best one when it comes time to import them into my comic strip.

For my comic strip, I also want photos of not only the buildings, but the people who head the three branches of government. So, I use Safari to search for images. I’ll be able to save the images to the Saved Photos album.

I’m going to do an a Google Image search by going to images.google.com. The website knows that I am visiting from an iPod touch, so it formats the screen for my device. Unfortunately, that format removed the Advanced options. I want to use Advanced image search options so I can search for copyright-friendly images. That way I can publish my comic strip online.

To get to Advanced options, tap the link to View Google in Classic. This is the same google Image Search page you’d see on your desktop computer. If I double-tap to zoom in, I can read and tap the link for Advanced Search. I input to find the word Obama and then scroll down to Usage Rights and select “labeled for reuse with modification.” Now I tap the Google Search button to see the results.

I tap a thumbnail image to see a larger one. I like this photo and want to save it. First, I note the author and URL so I can give attribution to its owner. Then I tap and hold the image. I am given a list of options. I choose to Save Image. That saves the image in my Saved Photos album in the Photos app.

I use Advanced Search and save photos for the other branches for the comic strip. I suggest bookmarking Google’s Advanced Image Search page for future use.

For $2.99 I bought Strip Designer in the App Store. I use Strip Designer to combine the snapshots I took in Maps and Google Earth and saved photos from Safari to make a series of comic strips about the three branches of government’s role in an issue. Let me show you how...

Launch Strip Designer and tap to Create new strip. Select a category and a template.

Tap a frame to add a photo. Choose to select a photo from your Photo album and select Saved Photos. Tap the first image you want to use in your comic. I choose the White House screenshot. I can rotate, resize, and position the image and tap Done. Tapping the Add button allow me to add speech bubbles. There are several types to choose from. Double tap the new bubble to input text. Tap the corners to change the size of the bubble. Then tap and drag to position the bubble where you want it.

You can also change the text, background, and line colors.

Now I can tap the next frame to add another photo from my Saved Photos photo album. Again, I can position the image exactly how I want it in the frame and tap Done. Then I add a speech bubble.

When the comic is complete, you can save. You can save high or low resolutions. I like high res so that the comic looks as crisp and clear as possible. You’ll probably want to save For later editing. That way you can go back and make changes. Just give it a description and the comic is saved under Saved strips from the main menu.

But you’ll also want to get the final image off the iPod. You can tap Save again and this time choose to send by email if you have an email account set up with the iPod. Alternatively, you can choose to save the image to the Save Photos album where the photos can be access on a desktop computer during a sync. It will be a JPEG image once it’s emailed or synced. Of course, with a JPEG it can be printed, posted on blog, or imported into a slide show.

As you’ve just witnessed, the Maps, Google Earth, Safari, and Strip Designer apps are are very useful individually. When used in combination, you can see that students can create compelling products, all right in their hands.

That’s it for Episode 19. For more about iPods and podcasting, click on over to learninginhand.com. That’s where you can contact me to book an online or in person workshop for your school or organization. Thanks for watching!

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch, learning in hand: ipods

The above video by Leon Cych is titled "What Happens When You Give 32 Children in a Class an iPod touch Each?" The 7 minute movie was filmed at Burnt Oak Junior School in the U.K. Eight-year olds there have been using a class set of iPod touches for a couple weeks. The video interviews the class teacher, headteacher, and students about the experience.

The students have used about a dozen apps, including Dictionary.com, WorldView webcam viewer, and the Safari browser. Peter Barrett, the class teacher, mentions that the Internet students see in Safari is filtered by the school's system.

Watch for a student to demonstrate how to copy and paste. When asked how he knew about copying and pasting, he said that he just discovered how to do it by tapping on the screen. This goes to show that youngsters learn to use iPod touch quickly, allowing them to focus on learning tasks, not the technology. The teacher says, "The speed at which they are learning is amazing."

Carol Richardson, the headteacher, observes, "It's quite clear that children are highly motivated when using the iPod touches." Read more about the iPod touch project at the Learn 4 Life blog.

Labels: ipodtouch, video

With over 75,000 titles in the App Store, some help in discovering apps is welcome. iPhone and iPod touch users can get app recommendations based on apps they have downloaded with the newly released iPhone OS 3.1.

Here's how to turn on Genius App Recommendations:

1. Launch the App Store app on your iPhone or iPod touch.
   
2. Tap the Featured button at the bottom of the screen.
   
3. Tap the Genius button at the top of the screen.
   
4. If this is the first time Genius Recommendations for Apps has been accessed on the device, you will be prompted to turn on Genius. The screen tells you, "Turning on Genius Recommendations for Apps will send information about the apps you download to Apple." Click Turn on Genius.
   
5. Input your iTunes account password and tap OK.
   
6. Read the Genius for Apps Terms of Service. Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap Agree. Then tap Agree in the dialog box at the bottom.
   
7. "You've successfully turned on Genius for Apps." Tap Done.
   
8. Scroll through the recommendations. Tap a recommendation to view the details page for the app where you can buy/download.
   
9. To remove a recommendation from the list, swipe it to reveal a Remove button.
   

Here are some sample recommendations from my iPod touch:

• RemoteTap, based on Snatch (a trackpad and remote for Mac and Windows)
• PozBook Pro, based on Documents 2 (a word processor)
• 6500+ Cool Facts, based on Stick It Action (a animation app)
• Smart Sokoban Free, based on RoboLogic Lite (a programming app)
• Math Ref Free, based on Wikipedia Mobile (a reference app)
• Crazy Pumpkin, based on FlipBook Lite (an animation app)
• Frames, based on FlipBook Lite (an animation app)
• Free French Tutor, based on "FREE" Grammar Up (English quiz)
• Mathemagics Lite, based on "FREE Grammar Up (English quiz)
• Just Find It Lite (Spot the differences), based on Miss Spell's Class (a word game)

Genius for Apps leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps with time the recommendations will improve as Genius learns more about my app use. I would like to be able to select an app to see recommendations rather than scrolling through random items. Additionally, I'd like to see Genius for Apps added to iTunes so I can browse recommendations on my desktop computer instead of on the handheld.

Of course, the best app recommendations for teaching and learning come from other iPod touch and iPhone-using educators. Here are some websites with lists of apps:

• iPhone/iPod touch Apps for K-12
• iPod/iPhone Apps for Education
• Using the iPod touch in the Classroom
• I Education Apps Review

Labels: appstore, iphone, ipodtouch

iTunes 9 has been released and has a new feature: the ability to rearrange iPod touch and iPhone Home screen icons from inside of iTunes on a desktop computer. For me, having over 160 apps and 11 Home screen pages has been a pain to organize. It's amazing how much easier this is to do in iTunes rather than on the handheld. Here's how:

1. Download and install iTunes 9.
   
2. Connect iPod touch or iPhone.
3. Click the device's name under Devices.
   
4. Click Check for Update under the Summary tab. The iPod touch or iPhone must be updated to version 3.1 or later. (iPod touch users with versions earlier than 3.0 will have to pay $4.95 for the upgrade. Version 3.1 is not available for 1st generation iPod touch.)
   
5. Click the Applications tab.
   
6. Click and drag to arrange the icons on the page. Drag and drop an icon to move it to a different screen. Click and drag the screens to change the order.
   

I would still like to see automatic organization by category or alphabetically. Manually arranging icons, whether on the device or desktop, is time consuming, especially for classroom sets of iPod touches. As far as I can tell, you arrange the Home screens for each device individually.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch

Learning in Hand: iPods Episode #18: iPod touch Basics is available. In this video podcast I show the basics that iPod touch and iPhones users should know. Items in this episode:

• iPod touch runs the iPhone Operating System that is currently at version 3.0
• Sleep/Wake buttons
• Slide to unlock
• Touchscreen information
• Home screen organization
• Selection of text
• Copy & paste
• Setting up Wi-Fi internet access
• Turning off keyboard clicks
• Apple's 100+ page iPod touch manual
• Go to a web app user guide in iPod touch's Safari at help.apple.com/ipodtouch

Watch all 5 minutes and 27 seconds of Episode #18 to have the basics covered. The transcript is included below.

Transcript:

This is Learning in Hand: iPods. My name is Tony Vincent and this is the show where I share tips, how-tos, and ideas for iPods in teaching and learning. Episode 18, “iPod touch Basics” recorded September 2009, happens now!

Tens of millions of iPod touches and iPhones have been sold. They are so popular because they are great media players, fairly powerful computers, and have a large library of great software applications in the App Store. Also, these handhelds are easy to learn and use. After all, aside from the volume controls, there are only two physical buttons. For most all functions, users simply touch their fingers to the screen. Even though the iPod touch is mostly intuitive to learn, I’d like to take the time to show some of the basics for those who want a jump start.

iPod touches run the iPhone Operating System. That’s right, an iPod touch is so similar to an iPhone that they run the same operating system software. Currently the newest version of iPhone OS is 3.0. iPhone OS 3.0 has some very useful new features like selection of text, cut/copy/paste, and search.

Before we take a peek at those features and other basics, I’d like to talk a moment about those two buttons. The Sleep/Wake button is located on the top of the device. It’s the button you hold down for 5 seconds to turn the iPod on. Or, if the iPod is not powered down, it’s the button to press to wake it from Sleep. You’ll be asked to Slide to Unlock. This way your iPod doesn’t accidentally wake up in your purse or pocket. Then, there’s the Home button. It’s the button with the square on it, just below the screen. Use this button to get back to your listing of Apps no matter what screen or app you’re in.

The touchscreen is designed to work with your fingers. Instead of using a resistive touchscreen that requires a stylus, iPod touch uses a capacitive touchscreen that senses the presence of your finger. That means you don’t have to apply any pressure to the screen--even a very light touch does the trick. If you really want to use a stylus on the screen, you’ll need one specially designed to work with capacitive touchscreens.

Besides tapping, there are others verbs associated with multi-touch, including slide, swipe, pinch, spread, flick, double-tap, two-finger tap, and two-finger slide.

In iPhone OS 3.0, you can swipe to the left of the first Home screen to get a search box. This searches your apps, contacts, and notes. I actually have over 100 apps on my iPod, so I search to launch apps instead of swiping through 8 page of app icons.

I like to have the apps I use most in the dock. That way I can get to them with one tap after pressing the Home button. I like other apps I use often to be on the first page. That’s because when I’m on, say, my fifth page of apps, I can just press that Home button to be taken instantly to the first page of apps. To place your apps in the dock and to place them on the pages you want, just tap and hold one icon. Within seconds they will all jiggle. Now I can drag them wherever I want them. Once you have everything the way you want it, then press the Home button to get that wiggling to stop.

Another useful feature of iPhone OS 3.0 is selection of text. I just tap and hold the screen. Then I move the blue dots to fine-tune my selection. I can tap copy to copy the text for pasting someone else later. To paste, I just tap where I want the pasting to begin and then tap and hold the screen for a moment. Then I tap the Paste button that appears.

Most likely you’ll want to connect iPod touch to a Wi-Fi network. Do that in the Settings App. If the Wi-Fi access point requires a password, you’ll be asked for it. However, next time you are in proximity to this network, iPod touch remembers the settings.

While you’re in the Settings app, you might want to turn off Keyboard Clicks in the General section under Sounds. If iPod touch is being using in a classroom, those clicks can be very disruptive and annoying (unless earbuds are being used) because each keystroke makes an audible noise.

If the little pamphlet that came with your iPod doesn’t satisfy your need for information, Apple has a 121-page manual in PDF form online for your reading pleasure. You might find the information about the ins and outs of syncing with iTunes particularly helpful.

Also, Apple has a web app called iPod touch User Guide. A web app is a website that’s specially formulated for an iPod touch’s screen. So, you can go to the address on your screen in the Safari app on your iPod to read the guide.

There you have it. Some of the basics of using iPod touch. And that’s it for Episode 18. Thank you very much for watching!

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch, learning in hand: ipods

iPod and iPhone accessories can be costly. Apple charges $19 for a syncing cable, $29 for a wall plug, $29 for earbuds with a microphone, and around $25 for a protective case.

I'd like to tell you about a website where you can find equivalent products that are a fraction of the price. It's called Monoprice.com. According to the website, "MonoPrice.com eliminates high costs for fancy packaging and middlemen. Also, we are able to purchase in large volume." The site really does have great prices and reasonable shipping rates for many different kinds of products, focusing on cables, adapters, and home theater.

Monoprice offers several products that iPod and iPhone users would find useful. Monoprice has some of the best prices I have seen. It's a great place to order individual items and for schools that might order in bulk (they do accept school and government purchase orders).

These items may interest you...

	iPhone/iPod Wall Charger - $3.42 each This charger plugs into a wall outlet so you don't need to charge from a USB port on a computer. These are great to send home with students to ensure the iPod they are using doesn't run out of juice.
	USB Sync Cable - $1.53 each Sync and charge an iPod or iPhone with this cable, which is almost identical to the one that came with the device. Classrooms may need extras to send home with students or to construct a syncing station. I like to carry an extra in my bag, just in case I need it.
	Backup Battery Pack - $8.37 each Attach this spare battery to the bottom of an iPod or iPhone to extend its charge. I like that this battery pack charges using a standard iPod USB sync cable or wall charger (like the two items above) so there's no need to have yet another cable/charger to worry about.
	Earphones with Mic - $3.30 each These include an in-line microphone, like the earphones that come with iPhones. Besides iPhones, the mic on these earphones works with 4th generation iPod nanos and 2nd generation iPod touches. The mic can be used with apps like Voice Memos and Skype. Don't need the mic and want to save a dollar? Then get earphones without the mic.
	Cases - about $1 each Protect iPhones and iPods from scratches and drops with a variety of silicone and crystal cases for cheap. Monoprice has a variety of colors, which could be used to color-code a class set of iPods. For added protection, you can pick up protective film for iPhones and iPod touches for $1.27.
	USB Hub - about $16.20 each This USB hub has 7 ports and is self-powered. You can use it to sync and charge multiple iPods at once. Check out how Patrick Ledesma used USB hubs for syncing multiple iPod touches.

Labels: iphone, ipod, ipodtouch

Leslie Fisher presented a fast-paced session at the National Educational Computing Conference in Washington D.C. It was called The iPod Touch/iPhone Application Support Group. Here are some of the notes I took:

• Leslie talked about having a battery charge last long by turing off 3G and Bluetooth. Dimming the screen also lets your charge last longer.
• Take a screenshot by holding down the Sleep and Home buttons at the same time.
• SaiSuke ($9.99) lets you see your Google Calendar on your iPhone. The best part is that you can see what's written on your calendar in Month view. There is also a free version.
• Note Pad is a $4.99 replacement to iPod touch's built-in Notes app. Leslie likes that the background is white and it doesn't use Maker Felt as the font.
• Evernote is free and syncs your notes with your computer and the web.
• Leslie likes Twitterfon for Twitter.
• Remember the Milk is for taking notes.
• Leslie uses Duck You Undo to teach her iPhone new words.
• Mapping apps works best with GPS on iPhones. Loopt, Around Me, and more.
• USA Today is a great news app and The Weather Channel is a great weather app.
• She spent time on not-so-productive apps like Shazam, Beejive ($9.99), iTV,
• Games: Airport Mania, Jet Set ($4.99), and iSudoku.
• Responseware from Turning Point is a student feedback collection system.
• Check out Leslie's 42-slide presentation online. You'll see she mentions music, astronomy, "of the day," and reference apps.

Labels: appstore, iphone, ipodtouch

An iTunes account is required to download iPhone/iPod touch applications from the App Store. When you create an account, iTunes asks you for a credit card number to keep on file for purchases. When using iPods in schools, teachers probably don't want to use their personal credit card and schools usually do not have a credit card that can be used for iTunes. Fortunately, there is a way to create a new iTunes account without giving financial information. Here's how:

1. Open iTunes and go to the iTunes Store. Then click to go to the App Store.
2. Sign out of any iTunes account you might already be signed in with. (Do this by clicking your email address in the top-right corner of the iTunes window. Click the Sign Out button in the dialog box that appears.)
3. Go to the details page of any free app. Click the Get App button.
4. Click the Create New Account button and complete the registration.
   
5. When asked to select a credit card, choose None.
   
   
6. iTunes tells you that you will be asked to provide a payment method when you make your first purchase.

I suggest adding money to the new iTunes account through gift cards. This way when you want to purchase a paid app, you still won't be required to give a credit card number.

It's important to note that iTunes will not provide None as a choice for Credit Card unless you create an account by first downloading a free app. The good news is that you only have to do this once, and you can sign into to this account on up to five computers.

Labels: appstore, iphone, ipodtouch, itunes

Apple's newest handheld, iPhone 3G S, is for sale this month. I thought it would be interesting to compare iPhone 3G S with one of Apple's desktop computers from 20 years ago, Apple IIGS. The "GS" in IIGS stood for graphics and sound. However, it's clear that today's iPhone is much better with graphics and sound. The "S" in 3G S stands for speed. Compared to IIGS, 3G S certainly is the speedier computer. The similarities of these two computing devices pretty much stop at their names.

I think the most telling fact above is the number of software applications. The Apple IIGS could run software written for Apple II machines, which were produced for 17 years. iPhone was just opened up to programmers in 2008 and there are there are already 5 times as many apps as compared to what was available for Apple II computers. The number of iPhone/iPod touch apps is set to double by year's end.

The bottom line: you can do a lot more with an iPhone/iPod touch than you could ever do with a IIGS. Sure, it's wonderful that iPhone can access the Internet 50 times faster, has 250 times more RAM and runs at 214 times the megahertz. But really, it's about the usefulness of the computer, and with 50,000+ apps, iPhone is certainly useful.

Apple IIgs photo from flickr.com/photos/quagmirez31/3547583644

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch

I bet you can come up with a funny or clever caption for this photo.
Leave a comment with what you come up with!

Labels: caption, ipod, ipodtouch

I hosted "Picks from the App Store" on Ustream.tv on April 29, 2009. The broadcast was recorded live and you are certainly welcome to watch the archive version below or at ustream.tv/recorded/1445088.

 

The best part about the broadcast was the associated chatroom. Unfortunately, the chatroom was not archived with the video. During the hour-long workshop, I demonstrated and talked about a variety of apps. Here are the App Store links:

Lemonade Stand Oregon Trail Dictionary Word Warp MadLibs Nonsense Lite

Comic Touch Star Walk Airport Mania Flight Control iClean

In addition, after the show I learned that you can indeed search within the iTunes Store for only free apps. After initiating a search, click Power Search and select Applications. You'll see a checkbox that says Search for free applications.

Note: Unfortunately, the recording did not pick up the audio or video from David's call--another reason to watch live.

Labels: appstore, iphone, ipodtouch

Whether you're browsing in iTunes on your desktop or in the mobile App Store on your iPod touch/iPhone, you can get lost in more than 35,000 apps. But, you should know that iTunes isn't the only place to find apps to download. Let me tell you about three websites that offer alternative ways to sort through all those apps. Although these are websites outside of iTunes, when you find an app to download, they link to the details page in iTunes so you can download the app.

Mobclix keeps detailed data about the App Store. I like that it allows filtering apps by category and price. This way I can narrow my browsing and searching to free apps in the Education category. I can sort the results by rank, average rating, or release date.

AppShopper also makes it easy to browse by category and free vs. paid. You can also browse just new apps. Unfortunately, AppShopper's search option can't be limited to just free apps.

Educational Apps Review has video reviews of a couple dozen apps. The growing number of reviews are tagged by grade level and subject. Simply click on the tags on the left side of the page to see the reviews. The site is run by educators and they are organizing a community around the site with a Ning and a wiki.

You can access these sites on your desktop computer or in mobile Safari. When using mobile Safari, the download links actually launch the mobile App Store where you can download and install the app. (Unfortunately, Educational Apps Review's videos won't play in mobile Safari.)

Last week the billionth app was downloaded from the App Store. Apple recently said they have sold 37 million iPhones and iPod touches. That means that there has been an average of 27 apps downloaded for each device sold. That number will only increase as the App Store gets more and better apps. Next time you want to browse and search for apps, I highly suggest visiting the online app directories above--you just might find your next favorite app!

Labels: appstore, iphone, ipodtouch

Please join me on Wednesday, April 29th for Picks from the App Store! This is the first in a series of free workshops for SIGHC members by SIGHC members. Even if you know nothing about SIGHC, you're still welcome join in. Here's the description of the online workshop:

The hottest handhelds today are Apple's iPod touch and iPhone. In addition to being great audio and video players, the iPod touch and iPhone run a mobile platform with over 25,000 software applications available from the App Store. With thousands of apps listed in the Education section of the App Store, it can be hard to find the very best apps for teaching and learning. SIGHC member Tony Vincent shares his educational app picks on Wednesday, April 29th at 3PM PST on Ustream.TV. Tony will present the first half-hour and the second half hour is reserved for participants to share their own picks and to ask questions. You can participate by joining the chat room on Ustream.tv and by calling in your picks via webcam at www.ustream.tv/channel/tony-vincent.

Before the beginning of the workshop, sign up for a free Ustream account so that you can pick out a username for the chat. To create a new account, simply click Sign Up, which is located in the top-left of each Ustream.tv page.

Participants are encouraged to have their webcams and microphones ready so they can talk about their own App Store picks and so they can ask questions. While the workshop will most likely be recorded and archived, I really hope you can join us live.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch

The original The Oregon Trail was released in 1971. If you have a hankering for the Apple II version of Oregon Trail, you can play it online--with old time graphics and sounds--at Virtual Apple 2. Students probably won't appreciate the ancient-looking game. The original version has a lot of text and unimpressive graphics.

What might impress them is the new iPhone/iPod touch version of Oregon Trail from The Learning Company. Available for $6 from the App Store, the Oregon Trail is quite fun to play. Here's the description of Oregon Trail from iTunes:

Westward, Ho! Your favorite pioneering adventure game is back and takes you to an exciting, historical side-scrolling adventure entirely rethought to fit the Touch experience of your iPhone / iPod touch.

• All of the decision-making and problem-solving fun of the original game, plus additional parameters to take the Oregon Trail experience even further than you've played before.
• 8 skill-based mini-games, including 2 accelerometer-based challenges: hunting, fishing, river crossing, rafting, wagon repairing, telegraph, berry picking, and gold panning.
• Random events (disease, bandits, hitchhikers, etc.) faced by real pioneers increases the challenge.
• Side-missions add more excitement to your journey, affecting your westward trek.
• Prepare for your departure: Select the members of your party, choose your departure date and purchase supplies.

Oregon Trail shares information like what clothing to wear, how much oxen weigh, and which is the best seat in the wagon. Of course, by playing students get to practice map skills, conserve resources, and develop a strategy. Teachers using this in school will enjoy teaching students about dysentery (and other historical diseases) as well as having students compare the game to the real struggles pioneers had traveling across North America.

Oregon Trail is getting rave review in iTunes. I've had a blast playing it and I know youngsters who were born after the 80s will too!

Besides Oregon Trail, the there's Westward in the App Store. This $5 game is a strategy game where you "control the destiny of the Wild West by building thriving towns, exploring uncharted plains, dense forests and rocky canyons and guiding settlers to safety and success." Westward is rated 12+ for mild profanity, fantasy violence, and tobacco and alcohol references.

Labels: appstore, iphone, ipodtouch

Learning in Hand: iPods Episode #17: Favorite iPod touch Apps was recorded live. It was supposed to be a call-in show, but no one called in. Fortunately, there were live listeners in the chat room who asked great questions.

Besides sharing some useful information about the App Store and installing apps, listen for information about the Google Moderator series designed for educators to vote for their favorite apps. You can find the series at tinyurl.com/edapps. Please contribute your own and please vote!

Tune in for all 16 minutes of Episode #17 to hear all about some of the great software the App Store has to offer. Note: This is an edited version of what was recorded using TalkShoe. If you want to listen to the entire live broadcast, go to this page.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch, learning in hand: ipods

iPod touch and iPhone Apps in Education is a Google Moderator series where educators are encouraged to vote on suggestions for educational apps and to submit their own suggestions. The apps suggestions are ranked so when you visit the list, the apps that netted the most votes are listed first.

With over 15,000 apps currently in the App Store, there are lots for teachers to sort through. Perhaps this list can help us find apps that would otherwise be lumped in with the hundreds of apps in the Education category of the App Store.

When submitting, please list the name of the app, a short description of how it could be used in education, and the price (if it isn't free). In order to vote or submit, you'll need to sign-in with your Google account information (or sign up for a free account). Unfortunately Google Moderator doesn't allow for linking to the apps. So, if you read about an app you might want to download, search for it in the App Store.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch

YouTube does not provide a way to directly download videos from their site. That's probably because they want you to visit their ad-supported webpages.

Why would you want to download videos from YouTube? Well, there are lots of great educational videos there. YouTube is blocked in most schools, so teachers who want to use these videos in their classrooms have to download them from home and bring them to school. Also, in order to view a YouTube video on an iPod or other portable player, you'll need to have it downloaded.

The videos on YouTube are in Flash format (those are videos that end with the .flv extension). So, even if you manage to save the .flv movie file, you have to either convert it to a different format or find software that will play it. After a video is downloaded and converted to the proper format, you can sync it onto an iPod or put it in PowerPoint slide shows or edit/remix it using video editing software like iMovie or MovieMaker.

I often use Zamzar.com to download videos from YouTube and convert them into the MPEG-4 format that iPods and QuickTime love so much. In four easy steps you paste the YouTube URL into Zamzar.com, select the video format (likely .mp4), and input your email address. After clicking Convert, Zamzar will put your request in a queue. Once it has processed your request (usually between 15 minutes and 2 hours), Zamzar will email you with a link to download the converted movie.

Another way to download videos from YouTube is using software. Some are free and some are pay and you can find software for both Mac and Windows computers. There is freely available software that you might already have on your computer that can download YouTube videos and that's RealPlayer. You might already have RealPlayer installed--you'll need version 11 and it's free. RealPlayer 11 actually enables you to download videos from websites, including YouTube. Unfortunately, when used to download YouTube videos, RealPlayer does not convert it from the .flv format, so you'll need to convert the file if you want to use it in other places other than RealPlayer. (As a Mac user, I've installed Perian which enables QuickTime to play those Flash videos.)

Now there's a new site that is even simpler than Zamzar. It's called KickYouTube.com. You don't need to copy and paste the video's URL, install any software, or wait for an email. Here's how it works.

1. Find the video you want to download on YouTube. Many videos on YouTube are now in High Definition. If the video has a "watch in HD" link below it, click it so you'll be downloaded the larger video size.

2. In the address field, type kick in front of youtube.com and press Enter.

3. You are taken to the KickYouTube site, showing the video from YouTube. Across the top of the page are download options: FLV, MP4, HD, AVI, MPG, 3GP, iPhone, PSP, MP3, OGG, and GIF.

4. MP4 is almost always my choice, so I click it. Then I click the Go button where I get this message below. So I just right-click (or Mac users can Control-click) that green Go button and save the video file to wherever you want on your hard drive.

Now the video on is on the hard drive. It can be put on a flash drive, burned to a DVD, imported into move editing software, put it in a slide show, or whatever you like to do with video files.

Very similar to KickYouTube is PWNyoutube.com. Just add pwn in front of youtube.com when viewing a video and it will take you to a page where you can download that video.

With YouTube in their URLs, I'm guessing that Google (the company that owns YouTube) won't stand for their trademark being used in other web addresses, so KickYoutTube.com and PWNyoutube.com services may not be around for long.

YouTube may one day offer downloads directly from their site. In fact, a "Download this video" link can be found on pages for President Obama's videos. When clicked, the link will download an MPEG-4 video to your hard drive. If this becomes an option on all YouTube videos, services like Zamzar and KickYouTube or software like Real Player and TubeSock won't be necessary for downloading videos.

Please note that downloading videos from YouTube may go against YouTube's Terms of Service. Also, the video creator's copyright should be respected and acknowledged at all times.

Labels: ipod, ipodtouch, video

I'm planning a call-in show for the next episode of Learning in Hands: iPods. The topics is Favorite iPod touch Educational Apps. These can be apps that teachers and/or students use for teaching and/or learning. With over 10,000 apps in the App Store, there are certainly lots to choose from. The show will be recorded live on Wednesday, January 28th at 8:00 PM Eastern time.

We'll be using TalkShoe, a free service that lets anyone record an audio program where listeners can call in by phone or by computer. On the 28th, you'll need to click here to listen live, call in, and join the chat room.

If you're not familiar with TalkShoe.com, I suggest heading on over there and checking out some of their programs that are currently live. You can join any live show without talking--just go in and have a look and listen so you are ready for our show on the 28th. I suggest you sign up for a free account and then download TalkShoe Pro so you can use your computer's microphone to call-in. (You can also call-in using Skype--TalkShoe will give you a VOIP number to call.)

I'm nervous that I'll host a call-in show and no one will call in. So please mark it on your calendar and consider participating. Even if you don't plan to speak, you can listen live and participate in the associated text chat. If you can't join us, please email me (tony@learninginhand.com) with your favorite apps and their uses and I'll talk about them during the show. Thanks!

Labels: ipodtouch

I'm often asked how much memory should an iPod for classroom use have. In the typical classroom, the 120GB iPod classic is overkill. Whenever I can, I ask to see classroom iPods to check how much storage is actually used. In most cases, it's one or two gigabytes. Now, in classrooms that are using iPods to store dozens of videos from TeacherTube, YouTube, and United Streaming, several gigabytes are used. In almost all cases, 8GB is going to be plenty. The 8GB iPod nano retails for $150.

What about the iPod touch? The lowest-priced touch is $230 with 8GB of storage. Besides storing audio and video, that 8GB also has to have room for all of those wonderful software applications from the App Store. I have my iPod touch loaded up with hundreds of songs (1.7 days worth), several podcasts, 1.9 hours of high quality video, and 571 photos. Besides all that media, I have 89 apps installed.

As you can see from the Capacity Graphs above, I still have plenty of room on my iPod touch. And surprising to me is that although I have it loaded with 7 screens of apps, they only take up 604MB. That's an average of 6.8MB per app. And since you can only load up to 9 screens of apps (for a total of 148), a touch full of apps only needs about 1GB (1,006MB) reserved for that. That leaves 6GB remaining for media, which I think is plenty for classroom use. For personal use, 6GB may not be enough to hold your entire music collection--but I'm talking school use.

Unlike many handhelds and MP3 players, iPods don't have an expansion slot. So when you purchase an iPod, you have to make sure you get the right amount of memory. If you don't get enough gigabytes, you will have to carefully manage what gets put on the iPod through iTunes. If you get too capacity, you end up overpaying (a 16GB iPod touch is $300 and 32GB is $400).

If you want to see how full your iPod is, connect it to your computer. In Tunes, click the iPod in the Devices sidebar. On the Summary tab, scroll down to the bottom of the screen. You'll see a Capacity Graph like mine above. Click the graph to change among number, size, and length of items.

Labels: iphone, ipod, ipodtouch

Unlike iPhone, iPod touch does not have a GPS chip. But, it can still estimate your location. Your current location is used in map apps, including Google Maps. If you've used an iPod touch, you've probably tapped the location icon in Google Maps to zoom right into your whereabouts on the map (well, at least within a couple hundred feet).

Instead of GPS or cell towers, iPod touch uses the Skyhook Wi-Fi Positioning System. Skyhook's location services work indoors, which can't be said for GPS, which usually needs line-of-sight with the sky. In fact, iPhone also uses Skyhook's services in combination with cell tower signals and GPS so that your device can locate you just about anywhere.

Skyhook has referenced over 50 million Wi-Fi access points in the United States and Canada. Currently that covers about 70% of population centers. Skyhook continues to add the locations of Wi-Fi access points to expand its reach and improve its precision.

You can add the locations of Wi-Fi access points to Skyhook's database to make it even more inclusive and accurate. Let's say that iPod touch doesn't accurately report your location when you are at home (or says that your location cannot be found). Go to Skyhook's Submit a Wi-Fi Access Point page and place a pin on the map with your home's precise location. You'll also have to provide your Wi-Fi router's MAC Address (this has nothing to do with Macintosh computers, by the way) and your email address. After up to 7 days, Skyhook's databases are updated so iPod touches and iPhones near your access point can triangular their current locations more precisely.

If it seems iPod touch isn't giving accurate locations when at other places, say at school or at favorite hotspot, you can submit other access points to Skyhook as well--you'll just have to be able to provide Skyhook with the MAC Addresses. Follow instructions on this page to determine an access point's MAC Address.

Even without a GPS chip, iPod touch can triangulate its current location thanks to those millions of Wi-Fi routers that are registered with Skyhook. Submitting your router and other routers improves Skyhook's positioning services for everyone.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch

Happy Holidays! Here's a listing of my 12 Days of iPod touch posts: Palm vs. iPod touch iPod touch and Comics iPod touch and Math Practice Installing iPod touch Apps iPod touch and Animations iPod touch and Podcasts iPod touch and Microphones iPod touch and Games Linking to iTunes and App Store iPod touch and Quizzes iPod touch and Homepages iPod touch Tips

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch

Learning in Hand: iPods Episode #16: iPod touch Tips is online. In this video podcast I share some of my favorite tips and tricks for Safari, text entry, and the Home screen.

In the video I do not attempt to show you the basics of using iPod touch. Mostly because Apple.com has a great iPod touch Guided Tour video and 116-page User Guide. Instead, I share tips that I hope are at least partly new to even experienced iPod touch and iPhone users. Here's a quick list:

Safari

• Tap the time to skip to the top of the page
• Double-tap a column or image to zoom in
• Save an image by tapping and holding
• Tap and hold a link to show its URL
• Add a bookmark icon to the Home screen
• Use bookmarklets to find text on a page, find similar pages, look up words, skip to the end of the page, and more
• Turn iPod touch horizontally before entering a web address or search to get a larger keyboard

Text Entry

• Double-tap Space for a period, space, and capitalization of the next word
• Type "im" and "cant" and let iPod touch autocorrect to "I'm" and "can't"
• Move the cursor by tapping, holding, and dragging
• Enter student names into Contacts to add them to the auto-correct keyboard dictionary
• Reset the keyboard dictionary in Settings > General > Reset > Reset Keyboard Dictionary

Home Screen

• You can have up to 9 pages of apps for a total of 148
• Tap the bottom right or left corners to move between pages
• Tap and hold one icon until they all jiggle to rearrange them
• Push the Home button to go to the first page of icons when on any other Home screen page
• Put commonly used icons on the first page
• Put most accessed icons in the dock
• Download Backgrounds free from the App Store for thousands of images to use for wallpaper

Watch all 18 minutes of Episode #16 to see these tips in action!

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch, learning in hand: ipods

I've spent a lot of time on this blog sharing information about using iPod touch in teaching and learning. As you can tell, I believe it's a fantastic tool for educators and students.

But, is there a better tool for the classroom?

I've also written about netbooks--those low-cost notebook computers with screens between 7 and 10 inches in size. Netbooks are becoming cheaper everyday and are in high demand. I've been using an ASUS 1000HA Eee PC that runs Windows XP, has a 120GB hard drive, a 10.2 inch screen, a keyboard that is 92% the size of a standard keyboard, and a 1.6 Mhz processor. I love using my Eee PC and it really could replace my trusty MacBook.

Let's compare netbooks like the Eee PC 1000HA to iPod touch.

Both iPod touch and netbooks:

• seem to hold up to being dropped
• have Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet
• are small enough to fit on a desk along with a book or paper
• can play podcasts and media from iTunes U
• support voice recording
• hold a charge longer than a laptop computer
• excite student to use them

iPod touch:

• requires very little technical support
• gets no viruses
• is used in conjunction with a desktop computer
• is backed up each time synced
• has slightly longer battery life
• easily fits in a pocket or backpack
• has a very fast reboot time
• is priced at $230

Netbooks:

• have a real life keyboard
• play Flash videos and interactive Flash content
• often have a built-in webcam and microphone
• support the use of USB devices, including flash drives
• play a variety of video formats (not just mpeg-4)
• can print to USB and networked printers
• make it easier to work with full sized websites because of the larger screen
• can use the full desktop iTunes version (if it's a netbook with Windows)
• connect to file servers
• do not require a credit card on file to download software
• appear more serious and less gimmicky
• are manufactured by a variety of companies in a variety of configurations
• are price at $300+

If I were given the choice in what kind of devices to get for my classroom, it would be an easy one. Since I'd want my students to blog, contribute to a wiki, create podcasts, and edit video, my choice would have to be netbooks. But, I'd want netbooks with plenty of memory and a larger screen. The current netbooks that are priced similarly to the iPod touch are underpowered and their 7 inch screen makes them annoying to use.

If it wasn't important to have my students type with a real keyboard and I wasn't planning on sending them to interactive sites with Flash content, then iPod touch deserves a second look. iPod touch would be perfect for specific center or station activities and I know that the library of educational apps is only going to expand. All in all, I'd like to choose both. I'd love to have students use the netbooks to make content for iPod touch. As a teacher, I'd certainly be thrilled to have either netbooks or iPod touch in the hands of my students.

We had a similar discussion to this one two years on this blog before the term netbook was coined and before the iPod touch was released. Like two years ago, feel free to share your thoughts in a comment.

12 Days of iPod touch concludes tomorrow with my best tips for Safari, text entry, and the Home screen.

Labels: ipodtouch, netbooks

Many teachers have a class homepage because it is a place where they can share information, assignments, and web links. Teachers with a set of iPod touches can make a similar homepage that is formatted to work well on the iPod's screen. There are many different tools out there to help you build a mobile page. My favorite is Wirenode.

Wirenode is a free service and that not only provides a way to build a page, but it hosts it as well. You get to pick a URL and when someone visits that URL, Wirenode actually detects what kind of device is accessing the site and formats the page to look just right. Here's a simple classroom example page I made at Wirenode.com:

A homepage is immensely helpful as it's really not fun for students to type in long web addresses using the iPod touch's onscreen keyboard. Now that you watched my video about how to link to items within iTunes, you can certainly use that knowledge to link to podcasts and apps in your Wirenode site.

When you create a site, you get a WYSIWYG page editor that has text formatting tools along with buttons for hyperlinking and importing images. Below is what the site looks like as I'm editing it in my desktop web browser.

After editing my site in Wirenode, there is a Publish button. The second after I click that button, my Wirenode site is instantly updated. I know in a classroom setting things can be very last minute. As a teacher, I can add links to my class Wirenode site over lunch and then the links are instantly published and available for the afternoon science class. To give students one-tap access to my homepage, I'd have students add a bookmark on each iPod touch's Home screen as a web clip.

Wirenode is simple enough that you can probably dive right in and get started. For those that want a little tutorial, wirenode.com provides a brief tour.

Yes, you can view full-sized web pages on an iPod touch. But, using Wirenode makes it simple to instantly share links with iPod touch-using students and they won't have to pinch, zoom, or scroll much to find those links.

12 Days of iPod touch continues tomorrow when I share my thoughts on iPods versus netbooks.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch

Learning in Hand: iPods Episode #15: Linking to iTunes is the podcast's first video episode and it's is online now. In the video I show different ways to create hyperlinks to items within the iTunes Store, like podcasts and apps.

The episode is particularly relevant for iPod touch and iPhone users, as the same hyperlinks that work with a desktop browser and iTunes also work with mobile Safari, mobile iTunes, and the mobile App Store on the device itself.

I've previously written about linking to items in iTunes, but this video goes into more detail. Watch all 10 minutes of Episode #15 to learn how to link to media and apps in iTunes and see how those links work on an iPod touch.

Transcript

This is Learning in Hand: iPods. I'm Tony Vincent and this is the show where I share tips, how-tos, and ideas for iPods in teaching and learning. Episode 15, "Linking to iTunes" recorded December 2008, happens now!

This is the first of many episodes of Learning in Hand: iPods that is video. More and more of what I will share on this show is visual,especially as the focus changes from click-wheel iPods to iPod touch and iPhone. By the way, I'm wearing these earbuds because they are the kind with a microphone--I tested recording video using a desktop mic and it just didn't sound as good--so I'm using these.

Alright. So, you might have noticed an iTunes icon on webpages. When you click it, your browser redirects you to iTunes and opens on the details page for a podcast, musical album, movie, or software in the App Store. When I click the iTunes button on on the Our City Podcast webpage in my web browser, it opens iTunes right up to the podcast's details page in the iTunes Store.

Now, check this out. I have the Our City Podcast page opened in mobile Safari on my iPod touch. Tapping that same iTunes button on my website launches mobile iTunes on the iPod and opens to the Our City Podcast details page where I can download specific episodes right there on the device itself without the help of a desktop computer.

Let me show you the first of two ways to hyperlink to the iTunes Store. You'll need to go to the iTunes Link Maker atapple.com/itunes/linkmaker or just Google "iTunes" and "link maker" and it will be the first search result.

With iTunes Link Maker, you search for the item in the iTunes Store to which you want to link. I type in Our City and choose Podcast as the Media Type. But as you can see, you can also link to other media types, like Music, Movies, TV Shows, Audio Books, Applications, and iTunes U.

After clicking search, I can see a list of search results. I find the one I'm looking for and click the Arrow next to it. Then iTunes Linkmaker gives me give me HTML code to put into my website, wiki, or blog. Because it's HTML, you most likely can't just copy or paste it into a webpage. You'll need to toggle into HTML mode. I use Dreamweaver for my website, so I toggle to Code view and paste the copied HTML code there. Then I switch back to Design view to see what it looks like. Let's preview this in the browser. I click the button, and now iTunes opens to the details page for the Our City Podcast!

Ok, maybe you want to use just a text hyperlink or use your own image for linking. On that iTunes Link Maker page, you can right-click the image next to Link Test and copy the link. Now I can type text and select it to hyperlink with the copied link. I'm going to paste what I copied from the Link Maker just so you can see what the URL looks like. It's pretty long, but you can see that it links to the store and includes a unique Podcast ID so that iTunes can open to that podcast.

If you don't need that iTunes button or you want more control over what you're linking to, then you can use the second method of linking to items in the iTunes Store. Here's how it works.

Go to the details page for what you'd like to link to. Right-click the Artwork and then choose Copy iTunes Store URL. Then you have that same URL you could have gotten from iTunes Link Maker. But, you can also use it to link to specific episodes. I can right-click a specific episode and copy the iTunes Store URL. Now, let me paste that URL into a Google Doc document just for demonstration purposes. Now when I click that link, not only does it open to the podcast page, but the specific episode I link to is highlighted.

You can use this right-click and copy method in the App Store as well. I can right-click on the icon for Word Warp and Copy iTunes Store URL. Like I would with a podcast episode, I can paste that URL into a webpage or document.

If you read my blog at learninginhand.com, you have probably noticed that I use this method to link to iPod touch and iPhone apps I write about. Here's something cool. So I'm on mobile Safari on an iPod touch. I can tap the link for an app that's I've put on my blog. The mobile App Store on my iPod touch launches and takes me to the details page for that app where I can download it. This is super useful when teachers want students to download a specific app. Instead of the student taking the time to find the app, they can tap its link to have it instantly available to them!

Ok, a couple more tips on linking to the iTunes Store. You can actually copy the link to just about anything you can click on in the iTunes Store. I can go to the Podcasts section of iTunes, select Education, and then right-click K-12 to link to that specific category of the iTunes Store, Podcasts - Education - K-12 . When clicked in a desktop browser or on an iPod touch or iPhone, the user to taken to the K-12 Podcasts category.

You can also link to search results. Let me show you how to do this for "math". On the results page, right-click See All in the Applications results and Copy the iTunes URL. When someone follows that URL, they are instantly taken to the iTunes search results that include Math and are in the App Store. Unfortunately, links to search results only works on desktop browsers and won't work on an iPod touch or iPhone. Also, links to iTunes U won't work on an iPod touch or iPhone because iTunes U does not yet appear in the mobile iTunes Store.

On the desktop side, if someone clicks a link to something in the iTunes store, but they don't have iTunes installed, the link will take them to a page where they can download iTunes, which, as you know, is a free download for Windows and Macintosh.

If you're a teacher with a class website, linking to items within the iTunes Store can help your students and parents subscribe to podcasts and watch or listen to specific media in the iTunes Store. If you're a teacher with iPod touches, it's really convenient to use iTunes Store links to direct students to podcasts and apps to download.

That's a wrap for Episode 15. Thank so much for watching. For more about podcasting and iPods, head on over to learninginhand.com. Stay super everyone!

Labels: iphone, ipod, ipodtouch, itunes, learning in hand: ipods

The App Store for iPod touch and iPhone has over 10,000 apps and a quarter of those are games. Many of the games are ones teachers wouldn't mind having in their classrooms because of their educational value. I thought I'd share six of my favorites.

	Free Word Warp Free Word Warp gives you six random letters and your job is to make words with those letters. You get more points for words with more letters. Each and every puzzle has at least one word that uses all six letters. Free Word Warp has ads. The ad-free version of Word Warp is $0.99. A related game is Letras ($0.99). Letras gives you a grid of scrambled letters. The object of the game is to connect the letters to make words before time runs out.
	Lemonade Stand $0.99 This is the same game I enjoyed playing in the 80s! You are in charge of a lemonade stand where you try to make as much money as you can in 30 days. Each day you're given a weather report and then you decide how many glasses to make, what to charge per glass, and how many advertising signs to make. After tapping the Go button, you'll see a report of how much money was made or lost. I love the economics aspect of this game. I also love the mental math skills students practice as they play. A similar game is Lemonade 2 ($1.99). It has more advanced graphics and more variables, including adjusting your lemonade's recipe.
	Brain Toot Free or $0.99 Brain Toot includes 16 "brain training" exercises to test math, memory, visual, and thinking skills. The free version only has 4 of these exercises. Exercises include Number Pop, Word Scramble, Block Drop, and more. The game has a similar premise to the wildly popular Nintendo DS game Brain Age. Similar iPod touch apps include Speed Brain ($0.99), Train Your Brain ($1.99), Brain Surge (2.99), and Brain Jogging ($0.99)
	SimCity $9.99 You're probably familiar with SimCity and this one is made specifically for iPod touch and iPhone. It's the game where you take charge of an entire city. To play, you must plan, build, and manage your city and deal with taxes, zoning, roads, and disasters. SimCity is a great simulation where students can experiment with what works best in their cities. By playing, they learn about city management, balancing a budget, and patience. The publisher of SimCity recommends that you turn off and then turn back on your iPod touch or iPhone before playing (I'm guessing because SimCity requires lots of memory and rebooting the device opens up the available memory).
	Touch4 Free Touch4 is the iPod touch version of Connect Four. Players try to be the first to place four checkers in a row. Touch4 is a two-player game; your opponent can be the computer, another human playing on the same iPod, a random human from the Internet, or a human with their own iPod on your same Wi-Fi network. A quick Google search brought up some webpages that explain how to win at Connect Four. Two I liked are Connect 4 Tutorial and How To Win Connect-4.
	TanZen Light Free TanZen is a puzzle game of tangrams. A tangram is a set of seven flat geometric pieces. When you play TanZen, you pick a silhouette puzzle. Then your task is to move and rotate all seven pieces to recreate the silhouette's shape without overlapping any of the pieces. TanZen Lite contains 18 puzzles. For $0.99 you can buy the full version that has 405 puzzles to solve. Similar iPod touch apps include Tangram Puzzle Pro Lite (Free) and TangTouch Lite.

These games certainly take some brain power. Palm handhelds and Pocket PCs have had plenty of these kinds of games available. My fifth graders even made some excellent videos when tasked with explaining a Palm game and giving tips on how to win. Besides using games for formal lessons, having games in the classroom is especially helpful when it comes to classroom management. Teachers can expect fewer classroom disruptions from students who are "done" because they have some great game choices to play to keep them out of trouble.

Tomorrow for 12 Days of iPod touch I show you how to link to apps and podcasts in the iTunes Store.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch

Unlike iPhone, iPod touch does not sport a built-in microphone. Thanks to a recent software update, the second generation iPod touch (with volume buttons on the left side) can now use add-on microphones like TuneTalk from Belkin and iTalk Pro from Griffin. These microphones attach to iPod's dock connector. iPod touch also supports microphones that use the headphone port like Apple's Earphones with Mic or Incipio's new $18 Lloyd microphone for iPod 4G (which does indeed work with iPod touch, it just doesn't fit nicely).

In order to record audio with iPod touch, you'll need to download an app. Luckily, a search for voice recorder in the App Store reveals over a dozen applications. In that search, you'll come across the free iTalk Recorder. iTalk Recorder is super easy to use. Unlike when you record with click-wheel iPods, you can name the recording and type in notes to go along with it. I like that you can pause a recording, listen to what you have, and then continue that recording. There are three quality settings: Good, Better, and Best. Here's what iTalk Recorder's support page says about the file sizes associated with these settings:

1. The length of your recordings are only limited by two things: Your disk space and your recording quality.
2. An hour-long recording will take up 75MB if you're set to Good recording quality, 150MB when set to Better quality, and 300MB when set to Best quality.
3. Or, to look at it another way, a gigabyte will store 800 minutes if you have your recording quality set to Good, 400 minutes when set to Better, and 200 minutes when set to Best.

Even if iTalk Recorder is set on the best quality, you should have plenty of space on an 8GB iPod touch. Now, what happens when you want to copy the recordings to your computer? First, you should know that iPod touch only syncs some of Apple's built-in app to iTunes. Additional apps you install have to figure out how to get their information and files from the iPod to your desktop without syncing with iTunes. You might recall that for Comic Touch, you can email your comics to yourself or you can send the comic to the Photos app. Since Photos is an original Apple app, it does sync with the desktop. As for iTalk Recorder, to transfer recordings, you must download and install iTalk Sync, free software for Windows and Macintosh.

Despite its name, you do not actually sync to use iTalk Sync. Instead, the iPod touch and computer need to be on the same Wi-Fi network. iTalk Sync must be running on the desktop and iTalk Recorder must be launched on the iPod touch. iTalk Sync will display a list of iPod touches and iPhones on the network that have iTalk Recorder running. Choose a device and once Yes is tapped on the iPod touch, iTalk Sync will display all of the iPod's recordings. You can drag and drop the recordings or click the iTunes button to copy them to your iTunes Music Library. If any notes have been input with the recording, they are copied to the desktop as a text file.

The audio file itself is in AIFF format. Most audio editing software can import AIFF. AIFF audio files are quite large compared to MP3, so you'll want to use iTunes or Audacity to export the audio as MP3. But first, you can certainly edit the audio with software like GarageBand or Audacity.

iTalk Recorder works really well and is free. But, the free app will display small banner ads along the bottom of the screen. If you want to remove the ads, you can pay $4.99 for iTalk Recorder Premium. The only different between the free app and the $4.99 app is that the premium app does not display advertisements.

There are so many ways to use a mobile voice recorder in the classroom. Apple has some interesting lesson plans listed on their iPod in the Classroom page. A use I have for a voice recorder is for making podcasts. Have a listen to the first half of Learning in Hand: iPods #14: Voice Recording for voice recording examples and ideas.

There are other apps besides voice recorders that you can use with an attachable iPod touch microphone. For example, check out the interesting Agile Lie Detector, a Heart Monitor that really works, a virtual recorder instrument, and a musical note tuner.

12 Days of iPod touch continues tomorrow when I share some games that are fit for a classroom.

Labels: ipod, ipodtouch, podcasting

Like other iPods, the iPod touch is perfect for podcasts. Just like click-wheel iPods, the podcasts you have subscribed to in iTunes on your Windows or Macintosh computer are automatically transferred to the touch when synced. If a podcast has artwork, it is displayed on the large screen. Video podcasts look awesome on an iPod touch because of that large screen.

Something that I don't like is that all audio synced from iTunes is found in the Music app--even if the audio is not actually music. That means you have to tap the Music icon to access podcasts. By the way, video podcasts are found in both the Music and Videos apps.

Unlike click-wheel iPods, you can download podcast episodes on an iPod touch without syncing. You'll just need a Wi-Fi internet connection. When in the Music app under Podcasts, tap a podcast to see its episode listing. At the bottom of the screen you'll notice Get More Episodes. Tap that and the mobile iTunes app on the touch will launch and take you to the complete episode listing for that podcast. In iTunes, tapping the Free button downloads that episode onto your iPod. Once the download is complete, the episode appears in the Music app, listed with the other episodes of the podcast. Unfortunately, if a podcast is not listed publicly in the online iTunes Store directory, then its episodes will not appear in mobile iTunes either.

The podcasts section of mobile iTunes is no where near as extensive as that of desktop iTunes, but you can drill down to specific categories. For example, you can get to my favorite category: Education > K-12. The mobile directory is certainly not a complete listing, however doing a search for podcast titles will reveal the podcasts you're looking for. The search seems pretty limited and does not search for individual episode topics--only podcast titles and keywords.

As an alternative to downloading an episode (which is saved in the Music app), you can stream episodes in the iTunes app. Streaming does not display an episode's artwork and you cannot access an episodes lyrics/notes, but streaming can be handy if you don't want to wait for the episode to download completely. Besides not showing artwork, a problem with streaming is that the audio or video may have to pause for buffering and if you exit the iTunes app, then the playback stops and what's been streamed is not saved.

As much as I'm glad mobile iTunes has podcast download and stream capabilities, there are some limitations to note:

• You cannot subscribe to podcasts, only download individual episodes.
• You cannot input a podcast's RSS feed--a podcast must be submitted to the iTunes Store and approved for it to be listed.
• iPhones using the cellular network cannot download episode files larger than 10MB. Almost all episodes are larger than 10MB.
• Oftentimes movie files listed in mobile iTunes cannot be played on the iPod touch and you're given the warning, "This movie could not be downloaded."
• All that great content in iTunes U is not listed.
• The whole process of downloading an episode in mobile iTunes seems clunky. I'm guessing Apple will improve this feature in future software updates.

Having the ability to download podcast episodes right there on the iPod touch is a useful feature. Busy educators often don't have time to sync their iPods. With a classroom set of iPods, syncing often is logistically be difficult. When students bring their personal iPods to school, it's not a good idea for them to sync with school computers. So, it was a smart move for Apple to include podcasts in mobile iTunes as a way to get educational content on an iPod touch without the hassle of syncing with a desktop computer.

Tomorrow's 12 Days of iPod touch is about voice recording--recordings that could be used for a podcast.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch, podcasting

If you're a long-time reader of my blog, you certainly know that Sketchy is my favorite Palm and Pocket PC software. Sketchy lets you draw an animation frame-by-frame--think digital flip book. Once I saw Sketchy in 2001, I was hooked. I loved that my students could create something fun and meaningful right on their handhelds. I often said that if the Palm handhelds could do only Sketchy, the $300 we spent on them would still be totally worth it.

Creating your own cartoon animation takes time, but it's time well spent. Not only is the learner interacting with content in a creative way, but he or she enjoys sharing the final creation with others. Students will watch their own and each other's animations over and over again. Trust me, whatever students put into an animation, they will remember forever.

Here are some Sketchy examples by teachers and students:

Vocabulary Word: Gush by a 4th Grader	Sun & Earth by Tony Vincent
Water Cycle by a Teacher	Long Division by a 5th Grader

You can see several more animations in the Sketchy Animation Gallery. GoKnow, the company behind Sketchy, sponsors an annual animation contest. Check out the winning entries from all around the world in six different subject areas.

Sketchy is not currently available for iPod touch or iPhone--but Flipbook is! Flipbook is $9.99 from the App Store. It has almost all of the features found in Sketchy and then some. Here's a Flipbook animation I made explaining how to take a screenshot on an iPod touch:

How to Take a Screenshot on an iPod touch by Tony Vincent
press Play

Unlike Sketchy, Flipbook does not have a text tool so I handwrote the words. I find it hard to write with my finger, so I purchased a stylus for my iPod (watch my video about stylus options). Even with the stylus, I am not happy with how my handwriting turned out. Did you notice I was able to bring in images and use them in my animation? Well, now that I think about, I could have used another app like Comic Touch to type the text, export it to Saved Photos and then imported it into Flipbook. I'll give that a try next time.

Flipbook does have quite a few features, including layers and onion skinning. Luckily, the creator of Flipbook has produced a series of short video tutorials about organizing, drawing, layering, sharing, and other topics you may need help with. Unluckily, those videos won't show up when you visit the page in mobile Safari because they are in Flash. You'll have to view the video tutorials on your desktop.

You can watch the finished animations online at Flipbook.tv in mobile Safari since they are in QuickTime format (just like my example above). It's simple to share animations online with a free Flipbook.tv account. Here's the link to my shared animations: flipbook.tv/profile/vincent.

If you are logged into Flipbook.tv, you can click Edit to slow down or speed up any of your own animations. Also on the Edit page, you can download your QuickTime video to your desktop. In a classroom where many students are creating Flipbook animations, I suggest inputting the same Flipbook.tv account settings into every iPod touch. That way when students publish their work, it's under one account and easy to find. You'll just want to make sure students include their names in the titles of their Flipbooks.

$9.99 is the priciest of the educational app I've bought. Flipbook is certainly worth the price, especially considering that Sketchy costs something like $20 per handheld--which adds up quickly. As I wrote yesterday, a $9.99 iPod touch app can be transferred to unlimited number of iPods and iPhones.

If you want to give Flipbook a try, there is a free version: Flipbook Lite. It has all of the features of the $9.99 app but it does limit you to two animations and each animation can only have up to 10 frames. Another limitation: Flipbook Lite allow only one animation to be published on Flipbook.tv. If you want an app with lower price tag and fewer features, you might want to try Kineo for $4.99. If you want students to share their learning and to express themselves in a novel way, use whatever animation app you can find and let their creativity flow!

12 Days of iPod touch continues tomorrow when I tell you all about podcasts on an iPod touch.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch

Installing software on iPod touch or iPhone is ridiculously easy. All software applications (known as "apps") can be found in the App Store section of the iTunes Store. Most people know this by now, but I should mention that iTunes works on Windows computers just as well as it works on Macintoshes. The App Store is organized much like the Music Store. Top apps are listed along the side. What's nice is that the App Store sorts out paid apps from free apps so you can limit yourself to just looking at the free stuff. Another nice thing: the App Store is also on the iPod touch itself! This means you don't even need to go through your desktop computer to install software!

App Store in iTunes		App Store on iPod touch

I find it easier to browse for software in iTunes than on the iPod's App Store. If you download software in iTunes, it goes into the Applications section of your iTunes Library. The next time you sync an iPod touch or iPhone, the software will be installed. To download software, you do need an iTunes account, which requires a credit card to be on file. About 25% of the software in the App Store is free of charge, but you still need a credit card on file to download free apps. A lot of good apps are indeed free, but I've found I like many of the paid apps better, particularly in the Education category. The good news is that apps tend to be priced between $0.99 and $2.99. That's a pretty good deal, especially considering that paid applications for Palm and Pocket PC are often in the $15 range.

Unlike installing paid software on Palm and Pocket PC, you don't enter a device I.D. or serial number to register an app. Instead, Apple uses a system of Digital Rights Management (DRM) called FairPlay. FairPlay is the same DRM iTunes uses to impose copyright restrictions on purchased music and videos. FairPlay limits you to installing an app from up to five authorized computers simultaneously. You get to decide which computers' iTunes you authorize: your personal laptop, home Mac, school computer, Windows netbook, etc. iTunes can be authorized to use multiple accounts, by the way. So I can authorize my MacBook to not only use my account, but my mom's and sister's at the same time. But, I only get to authorize my own account on up to five machines at a time.

What about authorizing an iPod? You don't! FairPlay's DRM allows you to copy the apps you've downloaded to an unlimited number of iPods. This is great for a classroom set of iPod touches because you can purchase an app for $1.99 and install it onto an entire class set of iPods. With Palm and Pocket PCs, you'd have to purchase a separate serial number for each and every device. Not with FairPlay. This is why I mentioned so many paid apps for math practice yesterday--a few bucks is a small price to pay when you can install the app onto so many iPods.

iTunes will let you sync an unlimited number of iPods to one computer. But, there might not be time to cycle through a class set of iPods with just one computer. That's when it's handy to have more than one computer authorized to install apps. Here's how to get apps installed on multiple iPods quickly:

1. Download the app or apps on one classroom computer and sync with one iPod touch.
2. Connect that iPod touch to another classroom computer. Don't sync the iPod as that will erase what you synced from the first computer. Instead, choose Transfer Purchases from iPod from the File menu.
3. All apps from the iPod are copied to the computer and ready to sync to more iPods.
4. Disconnect the iPod and connect to up to 3 more authorized computers to Transfer Purchases from iPod to those machines.
5. Sync the rest of the iPods to the computers you just transferred to apps to. Note that in classrooms where syncing happens on more than one computer, it is important to have each individual iPod touch sync to the same computer every time. I suggest sticking a different colored dot on each computer. Stick dots on the iPods that match the computers they sync with to make it clear which device syncs with what computer.

You can forgo syncing to install an app if you want to install it directly on the iPod itself. Just find the app in the App Store on the iPod and tap its Free or Buy button. If you have previously downloaded the app on another iPod or in iTunes, you'll get a message, "You have already purchased this item. To download it again for free, select OK." To install directly from the iPod's App Store, you need to input your iTunes account's password each time. That will get old if you have lots of iPods to install and I don't suggest sharing the password with students. In this case, installing by syncing with iTunes is your best bet.

So far I've addressed syncing iPod that are part of a class set. This set cannot easily be used in another classroom with a different set of computers. If this set if used school wide, I suggest syncing/installing apps from a central location, like the Media Center. Otherwise you're dealing with deauthorzing iTunes in the first classroom so you can authorize more computers in the second. Note that deauthorzing does not delete the apps from the computer, it just prevents you from installing the apps on iPods and iPhones.

Also, since iTunes requires a credit card for purchases, you'll have to decide whose card number will be used. I would have no problem using my personal credit card as the apps are fairly cheap. Then I don't have to figure out how to use a school credit card and keep all that separate with my personal iTunes purchases. The apps are cheap, so it won't amount to much--though I can see myself going overboard and having a dollar here and there add up quickly. Something to think about: if you ever leave the school, then you probably don't want your iTunes account associated with the school computers anymore, which would leave those iPods without software.

What if you aren't dealing with a class set? What if you are inviting students to bring their own iPod touches and iPhones? In short, it's messy. If they sync with a classroom computer to install apps, it will erase the apps they already have from their home computers. In this case, I suggest sticking with free software. If there's an app you'll use in class, have students install it from the App Store right their own devices. Student will need their iTunes' account password to install any app, even free ones.

So, Apple's FairPlay DRM does put some significant (and complicated) restrictions how you install and manage iPod touch software. But, it's very significant that you can install paid apps to any number of iPods and iPhones. That's definitely a plus for class sets of iPods!

12 Days of iPod touch continues tomorrow with animation apps.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch

The App Store for iPod touch and iPhone is quickly becoming filled with software for math drill and practice. Many of the applications are free or just 99 cents. Unlike Palm and Windows Mobile software, Apple actually approves each and every app before it is included in the App Store. While this is comforting in that you won't install something that doesn't work, many of the math drill and practice applications leave a lot to be desired. For math facts practice, I really wanted something like Palm's MathAce. Some apps come close to allowing control over what problems are presented. Unfortunately, the apps that are currently available usually give a multiple choice selection when I'd prefer students to input the number themselves.

Anyhow, there are a few dozen programs in the App Store for math practice. Here are some I like:

miTables Lite Straight-forward flash card game. Tap the i to set a variety of options. (Free)	Math Tables Math flash card game where you find the problem instead of the answer. ($1.99)
EDU Blaster Tap the numbers that fit the equation in the top-left corner. You can set the difficulty on the options screen. ($0.99)	FlowMath Build a problem that matches the given answer. ($0.99)
Math Tricks Read quick lessons on mental math tricks and then complete short quizzes. ($0.99)	Number Crunch Use the given numbers to create an expression that is as close to the target number as you can get. ($0.99)
Math Trainer Improve mental math skills by completing one of three kinds of exercises. ($1.99)	AddNumber Choose one or more numbers to add up to the goal. Includes negative numbers. ($0.99)

You probably noticed that most of the apps I chose to share above are not free. Most of the free apps are not exactly what teachers are looking for. Undoubtedly there will be more and more math practice applications and better free apps are bound to appear. You can keep up by searching the iTunes Store for math apps. Or, I prefer to search the AppShopper website. AppShopper lists your search result's icons, short descriptions, average ratings, and dates updated. I find AppShopper a little more useful when searching for a specific kind of software than browsing the iTunes Store. Once you find something you want to download, click the Buy Now button on the AppShopper page. The details page for that specific app will open in iTunes where you can download or buy the app.

Found a favorite math app? Tell us about it in a comment to this post!

12 Days of iPod touch continues tomorrow when we explore putting apps on multiple iPods and/or iPhones.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch

Comics are a powerful medium. The combination of visuals and text can really get an idea across--just ask Google. To announce their new Chrome web browser in September, Google issued a comic book to explain why they were making their own browser and how Chrome is different from the others.

There are a variety of ways to read comics on an iPod touch. iPREPpress sells Graphic Biographies and Histories for iPods. These "eBooks" are actually simply a folder full of images you can load onto an iPod. Each panel of a comic is its own image so each eBook consists of over 50 images. You view the eBook like you would your other photos in the Photos application.

You can certainly use iPod touch's Safari web browser to visit websites that have comics. Because comics are usually large images, you'll have to zoom in and scroll around the screen to read them. Be aware that if a site uses Flash to display the comic, it won't show up on the iPod. To help you out, Stripr is a site formatted for the iPod touch and iPhone screen (a.k.a. a web app) that lists a variety of comic strips. Stripr also presents the comics so you don't have to load the actual site it came from. You'll still have to zoom and scroll to read them, though.

Another way to view comics is to use software from the App Store. Some apps are designed be a single graphic novels like Nancy Drew Volume 3 Issue 2. Comic Envi, however, uses the Internet to download a variety of the latest comic strips and political cartoons. It displays them as a slide show on your iPod touch.

Reading comics is great, but creating your own comic is even better. For desktop computers, there's software like Comic Life and websites like Comiqs.com that allow you to create your own cartoon story. For iPod touch and iPhone, there's Comic Touch ($4.99) and iToony ($2.99) from the App Store.

Behold some educational comics I made using Comic Touch:

Photo from Pics4Learning.com	Creative Commons Licensed photo from flickr.com/photos/15066227@N00/90017858/
	Creative Commons Licensed photo from flickr.com/photos/justastranger

iPhone users can use their phone's camera to take a picture and instantly bring it into Comic Touch or iToony. Since iPod touch doesn't have a camera, touch users can import images from the Photo Library. There are several ways to get photos into the Photo Library:

• Place the photos you want to sync in a folder or album on your desktop computer. Use iTunes to sync the photos onto the iPod.
• Drawing software from the App Store (like iDoodle2 Lite) allows you to save images created in the program to the Photo Library.
• Photos can be sent as email attachments and that email can be opened on the iPod touch. Tapping the photo in Mail produces a menu where you can save the image to the Photo Library.
• You can save an image while browsing the web in Safari. Tap and hold the image you wish to save. The image you are about to save is highlighted. Tap the Save Image button that appears.

As you undoubtedly noticed in my comics above, Comic Touch has warping effects that are a lot like PhotoBooth on the Macintosh. Although iToony doesn't have warping effects, it does have a wider variety of speech bubbles and lets you draw, sketch, and decorate in many colors.

After creating a comic in Comic Touch or iToony, you can save the cartoon to the Photo Library. From there you can sync the image onto a desktop computer or send it through email. Once on a desktop computer, the image can be used wherever you use JPEGS: documents, slide shows, webpages, blogs, wikis, etc. Or, since you can email the photo right from the iPod touch or iPhone, you could email the image directly to a blog for posting (most blog services allow you to post via email). Wherever the images happen to appear, students and teachers will have a blast creating, sharing, and learning from their comics!

12 Days of iPod touch continues tomorrow with math apps.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch

For years I've touted the wonderfulness of Palm handhelds. My fifth graders and I had a blast earlier in the decade using Palms and the gobs of available freeware. But now, near the end of the decade, I've lost my excitement for Palms in education. Palm hasn't updated its line of PDAs in over three years and has discontinued its educational purchase program. I've always liked that the Palm OS was easy to use and student-friendly, but they just haven't kept up with the times and the Palm Corporation is obviously no longer interested in the education market.

My excitement has transferred from Palm to iPod touch. It's even easier to use than a Palm handheld, especially when it comes to loading it with audio and video. And Palm users will appreciate that syncing actually works every time. Like a Palm handheld, an iPod touch's battery tends to last through a whole school day.

Right now there are currently three times as many applications for Palm as there are for iPod touch and iPhone. That is changing quickly. The Palm OS has been around for over 10 years and PalmGear.com lists 32,000 software applications for Palms. In contrast, Apple only opened up iPod touch and iPhone to software developers in the last year and the iTunes App Store has now surpassed 10,000 applications. I'm guessing that by the end of 2009, there will be more software for iPod touch/iPhone than for Palm. Currently 24% of the iPod touch/iPhone apps are games. Nearly 8% are categorized in Education. About one-fourth of all iPod touch apps are free and about of third of them cost only 99 cents. To me it seems that iPod touch and iPhone applications are cheaper than their Palm counterparts.

Note: Apple's App Store is part of the iTunes Store and can be accessed through iTunes for Windows or Mac or directly on an iPod touch or iPhone. Most all iPod touch and iPhone apps work on either kind of device.

Browsing the web on a Palm is tolerable. But its browser is very outdated. The iPod touch's Safari browser is modern and like all those commercials, allows you to view full-sized web pages. But there are also websites designed just for the iPod touch screen called web apps.

Palm.com continues to list the 128MB Palm TX for $299--the same price it has had for over three years. The 8GB touch retails for $229. The iPod touch offers 64 times the memory for less money.

The iPod touch's big disadvantage over Palms is that there are no attachable keyboards for iPod touch or iPhone. If students are writing more than a few sentences, a real keyboard is necessary. I'm hoping a real keyboard will come out soon. If the iPod touch had an attachable or wireless keyboard option, the choice between Palm and iPod touch would be a no-brainer. If the device is being used for lots of writing, then I suggest looking into a netbook instead of a Palm handheld.

Another disadvantage for iPod touch: since Palm handhelds have been used in classrooms for so many years, you'll find tons of Palm resources, including lesson plans, online. Resources for iPod touch in education are scarce, but that is sure to change. (Have you checked out Learning in Hand's Do So Much with an iPod touch section?)

You can look forward to 11 more days of posts here at Learning in Hand devoted to the iPod touch and iPhone. We'll compare them to netbooks, check out some useful features, and showcase educational software from the App Store. On the 12th day, this blog's gift to you is a video where I'll show you my favorite tips and tricks.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch, palm

When I first saw that companies were selling styluses for iPhone and iPod touch, I laughed. After all, these tiny computers are designed to be used with a finger, not a stick. But, as I download more and more drawing applications, I'm finding I don't draw very well with my finger. I actually want a stylus for my iPod. The problem is that a regular stylus does not work on the iPod touch's screen--a special kind of stylus is required. I found three styluses that could be used and ordered one. I wasn't incredibly happy with it, so I ordered the other two.

I made a video (TeacherTube / YouTube) in which I share my thoughts on the three styluses I purchased. Not only because I think the information might be helpful, but because I wanted to experiment with making videos about iPod touch. I used ScreenFlow to simultaneously record my iPod touch and me. Then the software allowed me to integrate the video and add graphics. Despite the few times I misspoke, I'm pretty pleased with the final product. I'm hoping to make videos like this one about some of my favorite educational applications for iPod touch.

Stylus ordering info: Soft-Touch Stylus, Japanese Touch Pen Stylus, and Pogo iPhone Stylus.

Labels: ipodtouch

Nowadays there seems to be three kinds of websites. There are the full websites that you are used to viewing on your desktop or laptop. Then there are mobile versions of sites for cell phones. Mobile sites are created with a minimum amount of graphics, don't require much bandwidth, and can be navigated with a keypad. Additionally, there are sites formatted for the Safari browser on iPhones and iPod touches. These sites are sometimes called web apps and are designed to be used by touching the screen with fingers. Below you can see that CBS News formats its site according to what kind of device you are using to view it.

Not all sites are programmed to format themselves into these three types of sites. Chances are that the your website is static and does not change no matter what size of screen it is being viewed on. If you'd like to see what a site looks like on a cell phone, you can use the dotMobi Emulator. The emulator is useful for not only checking your own site, but for pages that you might want students to visit on a mobile device.

If you'd like to see what a site or web app looks like on an iPhone or iPod touch, you can use iPhone Tester. iPhone Tester gives you a preview of what the page will look like on a simulated iPhone.

If you'd like a make a site that will function well on a mobile phone, handheld, or iPhone, you should check out Wirenode. It's a free service that allows you to easily create a compact webpage or site that will format itself for the device that's used to access it. Here's a site I made with Wirenode for the 2008 NECC conference. As you can see, Wirenode support text, images, news feeds, and hyperlinks.

Why would you care what your site looks like on a mobile device? Research firm IDC says that 1.3 billion people will connect to the Internet using a mobile phone in 2008. According to the March 2008 Tween & Teen Lifestyle Report, 73% of teens and 26% of tweens own mobile phones. Besides mobile phones, youngsters also often have access to the Web on other portable platforms like Palm handhelds, Sony PSPs and Nintendo DSs. The bottom line is that the Internet isn't just for desktop computers anymore!

Labels: handhelds, iphone, ipodtouch, mobile internet, mobile phone, mobile web, palm, pocket pc

Learning in Hand: iPods Episode #11: Artwork & Lyrics is online and is all about giving audio files cover art and accompanying text.

Artwork and lyrics are two things you can easily add to an audio file to make it more useful on iPods. While most all references you'll find to artwork and lyrics on iPods deal with music, the audio files do not have to be songs. They can be recordings from a voice recorder, ripped from a CD, podcasts, files from Audacity or GarageBand, or downloaded from the Internet. Wherever you got the audio, we'll explore adding customized artwork and accompanying text to these files.

Listen to all 11 minutes of Episode #11 for tips, how-tos, and ideas for using artwork and lyrics on click wheel and touch iPods.

Labels: iphone, ipod, ipodtouch, itunes, learning in hand: ipods, podcasting

Learning in Hand: iPods Episode #9: Photos Part 1 is online and gives information about getting images and slide shows on an iPod.

You probably know that you can sync photos to an iPod. After all, it’s an option in iPod’s Main Menu. Photos of your children, pets, and vacations are fun to show off on iPod’s screen. Episode 9 covers the basics of putting photos on an iPod and then tells you about viewing PowerPoint and Keynote slide shows on an iPod.

Listen to all 9 minutes of Episode #9 for a how-to, valuable tips, and useful information. Part 2 will feature surprising and innovative educational uses for iPod's Photos.

Labels: ipod, ipodtouch, learning in hand: ipods

Apple has launched its official directory of Web apps for iPod touch and iPhone. Web apps are websites that are designed to "extend the functionality of iPhone and iPod touch." Apple does not allow software applications to be loaded on iPod touch and iPhone, forcing developers to use Web apps instead. Note: You can hack an iPhone to run native applications, but I do not recommend hacking. Although Web apps follow the latest web programming guidelines, I've found that many Web apps designed for iPod touch and iPhone often do not render properly on other devices like Palm handhelds and Pocket PCs. A definite disadvantage to Web apps is that they require a wireless Internet connection. No connection = no access to the Web app site.

Over 200 Web apps are currently listed in the directory. Categories include Calculate, Entertainment, Games, News, Productivity, Search Tools, Social Networking, Sports, Travel, Utilities, and Weather. About half of the Web apps are in the Games category. Perhaps we'll see an Education category in the future.

If you don't have an iPod touch or iPhone but want to give these apps a try, many will load right in your current browser. Mac users can download the free iPhoney application. iPhoney shows you exactly what a site will look like on a iPod touch/iPhone, matching the devices' 320 x 480 resolution. All desktop Web users can go to iphonetester.com and to see how a site will look on an iPod touch or iPhone.

There are other directories of Web apps. Two places to find them are everythingiPhone and iLounge. But, Apple's directory is my favorite.

Feeling really geeky or have advanced Web programming students? Apple has resources for developing your own Web apps.

Update: Apple has announced they will allow developers to make software programs for iPod touch and iPhone. This is great news as native software applications are far better than web applications. We'll have to wait a while as the kit for software developers won't be ready until February 2008. With useful software applications, iPod touch will turn out to be a very useful handheld computer.

Update #2: Kathy Schrock has posted a nice list of educational web apps she has tried out.

Labels: iphone, ipodtouch, mobile internet, mobile web