Homeschool iPad Usage

We are a year late getting the iPad 2 especially since, the iPad 3 or newest iPad has been revealed. One thing that I have not found or read anywhere is how to properly manage your iPad storage, usage and battery.


STORAGE: Now if you are an Apple consumer and have iTunes music and video files that you want to store on your iPad then you may need excessive GB gigabytes. We are on a budget and we don't have an extensive video or music collections 16GB serves us very well. Last year, Apple introduced their iCloud storage. First, we back up our iPad using the iCloud. This option is found in the Settings.

 I highly recommend switching the Find My iPad on. If one looses misplaces their iPad this locator can disable and inform the iPad.

USAGE: We use our iPad seven days a week. Almost as soon as my student awakes he grabs it every day. We have over 250 apps. A 16GB devise without many pictures (50) no music and no videos holds about 150 apps comfortably. There are apps I like to have on the devise that don't get real heavy usage. And there are apps that are used non stop. I use the iPad when my student isn't thus, our school could use two iPads, easily. If one uses an app only occasionally and doesn't have in-app purchases don't leave it on the iPad if one takes a ton of pictures. Any app can be removed and re-added. If the app has in-app purchases or certain information stored like productivity usage then one should leave it on the devise.

In the Settings, I have under GENERAL the restrictions code set (unknown to my student) and the iTunes, Ping and Deleting apps are off. There are times when I turn Safari, You Tube off. He isn't using FaceTime, as of yet. Also, if one turns off YouTube or temporarily deletes an app like Facebook understand and be smart that your student or child can still access these things online sources using Safari.  I advise having In-App purchases off. Note however: I have the Installing Apps open to receive updates that way I don't have to connect it frequently to the computer.
Slight ASIDE: (Oh by the way, I highly recommend getting the Apple Care before the first year runs out. It has worked in my favor every time).

BATTERY:  One thing to conserving the devise's battery, (I was shown this by a security guard at SF de Young Museum) if one pushes the main button twice quickly a lower bar or section opens revealing all the apps that have been recently used or opened.

Hold a finger on an app the first one or any one and they will wiggle appearing with a minus bar in the upper left corners.

Touch the minus bar in the upper left corner and remove this app because it is draining the battery even though one may not be using the app currently. My student doesn't use or know this feature so, I use it as a back up to see which apps he is really using because there are times I may not know. Also, this feature works even if the Delete-Apps is switched off (it appears like deleting app but, it all about removing the app using your devise's energy).


PERSPECTIVE: I highly recommend any version of the iPad for any type of home school: academic, religious, artistic, etc. If one doesn't have a reliable digital recording devise than get the iPad2 without hesitations. If one wants the best and the newest get the iPad3.
Technically viewing technology, we are floating in outer space with Richard Branson listening to my iPod Shuffle Ring with Speaker that I made on Earth Day 2012. This moment in time, my twelve year old student is reading one of my favorite books like it was the Bible. The title is Writing-Urban Calligraphy and Beyond.
I hate to say this but, the app that he uses the most is YouTube even though he does not have an account, yet. By the way, he can open an account as soon as he has made a movie/video of any length. Personally, as an artist I recently made a published image for an NY organization that I used a couple of Art apps. This image prints beautifully. I think we had problems with our original iPad and had to get the upgrade to the iPad2 because we make our iPad work hard.

This year, I added a new home school section or category that we labeled Information News. These apps we have previously mentioned or blogged before: PBS, BrainPoP, we had the Smithsonian for iPhone, which we switched out for the actual iPad version and Timbuktu. When we added TED an alternative idea presentation app I believe I lost my focus last year keeping this blog current.

All these new apps are free and my student loves them and uses them without any prompting. His favorite app, which blew my mind is NPR yes, public alternative radio has a very cool app, if one likes thinking differently. There is National Geographic Explorer a free kid's magazine and National Geographic Today that has daily updated video and photos. SnagFilms is the coolest for alternative thinking and documentary in one app. I have seen and learned amazing things watching SnagFilms by myself and with my student. Pulse News is a must have app if there is a student who needs to watch information. The treat out of this listing is Squrl it is an array of video sources including tapping into HuluPlus and NetFlicks. We don't subscribe to either so, that feature is a little short coming however if one needs more video info, this has a bunch of cool sources and the app even taps into the user's facebook account and showcases videos that friends post kinda cool if your student has a good monitored friend list. Also on a more academic note, we added Khan Academy. I highly recommend Khan Academy because it is the most academic video app that still has appeal. The videos areas are labelled: Math, Science, Finance & Economics, Test Prep and Talk and Interviews. Each of these areas has several sub-groups. Basically, this app is filled with  a ton of information including video transcripts. Khan Academy is perfect balance visually supplying information while simultaneously holding high academic learning standards.

(The dachshund is our dog Charley M. The photo of Charley was taken with the basic camera app that comes with the iPad. The screen shots off the iPad are made by pressing the on/off button together with the central or main button. There is a shutter camera sound when the devise makes the screen shot image.  We are going to cover photography and video next). Also, I don't have active links for the apps listed because no app developer pays or sponsors us. If readers would like that feature please leave a comment or email us at 4lovejewelspress@gmail.com.

Apple Home School Coolness

We aren't the richest Apple users however, I am asserting we are the coolest.
This is an iPod Shuffle Ring with Speaker a little something I built to inspire my student. Seriously many have thought about this one but as far as Google would allow me to see, I am the very first person to do it (actually make a wearable piece of metal finger ornamentation that plays music out loud and photograph it). This is four rings in one that fits three middle fingers (worn two fingered) on either hand. As an art jewelry maker this is the largest and loudest piece I have ever made!!!

Okay, we had to show how cool we are because we got upgraded to the iPad #2 (for free). Yes, I said for FREE. Remember the Apple Care that I have been calling upon since we bought the first iPad? Well, the higher ups immediately asked us to return it. We sent it back like this.

And got this including a refund of our remaining balance of Apple Care that was attached to the original iPad.

This happened March 26th, 2012. It has been really intense and until now I had no idea how to blog about it. Clearly, given my iPod Shuffle Ring with Speaker that I made yesterday (April 22, 2012) I am Apple ignited. Now, that we have the camera we have to list a bunch of photography apps AND we have some new super super yes super apps that can be added to any iPad... coming soon.

Here's a sketch that I made with Paper app by FiftyThree. I don't know about their in app purchases this image was made using the app for FREE. If one downloads it because it is free or because Apple recommended it, this app is exactly like what a digital Moleskine notebook would be. After one flips through the app's images blank pages can be added pushing the plus symbol and a tool bar with a few colors appears using an upward swipe of the lower edge of the Paper book's edge. (In app purchases upgrade the toolbar). Very cool for putting together ideas... clearly, I say get it and get inspired.

(I made this image while I waited for the pieces to arrive in the mail. I wasn't sure how the speaker would fit into the iPod or how it would sit on the hand. A great relief and therapy last week to get the idea out and moving before making the actual piece).