23 mobile things thing #5

I like dragon dictation and used it in the past, but since I upgraded my iPhone to a version with Siri,I never use it any more.

Forget the milk was an okay app too,but seemed like it was a duplication of things my calendars notes already do.

I really liked bamboo as it is the first app I have used to "write" with my iPad.  It is great for brainstorming, doodling or serious drawing.  If I had the additional technology, which some teachers in my district do, it would be a great way to share these things with students on as screen.

My favorite app was springpad.  I like the color coding, the templates,the different backgrounds, the fact that I can access it through other devices, and most of all that each notebook can be private or shared.  This could be a useful tool for students, teachers, and me.

23 mobile things #4

I have been using flipboard for quite some time and find it very helpful to organize articles I am interested in.  It was simple to set up and easy to modify.  I also have it connected to Facebook and Twitter, but usually access them from their apps or websites.  I find it to bee a main source for news replacing other news sites.I did not realize I could use flipboard to follow RSS feeds, so I will definitely be using that.  I am not always diligent about checking the feeds I follow through Google, so this might put them in a more convenient place.

Zite was easy to set up and seems to select good articles based on my preferences.  Unfortunately it does allow RSS feeds, so that might put flipboard in the lead.  Maybe it would work to keep one of them for more professional topics and the other for more personal things, like health, diet, hobbies, and such.

23 mobile things #3

I decided to focus on browsers for this thing.  I have gotten used to safari on my iOS devices and have just started to play around with Crome on my own.  I downloaded Dolphin, Opera Mini,and Coast then performed a search for the same item on all 3 to compare.

First I tried Dolphin.  It does have a simplistic look that might appeal to my youngest students.  It seemed to load quickly which is certainly a plus, but I did not like the size of the font because it is large.  It is difficult to read articles on a tablet with its small screen.

Next I tried Opera.  I could hardly get anything to load and was quickly discouraged.

Coast was my Final and favorite browser.  It loaded super fast to a legible font.  It's touch friendly design makes organizing favorites easy and it is very similar to navigating in Windows  8 or iOS.  If I had to switch from what I am used to using,this would be my first choice. I will probably delete the other two.

23 mobile things Thing #2

I watched iPad tips and tricks, of which I had mostly discovered previously on my own.  Next I watched the hidden features of iso7.  I learned some good tips for Siri, such as changing gender and correcting pronounciation.  I also learned how to view the time stamp on texts and change my font to bold.  Lastly, I checked out tips for iPhone 4S.  I bookmarked this page because there were quite a few tips that I think could be helpful down the road.  They are well organized on this page.

23 mobile things thing #1

Well, here I go again in another attempt to learn new tech.  I am amazed at how things in tech in education has changed since 23 things on a stick.  I am excited to learn new (free) tech to make my life easier, to make lessons for my students more interesting, and to have new things to share with staff.  On to thing 2!