I Just Sat Through iPad Training.

I just sat through iPad training.

Nothing really new, because we have the device at home.  I really do like iPads for reading, Twitter, e-mail, calendar.

Here's what I am thinking about school use:

• This isn't a full-blown computer (yet) and yes you do need a full-blown computer every once in a while.
• If it is graphics or audio or video work you will be much happier with a computer.
• Full versions of programs don't run here.
• FileMaker Go and FileMaker are not the same deal for instance.
• SmartMusic still needs a computer, but playback has moved to Android and iOS.  (Hey SmartMusic!  Next million dollar idea is a full version for the iPad!)
• Those are just two of my favorite programs.
• What if you wanted to do some programming?
• For iOS that is done with a computer.
• What if there ISN'T an app for that?

• I'm glad I don't have to share one of these.
• If you had to share with different settings for each user, you would go nuts.
• I am guessing that kids will have a lot of fun moving the apps around and changing the wall paper.
• A computer can have multiple users.
• I love the fact that I can set things up my way and the rest of the family can have their settings on our computers at home.

• I wish there was more room to store things.
• I think that iPads are a great place to share pictures, but there are only so many gigs to the memory on these.
• The cloud that is coming this fall will have restrictions on the amount of time you photos will be stored.  
• I have been known to want to walk around with gigs of data.
• Schools are fairly complex data-wise and I like to use our info.

• I wish it were easier to lock down.
• You MUST wander through and monitor what kids are doing with iPads.
• The remote desktop is easier with computers.
• I love web browsers with "White Lists" for my kids.
• This Safari doesn't have that.
• I wish the web history wasn't so easy to obscure on iPads
• In fact, it is fairly easy.  Go to the pages icon and start hitting X's.

• I think that schools will purchase these by the truck load.
• The cost of these is at a tempting price point and yes it is a CPU.
• But can't we do a little better for our students?
• It is a nice transition from paper to digital.
• The form factor is very much like paper and can sit on a desk like a worksheet.  Teachers have worked this way for at least a couple of centuries.

Maybe I am being a little persnickety and I don't mean to sound grumpy.  iPads will continue to improve.  I am guessing that the ability to secure these for classroom use will get better soon (or maybe I am behind on my apps and it has improved already!)  But right now, if you could only purchase one device, would this be the device? 

FileMaker and The Music Department.

I have been playing around with FileMaker/FileMaker Server Advanced and an iPod.

FileMaker has some real possibilities for getting the music area organized.  The main uses I can think of right off the bat is tracking all that stuff and all those kids.  Eliminating paper, pens and clip boards from my life has been a mission of mine for the last 15 years.  If I can get it to a hard drive, I can find it later.

There are two ways to use the iOS/FMPro combination.  One works well for static lists.  The other works well for times when you will be editing data.

The method I use for static lists is to load your FileMaker file to the iPod with iTunes.  There is an option to do that upload right there on the apps page in iTunes.  There really isn't a sync for getting the info off the iPod later that I have found.  What list do I use it for?  The emergency class list.  You know the one you grab on the way out the door for a fire drill.  There is a chance that you won't be able to use the network in a real emergency.  The list is fairly static and way easier to find in an emergency on your iPod.

The dynamic/edit method is the one where you basically use your iOS version of FMPro as a client to your computer over the network.  Changes you make on your iPod go over the wireless network to your computer and update the FileMaker file that is running on your desk (or on a server some where.)  This works slick for attendance, inventory and what ever else you need to keep track of.  Picture the day kids turn in uniforms and instruments at the end of the year and I think you can see why this would be so cool!  You could even do before and after pictures of the loaned instruments to hold kids accountable for wear if your iPod has a camera...

It works great on the iPod.  Now I want to try it on an iPad 2.  Looks like I will be waiting a while.