Assignment+1

=7 Article Reviews=

Article 1: How will the iPad change education?
This article begins by discussing how the textbook industry and the environment are impacted by the use of tablets in the classroom. There will be no need for paper textbooks, and online texts can be updated as needed so students get current information. The environment benefits because less trees will be harvested for textbooks.

This article continues with a blog excerpt by Rob Reynolds which brings up 5 points on how "tablets" will change education. Point 1 is on productivity. Tablets will give students the necessary tools on hand and the mobility to access these tools when needed where needed.

Point 2 is about convergence. These tablets have many apps so students can bring together many tools to compete their tasks. An e-reader has one app--reading material, whereas, the tablet has many more functions.

Point 3 is about mobility. As mentioned in point 1 the tablets are mobile devices that are at hand wherever the student needs it and for very large projects and collaborations in and out of the school setting.

Point 4 is about price and availability. Tablets are affordable. They contain many applications and can lower the cost of education because textbooks do not have to be purchased. Instead there are user subscriptions.

The final point is about community. This article presents the idea that people are more connected using mobile devices.

PBS TeacherLine, How will the iPad change education? Retrieved June 27, 2011, from [|http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/ blog/2010/01/how-will-the-ipad-change-education/]

This article discusses different views on what the impact will be on education with the introduction of the iPad. Students don't seem as excited as adults about the iPad. They are already use to the latest technologies out there. Educators, however, are excited to be able to connect with students with these new technologies. Education need to catch up and "embrace" this new technology in the classroom to engage the students. The iPad is different from a normal tablet in that it has Internet access, it runs on its own operating system, and is geared towards education. Using the iPad in place of a textbook can bring the in the material with videos, movies, and animation to make it much more dynamic and interesting.

McCrea, Bridget (2010, January). Measuring the iPad's Potential for Education. // THEJournal. // Retrieved June 27, 2011, from [|http://thejournal.com/articles/ 2010/01/27/measuring-the-ipads-potential-for-education.aspx]

Article 3: 5 real ways educators are using iPads
This article summarizes how iPads will be used on university campuses this year. One, it will be used as a textbook replacement. E-book versions are cheaper than printer versions. One downfall, sometimes technologies issues can slow down downloads. The iPad can also serve as a supplement to printed books. This can help further explain a concept. Many will even learn how to write iPad programs.

Many universities are providing computers to incoming students. This year some are offering iPads instead of laptops. The author of the article believes this will be the standard. Laptops will be used for more heavy duty applications like engineering and software development. iPads will be used more in field research. The mobility of the device makes is easier to use.

The last application mentioned in the article is the use of the iPad in music. An app is being developed for people who use both hands in playing their instrument. This app will turn the page of the music for these artists.

Sumner, Aaron (2010, July). 5 real ways educators are using iPads. // Stratepedia Blog. // Retrieved July 27, 2011, from [|http://blog .stratepedia.org/2010/07/23/5-real-ways-educators-are-using-ipads/]

Article 4: Educators Evaluate Learning Benefits of the iPad
This article discusses interviews with schools that are in pilot programs with iPads (Virginia and Chicago) and one school district Irving, TX, that is exploring iPad and other tablets. The author is surprised how schools have jumped at implementing tablets into the classroom since schools are usually slow in adapting. He is also surprised because the iPad is fairly new and Apple is still revising it and the fact that the iPad does not support Adobe Flash.

Some educators are wondering if the investment is worth it at this time. Experts say that the education interest is because the iPad is light, has an extensive battery life, and the screen size is larger than the iPhone. The Virginia pilot is concentrating on using the iPad in place of textbooks. One hurdle that they had to overcome was errors in the text. Another point brought out was that the iPad gives us so much more to present that sometimes it causes overload. Teachers had to learn quickly and make changes. Some of the material was above the students' reading levels. Teachers had to supplement. On a positive note, the mobility of the device for students moving from classroom to classroom was a plus. And teachers were able to find many apps for supplementing their coursework.

The article asked the question of whether the iPad should be a 1-to-1 device or a tool that is left in the classroom. Many felt it should be a tool since the tablet does not have a file structure like a laptop or desktop does. Yet, some felt 1-to-1 keeps the student connected to the school.The Irving school district in Texas is running a 1-to-1 device model with 10 students and 20 administrators to see how the device meets their needs. This project is ongoing yet, but they have concluded that for document writing--no tablet will do. Administrators do like using the tablets for apps like the calendar, meeting, but also for teacher evaluations that can be prepared in the classroom while observing the teacher.

Quillen, Ian. (2011, June). Educators Evaluate Learning Benefits of the iPad. // Digital Directions //. Retrieved, June 27, 2011, from [|http://www. edweek.org/dd/articles/2011/06/15/03mobile.h04.html]

Article 5: How the iPad 2 and education could go together
This article aims specifically at the iPad 2 with its new features. There are five specific points make. One is that the all-in-one video production capability. The iPad can take the picture/movies and you can edit and deliver all on one device. The second point is that the iPad 2 can be used for presentations with its high definition display.

Point three is the use of the iPad in Distance Learning. With the camera, video conferencing is not an issue. In schools this is being used for guest speakers and foreign language applications. Point four is augmented reality field trips. This is awesome that you can take your iPad and point it at an object and get information about that object instantly. This is still in development but the capability is in the iPad 2.

The last point is the use of electronic textbooks on the iPad 2. The Safari web browser is faster with the iPad 2 so there is an improvement in the presentation of the e-textbook. A lot of new apps are being developed because of the iPad 2 which is very exciting.

Sumner, Aaron. How the iPad 2 and education could go together. (2011, March). // Stratepedia Blog //. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from [|http://blog.stratepedia.org/2011/03/04/how-the-ipad-2-and-education-could-go-together/]

Article 6: Is the IPad Ready To Replace the Printed Textbook?
Scott Perkins, coordinator of mobile learning research at Adamns Center for Teaching and Learning is collecting data from two different studies with students attending Abilene Christian University. Students were loaned iPads through grants and technology fees. Some students used the iPad alone where others had supplimentaly materials. The article mentions some of this findings. When surveyed three out of four students said they would be willing to purchase an iPad of their own. When surveyed about reading from an iPad vs. traditional textbook students say that reading from an iPad was convenient but traditional textbooks were easier to read. Students also preferred side-by-side reading vs. over the top page turning.

Students that had to work with just the digital-form of text said that they were frustrated at not being able to highlight and annotate when reading the material. However, the use of the iPad increased "class participation, involvement, and interest, as well as increased contact between students and professors." Other benefits mentioned in the research was that student found it easier to collaborate with the device, enjoyed the mobility, and it helps the student prepare for use in their professions.

Perkins does not feel we are ready to convert totally to iPads instead of textbooks. One reason is the availability of digital textbooks. Another issue is the cost of iPads. Perkins says the electronic textbooks need to be more than text; they need to contain video and audio.Perkins believes that things are changing--more e-textbooks are coming and they will be media-rich. The focus now in his research is getting iPads to the faculty so they will be ready when more e-textbooks are available.

Schaffhauser, Dian. Is the iPad Ready to Replace the Printed Textbook?. (2011, June) // Campus Technology. // Retrieved June 27, 2011, from [|http://] [|//campustechnology.com/articles/2011/06/15/is-the-ipad-ready-to-replace-the-printed-textbook.aspx//]

Article 7: From iCloud to Dropbox: 5 Cloud Services Compared
To "cloud" allows you to save your information (video, photos, music, etc,) on the Internet. The advantage to this is that you can access it anywhere you have Internet connection. Apple has recently introduced iCloud which competes with Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.

The article contains a chart that compares iCloud, Google's Cloud, Amazon CloudDrive, Windows Live, and Dropbox. The chart compares features, device, and music.

ICloud was designed to streamline to all devices. The examples in the article is you take a picture on your iPhone and it pops up on your computer. Edit a document on your Mac and it is automatically edited on your iPhone. Buy a song on iTunes and it downloads to your iPhone and your Mac. You get 5G for backups, documents, and e-mail.

Amazon's CloudDrive is considered an "online storage locker" for documents that can be read with a Flash device. They offer 5G for free and $1 per extra gigabyte.

Google's Cloud has different storage areas. Photos have to be saved in Picasso, e-mails in Gmail, music in Music Beta, and documents in Google Docs. Each has a free 1G of space with $5 for 20G.

Microsoft Windows Live's cloud service is called SkyDrive. You get 25GB free with no options to expand. There are some 50 Phone7 integrations, for example, take a photo on your Windows phone and it automatically goes to SkyDive.

Dropbox is an app that is a "web-connected folder that lives on your PC or smartphone." You drop a file in Dropbox on your PC and it will automatically appear in your iPhone Dropbox app. Dropbox works on any platform and access your files in your web browser. You get 2GB free, $100 for 50G, and $200 will get you 100G.

The author says that the cloud you use will depend on the devices you are using.

Chen, Brian X. From iCloud to Dropbox: 5 Cloud Services Compared. (2011, June). Wired.Com. // Retrieved June 27, 2011, from [|http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/06/cloud-services-compared]