Tag Archives: iPad

Creating a Mobile & Online Classroom

I’m in the midst of creating an online class, and specifically doing some edits for the content that’s already been created. The instructional designer for the school I’m working with has gotten back to me with several notes, and much of it are items that probably wouldn’t have been as hard to manage if I weren’t in the position of juggling several computing platforms at once in order to produce this. Now, let me note, this isn’t a knock to that school, or online classes in general, but it is an observation of some of the hurdles that tend to happen when governance doesn’t keep pace with the instructor, or the lesson.

The context of the class is that of creating a mobile ministry. In five sessions, I go through a summary of much of the work that’s been done here at MMM for the past 8 years (yes, its really been since April 2005 that the online aspect of this magazine has been in existence). For this class, I’ve got to handle working through a learning management system (a content management applications specifically made for online education) called Moodle. I’ve also got to create content inside of the enterprise-favorite, Microsoft PowerPoint. Inside of these containers I’ve got the requirements to create engaging and interactive content – and pretty much assume that all of it will be consumed session-by-session and while folks have little to nothing else on their plate. I’m not a fan of that methodology if you couldn’t tell.

At this point, I’ve got to redo a lot of content, and all of it is happening through the use of several mobile/connected tools:

  • my Nokia N8: serves as the audio and video recorder (excellent in both of these capacities)
  • my Kindle Fire HD and 1st gen Apple iPad tablets point towards Evernote and Microsoft Office Online to create the text-based components of this class – the latter doesn’t do so well on tablets
  • Dropbox for sharing files between my devices and with the school I’m working with
  • a personal wiki (using TiddlyWiki) on my Nokia N9 (different device) where much of the content generation, resource collection, and management of all these parts has happened
  • And if that’s not fun enough, a borrowed PC to do the parts with Office Online that are just flat out unusable on these mobile devices

One could read all of that and get the impression that creating a mobile and online course is a lot of work and takes a ton. But, I don’t think so. In fact, I’ve done my best not to push back against the school that I’m working with in order to get a better idea of how to take my mobile-mainly approach and fit it within these constraints. That said, this could be done in a much easier way. For example:

  • There would be one and only one document, Fargo.io an online outlining web app that connects to Dropbox accounts -created by the inventor of RSS (and oldest blogger) Dave Winer
  • Audio and video components would be linked using the Dropbox “share link” feature but these would be created on a single mobile device
  • Group discussions occur via Twitter (only) with access to the tweet stream restricted to the in-class participants only (also helps that Twitter is accessible via SMS, web, and email digests)

That doesn’t sound like much, but once you have your outline (as a professor), then there really isn’t much more to a class other than sparking the discussion(s) that lead to knowledge development/transfer.

I’m not done the edits that I have in place here, but I’m thinking that I might be up for doing something like this for the next presentation or course that I’m asked to lead. Seems like too much of a hassle to be using this tech the way that I do, but then have to take several large steps backward in order to teach people the lessons I’ve learned – content shouldn’t be locked, should be accessible to the greatest number of people, and should be tailored to their unique experiences with its application. I don’t know that content management systems, or governance really enable that right now. But I think that we can get there if we have these kinds of examples that simplify what can be done, then get out there and do it.

[Video] April Mobile Minsitry Notes

As we’ve done the past months, here’s a video(cast) about those things related to mobile ministry. We talk a bit about the Mobile Ministry Forum, as well as some newly acquired tech and how that’s being used here at MMM. Take a peek and let us know what you think of these videos.

Watch previous months videocasts:

Also, you can check out other videos about mobile ministry.

Alone Together: A Review in Kindle Highlights

Kindle Fire HD showing cover for Alone Together, w/stylus

After what has seemed like months drawn out way too long, I have finally finished reading Sherry Turkle’s Alone Together. Weird how this book has taken so long for me to read. And at the same time, there was a lot to chew on in between reading sessions. Having the benefit of starting the read on my iPad and finishing on the Kindle Fire HD gave me a chance to compare the screens and ability to read (nearly even, KF-HD I could hold in the hand longer, the iPad was easier to navigate in terms of responsiveness when annotating). Still, I don’t think I can give good enough words to this. How about I just let some of the items that I’ve highlighted or noted speak towards this one:

  • If the problem is that too much technology has made us busy and anxious, the solution will be another technology that will organize, amuse, and relax us. Read more at location 449
    Note: This is the teaching point. Silicon Valley and other creatives seem to be very deliberate in not saying this
  • Winston Churchill said, “We shape our buildings and then they shape us.”23 We make our technologies, and they, in turn, shape us. So, of every technology we must ask, Does it serve our human purposes?—a question that causes us to reconsider what these purposes are. Technologies, in every generation, present opportunities to reflect on our values and direction. Read more at location 609
  • children’s attachments speak not simply to what the robots offer but to what children are missing. Many children in this study seem to lack what they need most: parents who attend to them and a sense of being important. Children imagine sociable machines as substitutes for the people missing in their lives. When the machines fail, it is sometimes a moment to revisit past losses. What we ask of robots shows us what we need. Read more at location 1839
  • People talk about digital life as the “place for hope,” the place where something new will come to them. Read more at location 2988
    Note: Honestly, I think this is the statement born from a generation that saw media as separate from interpersonal interactions. I don’t know that this idea of hope for a place is all that different from hope in a memory that performances, altars, and institutions aim to provide, or psychologically become
  • When online life becomes your game, there are new complications. If lonely, you can find continual connection. But this may leave you more isolated, without real people around you. So you may return to the Internet for another hit of what feels like connection. Again, the Shakespeare paraphrase comes to mind: we are “consumed with that which we were nourished by.” Read more at location 4353
  • a sixteen-year-old girl who tells me, “Technology is bad because people are not as strong as its pull.” Read more at location 4366
  • We have to love our technology enough to describe it accurately. And we have to love ourselves enough to confront technology’s true effects on us. These amended narratives are a kind of realtechnik. The realtechnik of connectivity culture is about possibilities and fulfillment, but it also about the problems and dislocations of the tethered self. Technology helps us manage life stresses but generates anxieties of its own. The two are often closely linked. Read more at location 4647
  • A sacred space is not a place to hide out. It is a place where we recognize ourselves and our commitments. Read more at location 5312

Those are only a few. You can check out the rest of my public notes and highlights over at the Amazon Kindle page for Alone Together. In terms of a recommendation, let’s just say that ministry leaders should have read this already if they haven’t; and parents with teens or young adult children need to read this with them and listen to one another in the responses.

Off to put these highlights and notes into my notebook. You never know when access might be taken away on these services.

Why Its Not About Mobile

Apple Criticism

Found an excellent article in the education space the other week that really broke through the rhetoric that we often hear in this space when it comes to tools and traditions – that its the tools and traditions, not the products of these that need the people to utilize (or not use) them that makes change happen. I found this article about as life-giving as any others we’ve linked to here, and I think that when we get out of our lenses of preferred devices, services, or even behaviors, that we really can start to see that its not about mobile, but about the kind of life that mobile and other media technologies can enable when led by the Spirit and a good dose of innovation:

…This week, I’m helping host EdTechTeacher’s iPad Summit, what we believe is the first national gathering of educators pioneering the use of iPads and tablets in schools and classrooms. As I think about facilitating the event, I keep coming back to the idea that this event for iPad users can’t be about iPads. My own koan for the week is this:

If you meet an iPad on the way, smash it.

If this event becomes a meeting about how we got rid of power cords or extended battery life or solved workflow challenges or found some neat apps, then we fail. The iPad summit is not about the iPad.

The way we are seeking is one where we prepare young people for a life of civic commitment, of self-reflection, and of meaningful work and contributions to community. The way is about unlocking student talent, compassion, and humanity. If the iPad distracts us from defining the way, then we have to smash it…

Read the rest of Why Its Not About the iPad at Edudemic

7in of Near Perfection

iPad (1st gen) and Amazon Kindle Fire HD

There are just so many new gadgets out there, and for the most part, its a crazier world when it comes to tablets. For those who might have been coming from a PDA or eReader background, the idea of a 10in tablet is wrought with some significant risks (weight, platform lock-in, etc.) alongside the obvious gains. And so the 7in tablet begins to take some root as a potential alternative. From a physical standpoint, we’re talking about something with a bent towards reading (unless you’ve got a Samsung or HTC model with a stylus and those neat styli tricks). From a software perspective, we are mostly talking about Android (I’m still wishing for something solid to come from the Mer/MeeGo camp). And then from a usability and faith end, we get that really interesting ask of how this shape of device fosters a maturing faith perspective and a life lived in light of such perspectives.

I’ve recently purchased a Kindle Fire HD to potentially replace my 1st gen iPad. And while I’ve begun to note some of my impressions about it, I’m not yet completely comfortable giving the KF-HD all the work that I gave my iPad. These are different devices, and not everything that one tablet can do should be done on all others. At least how they have come across so far, the iPad is more of a canvas (you can’t do much until you add the paint of various applications), and the KF-HD is a catalog (the 21st century Sears/JC Penny catalog) – I dig into that distinction some on my personal blog.

Still, I can’t help but thinking that there’s a legitimate space for this size of device, and what we can continue to refine about our understandings about mobile as it relates to faith. For example, a few days ago Mobile Advance asked (via Twitter) something specific towards the Google Nexus 7 tablet for an upcoming African trip. Of note to his question was this ability to utilize a device in a mostly offline context. Here were some of the apps recommended in that conversation stream:

Essentially, these are apps which enable taking a 7in tablet and treating it more like a Moleskine notebook and not just a browser/ebook device. I don’t know that anyone can disagree with that perspective. But, its neat that in a device that is this size, that such a use-case isn’t so far away from normalcy. (And in rethinking about it, I forgot to mention a multi-language dictionary; too many years going online for those moments, whoops)

And besides that, you’ve got to think about how that shifts how you use your mobile device. In my case, having the KF-HD makes me use my smartphone more. I don’t know if its because I haven’t adapted to using it as easily as I have my iPad, or that its just faster to continue on this current workflow by using my N8 (and a recently acquired Lumia 900). I can see how someone who has a laptop and doesn’t want to remove that from their lifestyle will use a 7in tablet alongside a low or mid-range smartphone and be just fine in some of their computing pursuits. At least with the Kindle Fire/FireHD, I’m not sure that this is a perfect size to be a netbook/laptop replacement – even though the range of solid 7in tablets and their attending software points in that direction. I do think that its a near-perfect size though to replace a high-end smartphone and larger tablet. Which might make for some interesting decisions for many when it comes to costs of computing over time.

As with the iPad, I expect use and perspectives to mature over time with this new tablet. And to be honest, I’m not totally sold on it just yet either. Its nearly perfect, but as I’ve said in some other ramblings, my usage could be better done with a phablet (phone+tablet) like the Galaxy Note II, or a solution like the Asus Padfone 2. I’m a weird one though. My device choice here is honed for a question to be answered much later. For you, the 7in (or even 8.9in and 10in) tablets might fit your usage needs a bit better. Much like we’ve talked about building a Bible app from the perspective of a layman, not a pastor, there’s something to be said for a smaller screen that might fit the usage and mental models of a different type of person that just isn’t as widely heard. We’re listening for that here now, and whatsoever the results of adding this to the #mobmin utility belt might bring.

Roll Call Mobile CheckIn

Press Release: Mobilize Your Children’s Check In Routine Using iPad®, Tablets, and Smartphones with Roll Call Mobile CheckIn

BYRON, IL., July 26, 2012– Keeping children secure through the use of a computerized children’s check in system is a prerequisite for nearly all children’s ministries. By the Book has taken children’s check in a step further to provide churches with ultimate flexibility by offering Roll Call Mobile Check In, which allows churches to use iPads, tablets, and smartphones for kid’s check in procedures.

“We feel the mobile check in option will give the church the ultimate in flexibility in how they do children’s check in,” says Kim Conley, co-owner of By the Book, software for churches and nonprofits. “Roll Call Mobile CheckIn allows the church to deploy volunteers throughout their facility to check families into classes or even worship services.”

Imagine a church that offers a bus ministry: Armed with an iPad that has 3G capability, the volunteer could check in kids as soon as they arrive on the bus and have name tags printed and waiting for them upon arrival at church.

The Roll Call dashboard will give ministry workers real time headcounts so the children’s ministry leader will know right away if any classes are getting too full or if they need to enlist more volunteers.

“They’ll also be able to check in visitors right from the mobile device and even walk them to the appropriate classroom if they’d like,” adds Conley.

“This children’s check in system has been the easiest out of any I have used. I love the ability to grow with more computers, tablets, or key cards as our ministry expands,” comments Angela C. from Summit Ridge Church.

Children’s Check In/Out Process

The child check in system in Roll Call allows users to check students into their classes, record attendance, and print nametags and security labels. With Mobile CheckIn, volunteers can check students in using a mobile device by looking up last name or last four digits of their phone number, then print labels at a centralized print station. To check students out simply compare the security code on the child’s name tag with the security code on the parent tag.

Technology Specifications

In order to run Roll Call Mobile CheckIn, churches will need to have Roll Call church management software installed on at least one computer. This computer must be running Windows Pentium 4 (minimum) or Mac (Intel) OSX 5.8 or greater. More details on technical specifications can be found here.

Churches will also need a mobile device such as an iPad, tablet, or smartphone that can connect wirelessly to their local network. If using the mobile device outside of local network, that device must be able to access the internet through a 3G or 4G network. If churches will be checking students in from outside the church’s local area network, they will need a fixed IP address for the Roll Call Server machine.

About By the Book

Founded in 2002, By the Book (http://www.bythebook.com) offers robust desktop and internet accessible church and nonprofit management software. Roll Call Church Management Software meets the needs of churches from small to large through membership management, attendance monitoring, visitor follow up, contribution tracking, and background check management. Roll Call Child CheckIn and Mobile CheckIn add on solutions offer churches peace of mind by securing children through PCs or mobile devices. Honor Roll Fundraising Software offers nonprofits complete donor management tools, pledge tracking, and contact management. Free trials are available of all of By the Book’s software offerings. Email, call, or sign up today: info@bythebook.com or 1-800-554-9116.

Press release submitted by Church Tech Today

SoundBender Review

SoundBender is the brainchild that sprung forth from the creative mind of Moshe Weiss of Simply Amazinc, a start-up based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Moshe set up a KickStarter campaign soliciting funding for his unique product. With a goal to get things running, backers from all over have almost tripled the amount of the requested goal. Needless to say, there are many people who believe in this gem of a gadget, and I’m one of them.

What Does It Do?
Have you ever struggled to hear the sound coming from your iPad 2? While the speakers are pretty loud, they face away from the screen as they are located at the back of the iPad 2. The SoundBender attaches to your iPad 2, and amplifies the sound emanating from your speaker by redirecting it, or “bending” it back to.

It’s a smart-looking, light-weight device that snugly attaches along your iDevice by way of plastic arms that hold onto your unit. It requires no power to use and is sturdy and looks pretty slick. It comes in a variety of colors for you to choose from for those of you who (like me) are into mixing and matching accessory colors to your device and/or case.

Features and Recommendations
The SoundBender comes with arms that have magnetic clips for a more secure hold, as well as arms that come with no magnets included. I’ve tried both versions, and both not only held steadfastly, there was no reduction in the sound quality.

I was able to experiment using a couple of cases, namely the Yaboo leather case and the Saddleback Leather Case. Yaboo has pinholes in the speaker area of its cases. The SoundBender would not fit over the casing and I would have to remove the case in order to use the device. Ironically, even though the Saddleback leather case is much thicker than the Yaboo, I was able to attach the SoundBender without any problems. This is because the Saddleback case has a cut-out over the speaker area allowing users to insert the SoundBender in the available opening.

Perhaps future versions of SoundBender could include an adjustable arm that expands or contracts and locks into place, in order to meet the varying sizes of the myriad cases on the market. This would definitely meet the demands of more people with cases, broadening the target SoundBender audience. However, in its current form, it does a great job of improving the overall listening experience.

Conclusion
Simply Amazinc has produced an essential, must-have accessory that is sure to please everyone who has ever wished that the sounds coming from the back of their iPad 2 could be enhanced and amplified. With the SoundBender, the nuanced sounds from your games or songs you may have missed because of the position of the speaker, or you simply didn’t have your headphones with you, can now be better heard with a compact and sleek, power-free device that bends the sound back to you, for a more enriching listening experience. The SoundBender is innovative, intuitive and flat-out impressive!

  • Rating (1-10): 10
  • What I Enjoyed: Compact and portable, yet powerful and practical.
  • What Could Be Better: The accessory doesn’t fit over some cases
  • Price: $15 base price with more options to show your support. Please see the website for more pricing details.

For more information and to contribute to this project, visit the Simply Amazinc Kickstarter project website.

Format

SoundBender is the brainchild that sprung forth from the creative mind of Moshe Weiss of Simply Amazinc, a start-up based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Moshe set up a KickStarter campaign soliciting funding for his unique product. With a goal of $4,500 to get things running, backers from all over have almost tripled the amount of the requested goal. Needless to say, there are many people who believe in this gem of a gadget, and I’m one of them.

What Does It Do?
Have you ever struggled to hear the sound coming from your iPad 2? While the speakers are pretty loud, they face away from the screen as they are located at the back of the iPad 2. The SoundBender attaches to your iPad 2, and amplifies the sound emanating from your speaker by redirecting it, or “bending” it back to.

It’s a smart-looking, light-weight device that snugly attaches along your iDevice by way of plastic arms that hold onto your unit. It requires no power to use and is sturdy and looks pretty slick. It comes in a variety of colors for you to choose from for those of you who (like me) are into mixing and matching accessory colors to your device and/or case.

Features and Recommendations
The SoundBender comes with arms that have magnetic clips for a more secure hold, as well as arms that come with no magnets included. I’ve tried both versions, and both not only held steadfastly, there was no reduction in the sound quality.

I was able to experiment using a couple of cases, namely the Yaboo leather case and the Saddleback Leather Case. Yaboo has pinholes in the speaker area of its cases. The SoundBender would not fit over the casing and I would have to remove the case in order to use the device. Ironically, even though the Saddleback leather case is much thicker than the Yaboo, I was able to attach the SoundBender without any problems. This is because the Saddleback case has a cut-out over the speaker area allowing users to insert the SoundBender in the available opening.

Perhaps future versions of SoundBender could include an adjustable arm that expands or contracts and locks into place, in order to meet the varying sizes of the myriad cases on the market. This would definitely meet the demands of more people with cases, broadening the target SoundBender audience. However, in its current form, it does a great job of improving the overall listening experience.

Conclusion
Simply Amazinc has produced an essential, must-have accessory that is sure to please everyone who has ever wished that the sounds coming from the back of their iPad 2 could be enhanced and amplified. With the SoundBender, the nuanced sounds from your games or songs you may have missed because of the position of the speaker, or you simply didn’t have your headphones with you, can now be better heard with a compact and sleek, power-free device that bends the sound back to you, for a more enriching listening experience. The SoundBender is innovative, intuitive and flat-out impressive!
Rating (1-10): 10
What I Enjoyed: Compact and portable, yet powerful and practical.
What Could Be Better: The accessory doesn’t fit over some cases
Price: $15 base price with more options to show your support. Please see the website for more pricing details.
For more information and to contribute to this project, visit the Simply Amazinc Kickstarter project website.
Path:

Tablet Word Processing App Comparison

Office HD screenshot from Painfully HopefulEarlier in the week Antoine posted asking about some of the apps pastors use, and asked for the kinds of apps you might use. Around the same time, I started a series looking at productivity apps on the iPad that I use and what I liked/didn’t like about them. What resulted was a Mobile Suite showdown, and the first installment looking at the editor layout of some popular office apps on the iPad (and similar tablets).

Productivity apps on the iPad continue to be one of the top selling points for the device. It’s no surprise, then, that there are several office suites available in the App Store. This post is going to explore the three main “all in one” suites which are available on the iPad – Documents to Go, Quick Office, and Office2 HD. Apple’s iWork is also available in the App store, but the “separate app” nature of the suite sets it outside the scope of this comparison.

Each suite will be explored for file management, editor layout, editing features, and importing/exporting. We’ll primarily look at the word-processing features of each suite, but will also compare the spreadsheet and presentations modules for each app. Today we’ll be looking at the second comparison – editor layout.

Read the rest of the Mobile Suite Showdown – Editor Layout at Painfully Hopeful.