Wireless projection in schools.

I had one of my clients ask me the way to use wireless with her new Epson interactive projectors. Specifically she wants to use iPads... but would also like laptops to connect. These projectors were purchased by someone else, otherwise I could have advised some solutions at the time of install - but no matter there are some easy solutions here.

Yes you can connect to them wirelessly and there are number of ways you can do it. Number 4 is the best option for most schools.

1.      You can purchase a wireless module  at about $110 each – they plug into the projector and then with free software from Epson you can connect to them via your wireless network.

a.      Please note you will need an app for your ipads and will only be able to show videos, web pages, text and photos – not currently running apps like angry birds.

2.      You can connect a network cable to them and then your projector become part of your network – and you connect to them via software from your computer or the app from your ipad

a.      The same restrictions apply to your  ipad  content.

3.      You can purchase an apple TV (@$110) and connect it to your projector via the HDMI – you then need to add the Apple TV to you school network. Once it is on the same network as you ipads you will be able to airplay directly to the projector.

a.      No restrictions, what is on your ipad will be shown on screen

b.     If you have an apple computer you should also be able to airplay wirelessly

c.      If you are using windows machines you will need software like airparrot to stream you laptop to the projector. @$15 per computer. http://www.airsquirrels.com/airparrot/

4.      This is my favorite option as it is the cheapest and easiest to achieve - You can get a piece of software call airserver @$15 that turns the computer connected to the projector into an Airplay server (like an Apple TV).

a.      This means

                                                            That you can use the computer as your main teaching computer - an interact with it.

                                                             ii.     You can also use ipads when needed with no cables

                                                            iii.     It can also Miracast – something that newer laptops and non apple tablets have built in. (use airparrot otherwise)

                                                           iv.     It can be done almost immediately and doesn’t require any cabling or hardware.

AIRSERVER can be purchased and downloaded from here - https://www.airserver.com/Buy/Education

Please note in all options – the touch/pen based interactivity on the board only works with the computer attached to the usb cable – you can’t control your ipad from the board.

Free HTML5 game and Learning Object Authoring

I found it!!!!

Holy cow did it take a long time but I think I have finally found it!!

It helps to know what I was looking for so you can understand my happiness. for the last year or so I have been looking for a HTML5 development environment that suits my set of skills - i.e. coding (minimal) visual design and instructional design (that I can do).

I've used Authorware in the dark distant past, and tried Courselab as recently as last year producing a few learning objects but there were issues that made working with it very painfull. Lately I have been using Opus7 to create Flash based learning objects, but it seems everyone is moving to HTML5 so that their content can play nicely with the iPad / Android tablet.

I've looked at a range of Development environments and even looked at Adobe Captivate - but as a private citizen not attached to a school the price was to be frank - ridiculous.

So imagine my joy at finding Construct2 - natively building HTML5 apps, animations and interactive fun stuff - and there is a free version to use that does just about everything I need. Once I've finished evaluating it I will be stumping up for the $399 for the full pro version.

It's a completely visual IDE - so code is kept in the background if you don't want to deal with it - I do play with code every now and then but I try to avoid it if I can- I'm into rapid development.

It's designed around games but it is perfect for the learning objects I'm trying to create for IWB's

iPads, tablets and IWB's

iPads...

They are starting to pop up in primary and secondary schools all over Australia and from the blogs I read - all over the world. Mostly on a trial basis to see what teachers and students can do with them in the classroom.

One of the questions I have been asked at conferences recently is "How do I integrate my IWB with an iPad?"

There are a couple of ways to do it...

• AppleTV method - With the release of iOS5 the new AppleTV and a new projector with HDMI - you now have a great solution to getting content from the iPad to the projector wirelessly. 
• How does it work? Connect the AppleTV to your projector and link it in with the same wireless network as the iPad. The iPad will recognise that there is and AppleTV on the network and let you mirror what is on the ipad to the AppleTV and therefore the projector.
• The downside to this is that anyone with a iPad will be able to push their iPad screen to any AppleTV screen on the network. In some schools that would be too much temptation for some kids.
• Cloud Whiteboard solution - Use something like the eBeam connect cloud whiteboard. This lets you control who gets to participate and track participation. With the additional free app of eBeam Snapcam students/teachers can send photos to the whiteboard. It will also work with laptops and Android tablets as well.
• How does it work? You connect your laptop to the IWB as per normal - go to eBeam connect, login and start a new board. up in settings there will be a meeting number that you can show to students so they can also join the board after logging in on the iPad.
• The downside - Its a bit slow at the moment due to it being a beta program based in the US. 

If you know of any other way to integrate the two technologies feel free to leave a comment so I can follow it up.

The kids are escaping!!! You'd better run with them!!!

Image by vanberto via Flickr

Recently there has been a big debate on echalk about the role of technology in schools and that very soon there will be a major paradigm shift in the way that our students access technology and information... and therefore how and what we teach. And the thing that frightens teachers and administrators is that there is not much they can do about it.

It was mentioned that schools should provide access to resources that are not normally available to kids at home. industrial kitchens, workshops with lathes and welding gear, theatres with lighting and sound systems - but when they come to our "computer" classes we give them something less powerful than the machine they have at home (including some consoles) and more locked down that at home. No wonder they are leaving computer science classes in high school and acting up in primary computer lessons.

The shift may look something like this...

3G and 4G wireless broadband will become cheaper, have more coverage and better bandwidth.
Internet enabled devices such as netbooks, iPads, PADD's and Phones will become cheaper than textbooks. And how are you going to know if they have a 3G or 4G card installed?


Therefore students will be able to access information unfettered by the school network from devices that are not owned by the school. That means all control is lost by the school and the administration - but does that mean they lose responsibility?

So what would be the point of providing school infrastructure such as computers or laptops as well as the network that runs them... apart from some specialised equipment for graphics video production or music.

What this does mean is that the Internet will be unfiltered for these students... Very scary for administrators - or an easy hand off - a perfect NMP (Not My Problem)?

So we are going to have to start teaching how to use the real Internet - not some sanitised version. It's similar to road safety - we are going to have to teach the students how to cross the road, ride a bike and eventually drive - something that has the possibility it may harm them or kill them.

School is real life, it is not a dress rehearsal or training for real life. When our students walk out the door of our classroom we cannot be the loco en parenti for everywhere they go. So we have to give them the skills to live in the jungle. One by one kids are escaping into the jungle... have you taught them the survival skills they are going to need?

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