The question is often asked, "How can I get the content off my iPad?"
When reflecting on the response to this question it is important to keep in mind that an iPad is not a mini-desktop computer. It is a new device which does new things. We need to think about what it does WELL and leverage this in the classroom. There are many ways of using an iPad that will involve 'in the moment' learning, when the process will be the focus rather than the end product. Some examples of this might be: using Educreations to explain the thinking used to solve an open-ended math challenge, creating a collage of pictures that have a shared attribute (e.g. start with the letter 'b', are 2D shapes), etc. In these cases the content could be shared with the teacher, in a small group, or with the whole class by connecting the iPad to a data projector. In this case, the content will not need to be exported from the iPad. Occasionally it will be necessary to find a way to move content from an iPad to another device for assessment or other school related purposes. A 'Best Practices' document for using Dropbox and other web-based sharing solutions has been created to guide teachers as they use the 'cloud' for content management. The content of this document is included below. (The original document can be found in the iPad and Computer Contact Conferences in Waterworks.)
Before moving content off an iPad, it is important for teachers to consider the following key questions regarding content created on iPads:
- Does it need to be moved off the iPad? Does it need to be saved? Or could it be viewed, assessed and then deleted?
- What type of content is being moved? (e.g. a piece of work, an image, a photo, a video, a photo of a student)
- Is there any sensitive content being moved? (e.g. photos or videos of students)
- What is the end use, once the content is moved? (e.g. for assessment, to create a slideshow, add a link to a website, printing)
What won't work with an iPad?
- You can't move content from an iPad using a memory stick/key.
- School iPads managed by Configurator do not have the ability to connect to a school computer for transferring images or documents.
- It is not possible to print wirelessly from iPads because the WRDSB wireless network does not support device-to-device communication.
What will work with an iPad?
- 'Cloud' or web-based sharing is a good option for the iPad. Some examples are Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive, Box.
- Some iPad apps also have a web community accessible through the app - Educreations is an example of this.
About the 'cloud':
- The 'cloud' is a way to describe anything that is on the web or that is web-based. Email is in the cloud, so is your Edmodo account, Google Docs, your Wordpress site and blog, and anything else that you access and save on the internet.
About Apple's iCloud:
- iCloud is Apple's own cloud sharing option. iCloud is for personal devices only - it is not available on school devices managed by Configurator.
About Dropbox:
- Dropbox is proving to be a great solution for teachers wishing to move content from iPads to another device for assessment, storage or sharing. Many iPad apps are integrated with Dropbox, which mean that Dropbox is one of the options offered when you choose Export/Share.
Best Practices for using Dropbox and other Web-based Sharing Solutions
Understanding that all members of the school community are responsible for complying with the RUP and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, it is highly recommended that teachers:
- use the WRDSB email address to set up Dropbox and other web-based sharing accounts
- set up individual teacher accounts (password-protected) not school accounts (the fewer people who have access, the greater the level of security)
- move content from an iPad using Dropbox or similar tools
- do not share usernames and passwords for these accounts with students
- log out of the account, or Unlink iPad from Dropbox when finished sharing; web accounts should not remain logged in
- use Dropbox to move sensitive content rather than to store sensitive content
- do not set up the automatic upload / share feature on school iPads
- use first name / last initial when identifying students
- ensure Dropbox and other web-based sharing accounts are cleaned out at the end of each school year
How to Set-up and Use Dropbox
- to create a Dropbox account for use at school, go to dropbox.com and sign up for an account using your WRDSB email address
- you will be prompted to download Dropbox - this is not an option on school computers, but is something you could choose to do at home
- once you have created and logged in to your account, you will see that you have options to set up and share folders
- when you have something on your iPad that you would like to save to Dropbox, choose the Export/Share button from within the app, and choose Dropbox from the options
- to move Photos into Dropbox, you do this from Dropbox, rather than from Photos
- this process of saving to Dropbox varies with each app - sometime there is an extra step - 'Open in App'
For more information about Dropbox and other solutions for Content Management, you may choose to sign up for the iPad Content Management course offered through PD Place. A description can be found on this site at the Workshops link.