End/Beginning of Year iPad Updates

The following instructions are for Cambrian iPad Academy teachers who are using the backup/restore method of re-initializing iPads.  Please let me know if further clarification is needed. Times indicated are based on a cart of 30 iPads.

I usually wait until the end of summer, since every year there has been an iOs update over the summer, so I figure I might as well do everything at once. But it could be done anytime.

There had been a software change so this year I needed to start by allowing my Macbook to access or be “trusted by” each student iPad.  To do this, you will need to direct connect each iPad, once at a time, to the Mac using your charging cable.  You will be prompted by the iPad to trust the computer.  Tell it to trust.  Wait until the Mac sees the iPad then unplug and return to the cart.  You should not need to do this again this year.  Entire cart took no more than 45 minutes.

Next you should complete all software updates on the MAC.  I also go into iTunes and update all of the apps.  Depending on how many updates you have will determine the time this step takes.

Now it’s time to start on your student iPads.  You’ll want to take a look at your “master” iPad and make sure it is set up how you want.  Delete any unneeded apps, either through settings ->General -> Usage (wait a few seconds and a list of all apps and the space they take up will be listed.)  Click on the app you want to delete. At the same time you should delete the apps from your iTunes Library on the Mac itself. Otherwise, the apps you delete from your iPad master will just get added back in (believe me, I learned this the hard way :( ). I try to make sure I have between 4-5 GB available.  You should also go into the camera roll and delete any pictures that you don’t want on every student iPad.  Remember, too, to remove (delete) any movies currently in iMovie and any other app which stores student work.  On the master make sure your folders are set up the way you want and the wallpaper and screensaver are appropriate for all students.  Finally, I rename the master to something like Bag07Master. Go to Settings->general_>about to rename the iPad.

This year I had to update each iPad to iOs 7.1.2  This has to be done manually, meaning you go into settings -> General - > Software update.  If there is an update, it will tell you and you agree to whatever it wants you too.  You can run several updates at a time though it does take awhile. I usually do 5-6 at once.  This took me about 90 minutes.

Here I am going to turn it over to Sandra Horn and +Lorena Karayannis  who came up with  much simpler method to restore iPads.  Below that is the slow way I did it ;)

To delete everything  (apps, pictures, movies) from your iPad

While in Setting app, select General

Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Reset

Select Erase All Content and Setting

Erase Ipad Prompt (This will delete all media and data, and reset all settings) = select Erase

Erase Ipad Prompt Second confirmation (Are you sure you want to continue?  All media, data and setting will be erased.  This cannot be undone. = select erase

Choose a Wifi Network = select Cambrian and type in the password = CamB2012 (it is cap sensitive)

Location Services = depends whether you want this on.  At the beginning of the year you probably don’t want this on = select Disable Location Services 

Disable Location Services Prompt?  Select OK

Select Set Up as New iPad

Select Agree for the Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions Prompt – This is second confirmation prompt.  Select agree

Create a Passcode – select Don’t Add Passcode (Unless you want to use them)

Don’t Add Passcode? Prompt- This is a second confirmation prompt. Select continue

Diagnostics – select don’t send

Welcome to iPad – select Get Started

Now the iPad is ready 

Here is my old way of doing it:
Finally you can start your backup of the student Master.  Go into iTunes on the Mac, select the master iPad and click on “backup now” (on the Summary page for that iPad).  This will take 10 minutes or so.  Once the backup is complete, you will use that backup to restore each and every student iPad.

Personally I recommend doing only one iPad at a time. Since the restore renames each device to the name of the master, it gets confusing and last year I made quite a mess of things.

1. Unplug the master from the Mac/cart
2. Select the iPad you want to restore (I do it in order, 1-30).  
3. Click on “Restore Backup” on that same Summary screen.
4. Instead of backing up to the default, which is the device you are on, select the master from the drop down menu.  Click on Restore. This process will take at least 10 minutes per iPad, so have something else you can do, while checking on the progress every 5-10 minutes.  
5. You will know the device is backed up because it will have the name of the master.  You will see this on the left hand side of the iTunes window.
6. Unplug that device and remove it from the cart.
7. Start to back up the next device.
8. Open the recently backed up iPad, it will ask you to set up a wireless network. Select Cambrian and type in the password.
9. Then go click on Get Started.
10. Go to Settings ->general ->about and rename the iPad to its proper number, ex. Bag0702.
11. Either now or before step 9 the device will prompt you to enter your student iTunes password.
12. Exit out of settings and return iPad to cart.
13. At this point I do NOT plug it back in, because if you do, a backup and sync will take place. I don’t want to put additional load on iTunes + Mac so I leave all updated iPads unplugged until I am done.

Somewhere along the way my Master had some of the apps I deleted re-installed, because I hadn't deleted them from the Mac, so be careful to maintain the integrity of your master until all your backups are done.

Congratulations, in about 6-7 hours you’ll have a fully updated cart!  Have a great year!

Using Edmodo with Younger Students: part 4 - App-a-looza

Using Edmodo with 4th and 5th graders has opened my mind to a variety of creative possibilities. After attending my second #edmodocon in person at +Edmodo headquarters, I  was challenged to begin using apps.  Having 1:1 iPads in my classroom made this endeavor easier, but there is a lot you can do with 5-10 devices, whether mobile, laptops or desktops.  Due to an incredibly difficult year, I was not as successful as I would have liked in trying new apps, but at least I dipped my toe in and am looking to dive in next month when I get my new class. Trying a variety of apps became easier when in the fall of 2013 I won the Power of One contest and was awarded a substantial amount of Edmodo app store credit to share throughout my district. At this point I was blessed with an overabundance of apps and set my students on a quest to explore and review new apps.Here are some highlights.

Some apps were great for students who had finished their work early and could work independently. My students liked Manga High's PEMDAS for math. They also liked Animal Cell, Thirteen Colonies and Slim the Ogre apps for ELA.  With a nod to gamification, they really liked when they were awarded badges automatically.  I used +Common Sense Educators Digital Passport app as a refresher whenever a student violated our classroom agreements.

Demonstrating understanding and Storytelling with Cartoons

My  students loved using +PowToon , +go animate and +Pixton Comics  We used these somewhat interchangeably, and students decided which tool they wanted to use to suit their purpose.  With GoAnimate, they realized they needed to so a lot more planning than they'd anticipated.  They realized the benefit of storyboarding, for which they used Storyboard That,  as well as editing their work.

Learnstreet - Hour of Code

Last winter we participated in the CSEDWeek/Code.org Hour of Code. We used the LearnStreet app which had a special 'course' where students could code their own holiday card.

StoryLines Pages

Inspired by the story All Good Things by Sister Helen Mrosla, StoryLines Pages asks each student to express (in one sentence) something unique that he appreciates about his classmate. In my blogpost about this project I explained how this project worked well for all abilities, and helped me identify some grammar, spelling and punctuation trends in my students.  I think this app would work well with much younger students as well.


Snapshot
I started using Snapshot after I returned to the classroom in late April.  Snapshot is a Edmodo app that helps you see  what your students know (and what they don’t). With real-time feedback and multiple ways to view results by student and standard, Snapshot helps you take the guessing out of assessing common core standards.  It was really helpful for me to get a handle on what they had learned while I was gone. I also used it to help double check meeting of standards for our report card.  This coming year I am looking forward to using Snapshot for pre- and post assessments, both on a lesson-by-lesson basis (exit tickets, etc) but also for broader concepts.

Apps I want to try

There are many apps in the Edmodo app store that I want to dive deeper into including Educlipper and instaGrok.  I also plan to use Curriculet and Subtext for reading comprehension and literature circles.

Using Edmodo with younger students has proven invaluable in helping me manage my time, increasing student engagement and providing my students with real and authentic ways to become good digital citizens.  We've participated in groups with classrooms across the country and we have an alumni group to keep connected with our past students. Edmodo is a game changer! And I feel like I have barely scratched the surface!