We are a year late getting the iPad 2 especially since, the iPad 3 or new has been revealed. One thing that I have
not found or read anywhere is how to properly manage your iPad storage usage and battery.
STORAGE: Now if you are an Apple consumer and have iTunes music and video files that you want to store on your iPad then you may need excessive GB gigabytes. We are on a budget and we don't have an extensive video or music collections 16GB serves us very well. Last year, Apple introduced their iCloud storage. First, we back up our iPad using the iCloud. This option is found in the Settings.
I highly recommend switching the Find My iPad
switch. If one looses misplaces their iPad this locator can disable and inform the iPad. I leave the Installing Apps on an update apps through wireless rather than my MacBook Pro.
USAGE: We use our iPad seven days a week. Almost as soon as my student awakes he grabs it every day. We have over 250 apps. A 16GB devise without many pictures (50) no music and no videos holds about 150 apps comfortably. There are apps I like to have on the devise that don't get real heavy usage. And there are apps that are used non stop. I use the iPad when my student isn't thus, our school could use two iPads, easily. If one uses an app only occasionally and doesn't have in-app purchases don't leave it on the iPad if one takes a ton of pictures. Any app can be removed and re-added. If the app has in-app purchases or certain information stored like productivity usage then one should leave it on the devise. Note: I have the App Store open to receive updates that way I don't have to connect it frequently to the computer.
But, understand I have under GENERAL the restrictions code set (unknown to my student) and the iTunes, Ping and Deleting apps off. There are times when I turn Safari, You Tube off. He isn't using FaceTime, as of yet. Also if one turns off YouTube or temporarily deletes an app like Facebook understand and be smart that your student or child can still access these things online sources using Safari. Also, I advise having In-App purchases off.
BATTERY: One thing to conserving one's battery, I was shown this by a security guard at SF de Young Museum. If one pushes the main button twice quickly a lower bar or section opens revealing all the apps that have been used or opened.
Hold a finger on an app the first one or any one and they will wiggle appearing with a minus bar in the upper left corners.
Touch the minus bar in the upper left corner and remove this app because it is draining the battery even though one may not be using the app currently. My student doesn't use or know this feature so, I use it as a back up to see which apps he is really using because there are times I may not know.
PERSPECTIVE: I highly recommend any version of the iPad for any type of home school: academic, religious, artistic, etc. If one doesn't have a reliable digital recording devise than get the iPad2 without hesitations. If one wants the best and the newest get the iPad3.
Technically viewing technology, we are floating in outer space with Richard Branson listening to my iPod Shuffle Ring with Speaker that I made on Earth Day 2012. This moment in time, my twelve year old student is reading one of my favorite books like it was the Bible. The title is Writing-Urban Calligraphy.
I hate to say this but, the app that he uses the most is YouTube even though he does not have an account, yet. By the way, he can open an account as soon as he has made a movie/video of any length. Personally, as an artist I recently made a published image for an NY organization that I used a couple of Art apps. This image prints beautifully. I think we had problems and had to get the upgrade because we make our iPad WORK hard.
This year I added a new home school section or category that we labeled Information News. These apps we have previously mentioned or blogged before: PBS, BrainPoP, we had the Smithsonian for iPhone, which we switched out for the actual iPad version and Timbuktu. When we added TED an alternative idea presentation app I believe I lost my focus last year keeping this blog current.
All these new apps are
free and my student loves them and uses them without any prompting. His favorite which blew my mind is
NPR, yes public alternative radio as videos. There is
National Geographic Explorer a free kid's magazine and
National Geographic Today that has daily updated video and photos.
SnagFilms is the coolest for alternative thinking and documentary in one app. I have seen and learned amazing things watching SnagFilms by myself and with my student.
Pulse News is a must have app if there is a student who needs to watch information. The treat out of the listing is
Squrl it is an array of video sources including tapping into HuluPlus and NetFlicks. We don't subscribe to either so, that feature is a little short coming however if one need more video info, this has a bunch of cool sources and even taps into the user's facebook account and showcases videos that friends post kinda cool if your student has a good monitored friend list.
(The dachshund is our dog Charley Murphy. The photos are taken with the basic camera app that comes with the iPad. We are going to cover photography and video next). Also, I don't have active links for the apps listed because no app developer pays or sponsors us. If readers would like that feature please leave a comment or email us at 4lovejewelspress@gmail.com.
