Technology and Learning

  I DID IT!!  Well, I actually found HOW to do it thanks to Apple blogs and posts complaining!  Not sure if you remember - but when the iOS 7 update came out, and I would go into iTunes and update apps and import the updates into Configurator, is was making paid apps free.  Couldn't understand why?  The area where is shows how many redemption codes you have left actually said FREE - weird!  Even when I would put in on a student's iPad; let's say a new student coming into the district, it worked!  I didn't call Apple on it as I figured it was something that would just work once the next update came around, but nothing.  There WAS another Apple Configurator update this morning, so I ran it thinking that it has GOT to fix this issue - NOPE!!  So, I went to trusty Google and searched. Simply by deleting the app and adding it back INTO Configurator gave me back the redemption codes - YES!!  Now, one would think WHY IN THE WORLD ...

   Today was BY FAR one of the BEST days as far as successes since iOS 7 updates!  Remember a while back I talked about those silly K-2 iPads that I could do NOTHING with because of the Find my iPhone turned on on them - well Casey was going to call Apple.  However, he figured NOPE not going to do it - going to FIGURE. IT. OUT. MYSELF!  Which he DID:)!!  YAHOO CASEY!!  HE was able to put the iPads into recovery mode and bypass the iCloud situation that we had going on - YES YES YES!!  By simply holding down both the home button and power button - letting the screen go black - plug the iPad into Configurator - and then holding down the home button until you get that "plug into iTunes" picture on the iPad - which puts it into recovery mode - we were able to THEN proceed!!  Now, I didn't have to do it to MANY of them - maybe like 10 or so - but it worked none the less - THANK YOU!!!  So, the day consisted of working in Ms. Brown's room this...

   Wow!  There seems to be an overwhelming amount to be done this week - and NOT because it's Halloween and I have "HOME" things to do too:)!!  We plan on heading to the elementary school tomorrow to finish the update on the Kindergarten-2nd grade.  We grabbed an iPad from Mrs. Justesen's room last week as it needed an app on it to "try" this, and went perfect!  Hopefully that is how it will go with the others that have to be done.  I also get to (YAHOO) go into Ms. Brown's 2nd Grade classroom and teach the the app Explain Everything.  Not only do I LOVE this app, I LOVE doing this - YES YES YES:)!!  I miss those little kiddos SO much, so I love the opportunity, when invited, to go into classrooms and help out!  Updates should take a few days - which means MASS CHAOS at the high school as both Casey and I are at the elementary school, so I will have to jump back and forth a few times to see if there are needs at the high school during th...

  All went well yesterday after we had done the Apple Configurator update - here were a few that we had to put into recovery mode, etc... which wasn't GREAT- but worked alright.  Students had to put in email address again as well as Schoology, no big deal.  Some lost their camera roll pictures - not the TOTAL end of the world.  But TODAY - 5 kids have LOST EVERYTHING!!! UGH!!  I don't do ANYTHING different with these iPads that I don't do with the others that have worked fine - so WHY?????????????  A senior girl and a freshman boy lost EVERYTHING!  It COMPLETELY WIPED their iPads and reinstalled ALL again - WHY???????????  I want to call Apple but I am TOO MAD to call as I wouldn't be anything tactful at all - so I sit and ponder what it might be - maybe I should use another word than Ponder, I guess they're throwing him back in next week, huh??:):)  I just don't know what to do.  AND the part that gets me the MOST is Apple KNOWS that sc...

  So - yesterday I sat with ONE simple iPad trying to get it to work with Configurator - to NO AVAIL of course;(!!!  Then - I walk into my work space at the elementary and see Casey sitting with the iPad and rolling just like it should be!  I was NOT HAPPY!!!!  However - he mentioned that there was an Apple Configurator update - YES YES YES - THANK YOU APPLE:)!!  Now - we are still having issues with SOME things, for instance you still have to remove the Find My iPhone passwords on individual accounts - but the first grade one I did was PERFECT!!!  We were able to plug through third grade and stragglers in less than a half day - YES!!  That means we will be able to go to the high school and catch 6th grade this afternoon, and next Monday and Tuesday grades K-2 - THEN DONE!! Now, the update didn't catch all - but many things it did - so THANK YOU ApPLe for Today:)! Happy Wednesday, Mrs. I:)

    Casey and I are at the elementary school today doing updates for the grades 3-5. So far, all has been going well.  Done with 4th grade, 1/2 of 5th and hopefully will get done with the rest of 5th and 3rd this afternoon - YES!!  But - we have STILL not solved the issue with K-2 - who knows!!:(    However - a little humor for you today!  A teacher talked to me about a student needing a new cord, so could I please get her one.  "Sure," I said, "No problem!"  Here is what was in my box:   Again, I have to LAUGH LAUGH LAUGH!!!  There is NO way that I am going to give this child another cord.  I told the teacher that they would have to pay the $25 replacement fee as this is NOT an Apple defective cord- and the mother said that she would just take it back and try to fix it - OH:)!!! Day by Day folks - Laugh it up when you can - which TRULY is MOST DAYS LATELY:)!! Happy Tuesday, Mrs. I:)

  If you have never heard of "Livebinder," you HAVE to start looking at these.  They are like a "binder" full of resources for various content areas.  Just about anything you would EVER want to know about you can find here.  Here is one called iPads in Schools .  Now, if you look at the top of this link - you are given MORE binders to explore in this area - SUPER COOL!! Have fun searching and looking - Happy Monday Night- Mrs. I:)

  There was a 2nd grade student here who forgot her pass code.  Now, normally they aren't supposed to have a pass code, but no big deal I guess - hook it up to configurator and apply which simply updates apps and wipes the code off - NOT SO!!!!!  This is one of those younger grade iPads where we manually put in an "iCloud" account that is made for lower elementary in case it was needed.  We didn't merge ANYTHING and turned off EVERYTHING except Find My iPhone.  However, with the new Apple Configurator update, it WILL NOT allow you to bypass this.  So, I put the password in - which I KNOW is the right one - and it tells me that you can't deregister this device - UGH!!  So I tried the "let's unsupervise this device without losing apps codes" - when the iPad is connected - right click, hold down the command button and the "Remove" option will appear.  When you do this - it WILL give you your codes BACK and then it will unsupervise it automatic...

       I was coincidentally in Mr. Haj's 3rd Grade classroom helping a student with Schoology and LOOK WHAT I SAW:)!!!.......      Now as the techy nerd that I am my heart pitter pattered:)!!  Not ONLY was he using the iPad for students to be in  Educreations or  ShowMe , he also was playing a Jeopardy game he created on the Smartboard - OH 21ST CENTURY LEARNING AT IT'S FINEST:)!!!  I JUST had to snap pictures and show you what I was seeing - LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT:)!!     THEN I walked out his door and saw these.........  The 3rd graders just finished reading the book Chocolate Fever , so after they were done they came up with a "fever" that one might get.  Some students used simply a picture and put on paper, others used the Pic Collage app to create a person with this "fever."  I'm DYING here - LOVE THEM!!  They physically made me LAUGH OUT LOUD:)!!!  Oh.....

  The case that we have on our iPads here is the Griffin Survivor !  Now, Casey did research to find out WHICH case would be the best one - and help beat the odds of cracking screens!  Overall - the performance level of this case has been outstanding!  Today's story is CASE IN POINT!!!   An elementary school student lost her iPad.   I received a phone call on Friday that it was no where to be found.  I said, "Why don't you look for it over the weekend and retrace your steps.  If you don't have it on Monday, then we'll get you a new one for the time being as they usually show up:)!!"  She came back to school today without an iPad.  Her teacher called me to say that they had no luck finding it, but that her number was such and such.  I looked it up on My iCloud and saw that it was offline so was unable to locate it.  HOWEVER - the secretary at the elementary school received a phone call from a gentleman saying that he foun...

  One more road block for us to overcome.  The plan was to come to the elementary school and update iPads as many of the apps aren't working write or working at ALL as they need the new version.  So here we are - Casey brought everything over and started hooking that I up, I ran down to 2nd grade and grabbed two classroom's worth of iPads.  We hook them up and the yellow triangle of death appears!  I think - huh - something simple - and it was supposed to be.  Not sure if you know this, but when you put iCloud on your iPad, you have to remove it in order to work with configurator - not sure why as you didn't have to BEFORE the update, but whatever - simply put the password in and all is fine - NOT SO!!!  We put in the password and it says you can't deregister this device - which basically means we can't do ANYTHING to it - AND the worst part - the App Store appears on it so that gives the student open access - UGH!!  So right now - there are about...

  I can't win!!!  Just when I think I have it figured out - NOPE!!!  MANY  MANY MANY apps are not working now because why? YOU GOT IT - iOS 7!!!  Therefore - now I am having problems with kids that did NOT do the update!  Each day I check for updates and try to keep Configurator up to date since this madness began.  However, the problem now is that some of the updates won't run on the OLDER version of iOS because it says it too low a version - GIVE ME A BREAK HERE!!  Therefore, I am now having ALL students do the update to accommodate this; at home of course otherwise our network will suffer drastically!!!  We'll see how that goes.    THEREFORE - tomorrow I get to go BACK to the elementary school to hook up all iPads again and update everything - the big ones of course for us are  STAR and Schoology !  So yes, it needs to be done!  Now - we COULD buy a program like Casper which allows you to wirelessly push apps an...

   I came back from the MAASFEP Conference and YES IT WORKED!!  The iPad that I restored FINALLY took - kept the redemption codes - and can now use as another iPad if the need arises - YAHOO:)!!!  The ONE trick that I found out today was if you are in Configurator - and an iPad is NOT responding like I was having problems - you can remove it from your GROUP and then it gives you back ALL your redemption codes!!  If you simply right click on the iPad, push the command button, you will be given the option to Remove from Group - click and it WILL remove it, which will make you have to prepare it again, but it will also give you back the codes from that iPad for paid apps!!  YES YES YES!!  Although it's a PAIN, yes, it works for a LAST RESORT deal!!!  Now, the kids lost EVERYTHING on those iPads - but at last is able to be set up again and used for another student.  WHEW!!!    The MAASFEP Conference was really great!  Not only di...

   OH APPLE:)!!!  How can I talk poorly about the beloved company that I have ADORED for YEARS!!  However - I have NEVER been on the iPad Integrationist side before last year - so perspectives CHANGE!  I DO DO DO still love my beloved Apple, don't get me wrong here, but OH OH OH the frustrations with iOS 7!       I am not sure if you read about the two iPads that were killing me the last two weeks - FINALLY after an hour and 45 minutes with an Apple consultant - we were able to SAVE the app redemption codes and WIPE the iPads clear - we'll at least I THINK that's what happened as I left in mid process as I thought I might be having a mental breakdown!!!  However, as usual, I learned some new things (I'm thinking TONS OF PATIENCE here), and the iPads are now USABLE again - WHEW:)!!    It is ALWAYS nice to hear that I didn't do anything wrong, either, as clearly they had to elevate me to three different Apple reps before t...