1. “On your iPad, go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars.

Under Accounts, tap Add Account

Tap Other, and under Calendars, tap Add Subscribed Calendar

In the Server box, type http://ical.mac.com/ical/US32Holidays.ics

Tap the next button, and when the subscription box appears, tap the save button. No other entries are required.

Open the Calendar app and tap the Calendars button at the top left. You’ll find your new holiday calendar at the bottom of the list under “Subscribed”.

To unsubscribe, go back to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Tap US Holidays Calendar under Accounts, tap the red “delete account” and tap “Delete”.”

Of course, iPads are super cool. There compact size make it easy to carry. But is it a useful tool or just a big toy? How handy would it be for teachers or students?

I have to say that I love my iPad. Email was easy to setup and is easy to access. It did take awhile to figure out how to setup a second account but I found it under Settings and soon had it going. The mail icon on the toolbar shows how many unread mail is in your inbox and the interface looks very nice.

One draw back is that the iPad is not a stand alone device. You do need a computer in order to sync the iPad. You don’t have to sync the iPad, but you will want to sync it in order to back up your apps and if you want to transfer music or books. (You sync through iTunes) But that is a minor problem as you can use any desktop in you room or even your home computer. It works on Mac or PC but you can only sync it to one computer! The software won’t allow you to sync back and forth between two computers.

There are a lot of free apps in the App Store that you will find useful. The apps you have to pay for are generally very inexpensive, some only $.99! There are two that I purchased. The first was Office2 HD. It is a word processor that is compatible with Word and Excel files. Google Docs file can be opened, edited and saved from Office2 HD. This app was well worth the $7.99 price tag. Another word processor is Pages ($9.99). Reviews have been good on this app but I was worried about how well it would work with Word files.

The other app I sprang for was Print n Share ($8.99). This app allows you to print email and pictures to a network printer or any printer shared on a computer using a special (free) software. One can print from Google Docs using an add on that costs $1.99. This is another program that was well worth the money.

Some free apps that I like are iBooks (there is also a Kindle app), a weather app by the Weather Channel and the Photobucket app.

The biggest draw back so far has been using Gradebook on my iPad. I get an error that multiple pages are open and can’t continue. I’ve got the question submitted to Region 8 and I’ll post a comment here when I find out anything. This Gradebook incompatibility maybe a mute point since a new version of Gradebook is due to be rolled out in the next year.

I should mention that iPads don’t support flash enabled websites, but for me, that hasn’t been a real problem. All in all, I am very please with my iPad. It is easy to carry, has a very crisp display and has been very useful for me as a technician. The two teacher who have them (Mrs. Pitts and Mrs Purviance) seem to be very pleased also. I do reserve my final judgment until I find our more about the issue with Gradebook.

Sometimes the online world can feel “pretend” because you cannot see the person with whom you are communicating. So, it is very important to remember that you are dealing with “real” people online and you should use your very best manners.

As a newbie (someone new to the Internet) you do not want to venture into cyberspace until you are familiar with the acceptable rules of Internet behavior. There are a few tips that can help you feel more comfortable with the new situations cyberspace will throw at you. With a little practice you can become a responsible Netizen.

Here are some things to remember anytime you are online:

Do unto others, as you’d have others do unto you. Be polite and courteous at all times. Remember that you’re not communicating with a computer screen, but with a human being who has thoughts and feelings just like you. So, always think of the person on the receiving end of your messages.

Do not TYPE ALL IN CAPITAL LETTERS for emphasis. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE SHOUTING. If you need to emphasize a word, use asterisks, like *this* or lines, like _this_.

Remember that the written word is hard to interpret. When you speak to someone, that person can hear the tone of your voice. If they can see you, they can take visual clues from your face and body to better understand your meaning. All of this is lost in text, and sometimes responses can come across as mean or rude, even when you did not intend them this way. This is the reason some people use emoticons (visual clues) in their e-mails, it saves a lot of confusion.

Be careful not to use rude or bad language online. Many providers will terminate your account.

Don’t break any laws. When you’re on the net, follow the same rules of behavior that you would in real life. Remember, if it is against the law in the real world, it is against the law in cyberspace.

Be universal. Other users have different Web browsers, different online services, different e-mail programs etc. So don’t, for example, send out e-mail with text formatting — boldface, italics, indentations, etc. — because many other programs will not be able to read the formatting and the recipients will receive your e-mail filled with muddled codes.

Be brief whenever possible. No one wants to read through a lot of unnecessary information. If you are replying to an e-mail, try editing out unimportant information and anything that is repeated.

Don’t flame. Do not send rude or offensive e-mails or postings. It’s bad manners and can get seriously out of hand (flame wars). So don’t flame others and if you are flamed, do not respond: you will never win.

Always identify yourself. If your parents require you to use an online name instead of your real one, that’s fine – use your online name consistently. Never send e-mail without including your name at the bottom of the e-mail. Similarly, don’t post forum messages without identifying yourself, this is seen as rude.

Make a good impression. Remember that the written word is the only way you can represent yourself online, so spelling and grammar count. If you are going to be writing a large amount of text for other people to see, make sure you break it up using paragraphs, it will make it easier on the eye for those that will read it.

Be patient with newcomers. Once you have become an Internet expert, it is easy to forget that you started out as a newbie too. Learning the rules of cyberspace is much like learning a new language; it takes practice, and includes making mistakes. So if you come across someone else’s mistakes on the net, don’t put them down, just politely point them in the right direction for guidance (send them a copy of these rules to get them started on their way!).

Things to remember about your e-mail account:

Check e-mail regularly… so you can respond quickly

Delete messages after you read them… frees up storage space for more productive use

Don’t send confidential information in your mail… others may be able to read/access it

Don’t be hasty when you send… if you write a message when you’re upset, wait before you send it

Respect the privacy of others… don’t share someone’s email address without their permission

Always fill in the subject box so people can see what the mail concerns

Don’t send chain letters… they’re as annoying on the internet as they are in real life

Things to remember when participating in a discussion group:

Before asking or responding in a newsgroup, take the time to feel the group out

Stick to the topic of the discussion group

When quoting someone, use only the portion of the quote that is absolutely necessary

Avoid “flame wars”

Don’t send personal messages to an entire newsgroup, use e-mail

Revised from “A Guide to Etiquette on the Net”, contributed by Maria Georgiou.

For MAC

http://www.risdrebels.com/sreese/Skype_2.8.0.722.dmg

For PC

http://www.risdrebels.com/sreese/SkypeSetup.exe

Get the file here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en

Go to the Subscribe2 button under Tools and scroll down until you find ‘Enable Subscribe2 Widget?’ and check the block. You can then go to the Widgets and drag it to the side bar. You may also want the SubScribe2 Counter which gives you a count of how many people are subscribed to your site.

If you want to send a message to your subscribers without posting, you can go to Posts – Mail Subscribers. This allows you to send an e-mail to your list.

If you need to see or edit your subscriptions, click on Tools – Subscribers. That will show you who they are and allow you to add or delete.

I think you will find Subscribe 2 a very useful communication tool.

Of course that part is up to you. But many teachers are using blogs to communicate with their student and parents. Posting homework assignments, paper due dates and field trip announcements is a good way to let parents be involved in the whats going on in their kids classes. Some teachers even take a few minutes at the end of each day to post what the class learned that day, or better, they let one of the students do the post.

If you would like to see what other schools are doing with blogs take a look at these:

White Oak blog page:
http://wonecks.net/

Burleson blog page:
http://blogs.burlesonisd.net/

Also, keep in mind that you can create multiple pages. An ABOUT page is automatically created when you sign up.  Click on the PAGES button on the left in the admin screen to create new page or edit an existing page.

Have fun!

www.risdrebels.com/blogs/

Then click on Create a New Blog. Keep in mind the you will have to use your Rivercrest e-mail address or you will not be allowed to create a blog. Then just follow the instructions.

The first thing you will want to do is click on Users – Your Profile and change you password to something that actually makes sense. Then go to Appearance and check out the Themes and Widgets.

See what you think. E-mail if you need help.

Steve Reese