1. Will there be any training for iAuthor? I know there are tutorials, but hands on training would be great.
2. Anyone else having connection problems? I am fine in the classroom and at home, but not in my office. I have the same problem with my iPhone and a colleague tried her iPad in my office with the same results, so the problem is with the wifi, not with the device.
3. I’m already having problems with the screen scratching. The magnetic cover comes off easily in my book bag. Do we have screen protectors, sleeves or other ways of protecting them?
4. It’s easy to move back a slide in keynote, but is there a way to move back just one animation? On a laptop, the arrow keys work.
5. The cables are way too heavy for the iPad / adapter to stay connected. In most classrooms the connection to the iPad gets interrupted frequently. Any solutions? Duct tape?
September 25, 2012 at 1:10 pm
Hi Susan, thanks for the post!
1. We want to offer training on iBooks Author but won’t be able to yet. We do have a few accounts for http://lynda.com which has a good training video series. Mary will be in touch about this.
2. If multiple devices are having a problem, you’re right that it’s a problem with the wifi network. You should contact the IT Service Desk, ITServiceDesk@umb.edu, and ask them what can be done. I’m not sure how they usually handle this.
3. We don’t have any other screen protectors ourselves, but this is on a todo list to research and purchase with the next round of purchases. No immediate plans for this. Personally, I had the same problem and ended up buying a nice case/stand on Amazon for $8. I haven’t had any problems with it yet. Here’s the one I use: http://www.amazon.com/Ctech-Degrees-Rotating-capability-packaging/dp/B005F47YDW/
4. Not sure on this, I don’t have keynote myself just yet (though we plan to buy it eventually) I did some googling and couldn’t find anything, so I posted on the Apple Support Community. We’ll see if they have an answer:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4351236
5. This is a common problem. Some have solved it by pinning the wire with a purse or books, or with a spare chair, pressed against the side of the table. I’ve been looking for some kind of spring loaded clamp like the one here, http://www.amazon.com/Spring-ACtion-Tablecloth-clips-CLIP4/dp/B002BUE7KG/ I’m worried about how wide it opens, this one is the best one I’ve seen, according to reviews. this is also on our list for the next round of purchases.
September 29, 2012 at 6:55 pm
I have no wifi in my office either (wheatley 3rd floor); also hate the heavy cord. I’m using slide shark which is a bit glitchy. Is there a better slide show app we can get via umass?
September 29, 2012 at 8:50 pm
As John said, I’ve had some of the same issues you have had, Susan. The cable for the projector is too heavy and the connection becomes loose and voila, there’s a blank blue screen being projected. I have done what he said, set my backpack to hold it in position, used a chair to support the cable, etc. But I like the sound of getting a clamp or some sort of more permanent solution. Thanks, John.
I’d like to be able to use the app ebrary which has some connection to Healey Library and through which we can make thouands of readings available to students. It’s free and I have downloaded it but can’t get it to work. Is there a tutorial or can we figure it out and make it available to students?
As far as cases go, I was afraid by how flimsy the magnetic/smart
case is and went and got another one, too. I actually use a hardsided case with a shoulder strap meant for a netbook. It’s a little bit larger than necessary but I can carry around the power cord and VGA adaptor in it, too, and don’t have to worry about scratching the screen while carrying it around. I also got a small wireless keyboard which functions as a dock for the iPad when I’m using it in the classroom (it seems much more secure when standing in this than when leaning against the collapsible smart case. But some might find this being overly careful.).
So far, I’m loving lots of aspects of working with this technology and now find my laptop slow (and, of course, bulky). Sharing with students is so much easier than before as is responding to their questions outside of class much more quickly.
Victoria Kingsley (English)
October 9, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Thanks for everyone’s comments.