Azu Ike

I think that we have all come to realize that using visuals is a great way to communicate ideas and processes. This is especially true when we need to communicate a series of steps to complete a process. While words and step by step directions can help us understand the process,I have found that for most students as well as adults having that visual support is a great way to ensure that everyone is on the same page and understands the steps needed to accomplish the task. I just recently was working with a school that will be utilizing the Boogie Board RIP to take digital notes and while using the Boogie Board RIP is a fairly easy, there are some important steps involved to do use it correctly so that the notes are recorded properly. Rather than write a long list of step by step directions, I decided to use Inspiration 9.1 to create  a visual that would explain the process. Having access to tools like Inspiration makes it easy for teachers to create great looking visuals that ca...

I use my Livescribe SKY WiFi pen almost everyday to make classroom observations, take notes, and when I am doing assistive technology evaluations. Having the Livescribe SKY WiFi pen sync all of my notes to Evernote has really changed my work flow and giving me the freedom to use my pen where ever I may be. Not having to manually sync my Livescribe SKY WiFi pen has been huge for me-eliminating a big step in the process that I had to do with the Livescribe Echo pen. Now I don't even have to think about it and when I am in a WiFi area the pen automatically connects and uploads all of my notes including the audio which is really fantastic. But there are those times when I am in places that while I have access to WiFi, requires web authentication which unfortunately the Livescribe SKY WiFi pen cannot negotiate. This is the case in my office on my college campus, where I teach. To solve this issue, I have been  using the Livescribe Helper application which I have installed on my d...

It is exciting to watch as software publishers are rolling out software that take advantage of each of the respective platforms and in the process creating some powerful workflows. Such is the case for Inspiration 9.1 on the desktop and Inspiration Maps on the iPad. If you have Inspiration 9 installed on your computer and are using Inspiration Maps on your iPad, I would strongly suggest updating your desktop application to version 9.1. I recently did a presentation to administrators on how they can use Evernote to organize their workflow in the cloud and used an Inspiration Map to visually demonstrate the uses. I was able to quickly accomplish this task by opening Inspiration 9.1 on my laptop and creating the map. Since I used web based graphics in my map it was a lot easier to create the map using my computer. When I was done using Inspiration on my laptop, I simply went to the File Menu and selected Export to iPad Inspiration Maps... This automatically...

If you haven't updated your copy of Clicker 6 , I would highly advise it- especially if you are also using Clicker Docs and Clicker Sentences on an iPad. One of the really nice features of the recent update to Clicker 6, is the ability to export your grids to Clicker Sentences and Clicker Docs. The process could not be any easier and it is a great way to re-purpose your grids so that they can be used by students on the iPad.. You can see from the screenshot that under the Clicker Set menu there is now an Export Clicker Set for App option. Once you select either Clicker Sentences  or Clicker Docs - the grid is automatically saved in your Apps folder within your Dropbox account. In this example I created a grid with text from the book Call of the Wild in Clicker 6 and then Exported it to Clicker Docs. Now once in Clicker Docs on my iPad, I can click on the Folder icon on the Top Left and Select Dropbox to see the Grids that I have Exported. Now all that is ...

OK, I'm a bit of a geek and I admit it. I have used hundreds of software titles and apps but setting up a file server-that I have never done. So when Kanex offered me the opportunity to review the  Kanex meDrive File Server I was a little hesitant but thought I would give it  try. I had watched their video on their web site and thought - wow that looks easy. So last week, when the Kanex meDrive File Server arrived, I was eager to see just how easy it really was to set up. The Kanex meDrive File Server is a little smaller than an iPhone in an all white enclosure that resembles what you would expect to purchase from Apple In the box you will find the Kanex meDrive File Server and a micro USB cable, an Ethernet cable, and getting Started Guide. To power the Kanex meDrive File Server you will need to plug it into a power adapter which is not supplied. I found an Eveready Power USB Adapter at Staples for $5 dollars which is plugge...

As the iPad begins to transform the face of education- we will shortly begin to see it take hold of another facet of learning in the classroom - notably the interactive whiteboard. I can remember like it was just yesterday the excitement of working on a SMART Board for the very first time. It transformed the classroom and gave both teachers a portal to the internet that they could share with their students with such ease. While interactive whiteboards of all varieties are much more common in today's classrooms across America they never really changed the dynamic of the classroom with the teacher standing in the front of the classroom directing the lesson. Yes- I know that students do come up to the interactive whiteboard on occasion to interact with the board but for the majority of students, they sit idly at their desks waiting for a turn. This is all about to change as the iPad infiltrates this next arena of the classroom not...

I had the opportunity to present this past weekend at the WETech 2013 Conference which was a lot of fun. More than 150 educators attended the conference and had the opportunity to select from a vast array of exciting technology workshops during the course of the day. I presented on the topic of Supporting Students with Executive Function and Learning Disorders. The presentation focused on the rich array of apps that are now available on the iPad to support students who present with Executive Function Disorders and Learning Disabilities. During the course of the presentation I touched up a long list of apps that have enabled students to be more successful and productive in their schoolwork. Some of these included: Evernote , Clicker Docs , Read2Go , Voice Dream , Inspiration Maps , iWordQ , Remind101 , iThoughts , and Penultimate to name a few. It is amazing how the field of assistive technology has been transformed by the iPad and going forward we...