http://middmag.com/2010/10/behind-the-scenes-%E2%80%9Cgraveyard-shift%E2%80%9D/

Here’s what Louisa, Joe and Shel told us about the iPad:

Louisa Burnham (History)

Louisa purchased her iPad mostly for travel during the summer, but she continues to use it now.  She has been pleased overall, but she still needs a regular computer, eg to prepare a manuscript.  During her presentation, Louisa highlighted the 2 apps below, but she has found many other useful research apps (dictionaries, ebook readers, etc.).

iAnnotate PDF

• Annotation of articles, grading of papers.
• Circle, highlight, write with finger or stylus, type into a post-it style box.
• For grading – students can email the paper, and when she’s done annotating she can email it back.
• Louisa also uses Dropbox, a cloud-based app (there’s also an iPad app). Put a Dropbox folder on your computer, and the contents will be synced with your Dropbox folder/s elsewhere. FYI, Dropbox folders can be shared among users.
• Louisa uses a wifi connection only (didn’t pay for 3G access).
• Purchased bluetooth keyboard but has found that touch keyboard is usable.

DocsToGo

• Import, view, edit, create: .doc, .docx, .ppt, PDF, etc.
• Can’t edit or create footnotes. Still, better than Pages (Mac word processing program, which strips footnotes and diacritics altogether).
• Also just started using 2Screens for presentations.  It allows live on-screen annotation

Joe Antonioli (LIS)

Some reasons why Joe likes the iPad:

• iPad turns on and off quickly.
• Can connect to Exchange, Google calendar.

Joe’s favs include: Stargazer, Flipboard (displays web pages differently, eg as a book).

Next iPad will have a camera

Shel Sax (CTLR)

Fav Apps: forscore (scans and displays music), eclicker.

Additional Notes

Students and others on campus will use devices other than the iPad/iPod/iPhone.  For example Android, Blackberry.  We should be thinking about all mobile devices.

The iPad is a new and emerging technology and currently, LIS and other College budgets are unable to support institutional purchases of iPads.

Question: Which format would Louisa prefer for a book (eg a novel), print or ebook? Answer: Print.

Note for projection in classrooms: It’s app-specific (ie, some apps will project and others will not).

How to find apps: Google, NITLE, iTunes store.

To Come

Another presentation in a few months? Sure.

iPad user group? Sure.

Presenters: Holly Allen, Tom Beyer, Jeff Byers, Bryan Carson, Catherine Combelles, Enrique Garcia, Jeff Howarth, Matt Landis, Tom and Pat Manley, Jason Mittell, James Morrison, Tim Parsons, Hope Tucker, Andy Wentink, Sasha Woolson.

The entire 2010 Summer Pedagogy Series schedule may be found online at 2010 Pedagogy Series.

It is recommended that you first prepare for the new Microsoft Office 2007 user interface by visiting the Technology Helpdesk website as a resource to learn more about this upgraded Office version.  You may also visit our Wiki resource link here: https://mediawiki.middlebury.edu/wiki/LIS/Microsoft_Word_2007_Basic_Usage

NOTE:  If you currently have Microsoft Office Access 2003 you should not run this upgrade.  Please contact the Helpdesk for upgrade assistance.

As always if you have any problems or questions please let us know at the Technology Helpdesk x2200.

James Beauchemin
Technology Support Helpdesk

Some interesting reading…

Ten Technology Trends

The Future of the Internet

The last Tasty Tech Treats brown bag lunch of the semester was held on Thursday 12/4 at noon in Lib 105. Topics included iGoogle, Google Reader and Twitter, Yammer, GoogleNews, and GoogleAlerts.
The winner of the iPod shuffle grand prize (generously donated by Amy Hoffman) was Terry Simpkins. Congratulations, Terry!
Many thanks to our presenters for the web 2.0 series – Mike R, Mike L. Adam F, Alex C, Joe A, Jeff R., Bryan C, and Mary B.
Total attendance for the series was 50 – many thanks to all who attended and participated.
And last but not least, a big thank you to the group (formerly knows as LIS Administration) for their support of the idea and for funding the prizes.
Please let Bryan and Elin know if you think it would be worthwhile to continue the series in some shape or form in the Spring.

Here’s a good column about tech jargon.  While many in our community might be comfortable with a higher level of technology (and therefore jargon) than perhaps Pogue’s NYT readers, he makes some good points that folks who send all-College messages (especially) regarding downtimes, instructional classes, etc. might do well to think about.

http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2008/10/16/technology/circuitsemail/index.html

Carnegie Mellon’s Computer Science School has a Kindness Lab that studies human behavior in order to develop tools, techniques, and products that enrich and enable our lives.

http://www.spiritmag.com/2008_10/features/kindness-lab-1.php