February 8: “Cut. It. Out.” Eliminating Webpage Clutter

iPhone and iPad

We may think we don’t even notice internet clutter any more–the ads, pop-ups, suggestions for a new TV or an inside-scoop on the latest celebrity train-wreck–but our brains notice. Whether or not we realize it, our brains are constantly sifting through information. That’s why you should try the tip below the next time you’re reading articles online. It’ll take out all the clutter and make reading longer passages easier on your eyes.

February 6: “Don’t do anything else.” Guided Access

iPhone and iPad

Haircuts are terrible. This has been my son’s opinion since he was a year old, which is why he runs around kind of scraggly most of the time. Several years ago, as a really little guy with undiagnosed ADHD, I was actually a little worried to go to the barber because I was afraid he’d squirm so badly he’d get his ear snipped. It helped tremendously when I could hand him my phone and let him watch clips of Finding Nemo for a while. I think a lot of us have found ourselves in similar situations–at the grocery store, the doctor’s office, and just about anywhere else, depending on the situation.

Only, your worry has probably been the same as mine–if I give it to them, what if they get out of the app and do something else like send an electronic payment or browse the unfiltered internet? In the interest of protecting our information and our kids, it’s important to know about how to use Guided Access. With Guided Access, you can lock your child in a specific app for a set amount of time. You can even disable features like touch, in case you want to let a child watch a video, but not click on another that might be advertised on the sidebar. Watch the video below to learn how to set up Guided Access.

Feb 5: “If it makes you feel any better, I forgot my reading glasses.”: Using the Magnifier Tool

iPhone and iPad

Within the Settings app, you can turn on a magnifier accessibility tool that will allow you to triple-click the home button and instantly magnify anything using the camera on your iPhone or iPad. While the example I give is for the classroom, this feature also has practical applications such as quickly checking your menu when you’re out to eat, or reading the teensy label on a bottle of vitamins at the health food store without having to dig for glasses.

Feb 4: “I didn’t want that one.” Marking Up a Screenshot

iPhone and iPad

There are many ways you can use the screenshot markup feature in iOS, but in this video, I use the scenario of sending someone to the grocery store for cereal just so it’s more relatable. Now, when you take a screenshot or receive a photo in Messages, you can click “Markup” to write or draw over the photo. Later in the month (Feb 27), we’ll talk about how you can use photos to give feedback on student work.

 

Feb 3: Cut ’em Loose: Offloading Unused Apps to Save Space

iPhone and iPad

We’ve all been there–super excited about the potential of a new app. Maybe a friend recommended it or we saw it online or we downloaded it on a whim during a boredom-browse through the App Store. No matter how it happened, you might have apps you’ve totally forgotten, especially if you’re like me–an obsessive category user with multiple pages of apps in each. Yeesh. I even have a category titled “Stuff I Don’t Use.” Luckily, there’s a setting that can help us to decide what to keep and what to let go of, without deleting data associated with the app. That means that if I haven’t used my app that lets me print from my phone in a while, for example, my phone can delete it if it needs the space but if I download it again, I shouldn’t have to input my printer information another time.

In this video, we’ll take a look at how to turn on this feature.

Feb 2: Do Not Disturb because #boundaries (iPad and iPhone)

It seems like it’s harder these days to be disconnected. Advances in technology have made staying connected effortless for its users, and that connectedness knows no boundaries. At all hours of the day and night, we’re being notified of text messages, emails, software updates, and “HUGE blowout sales at 90% off!”

There’s no time like the present to start setting some technology boundaries in your life. One way I do this is by using the Do Not Disturb feature on my iOS devices. Do Not Disturb allows a user to turn off notifications of all kinds during a specific period of time. You’ll still receive all your normal communication, but your phone won’t light up or make noise during the time frame you specify. If you’re worried about being unavailable in case of an emergency, Do Not Disturb offers the option to allow repeated calls so if someone calls you twice in two minutes, you phone will ring.

 

Intro to iPad: 28 Tips in 28 Days

Intro to iPad: 28 Tips in 28 Days

“I’d rather watch a video about what this is.”

“I’d rather read about what this is.”

Several days ago, I conducted a couple of iPad trainings at the administration building on iPad basics. After the trainings, I began thinking more about the importance of revisiting some of iPad’s most basic (albeit powerful) features, and I started kicking around this idea of a tip of the day. This idea sort of coincided with a couple of episodes of the Art of Charm podcast I was listening to at the time. One mentioned the idea of using what scares you, or what seems difficult as a signpost for something worth doing. The other argued that the quantity of what we create is (especially at the beginning) almost as important as quality and that the two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive as we’ve come to let ourselves believe.

So I decided to jump out there and commit to 28 different videos for every day in February. We’ll cover topics like:

  • Family Sharing
  • Accessibility Features
  • The New Control Center
  • Setting Restrictions
  • Powerful Native Apple Apps

I’ll conduct all of the trainings on an iPad, but if the particular topic also applies to the iPhone, I’ll indicate that at the beginning of the video (most of them will).

While I hope the training will encourage our teachers to feel even more comfortable using their district-issued iPad, many of the topics will also be useful for parents and iOS users.

The training will not be super complicated; I can get into those topics later. We’re just going to focus on the basics of what could make your life easier as an iOS user and go from there.

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