Research

=Research=


 * RCA Home | //Research// ** **|** ** Collaboration ** **|** ** Assessment **

Dropbox Page
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 * 1) Log into the Dropbox app
 * 2) Create an account in Send To Dropbox or Drop It to Me. Configure as desired. Record the email address. Test by emailing a photo or file to this address. Next, go back into Dropbox and find the file or files you used this email to send. Talk with a partner about naming conventions if a group of students all use one of these tools to share or submit documents or images.

Notibility Page
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 * 1) Create a document which includes typed text, hand written text or a drawing, an audio recording, and an image. Export via Dropbox. Note: when including audio, Notibility creates a single .zip file with the audio file separate. This is a great way to mark up .pdf documents or screenshots, make comments and then save via Dropbox.

Evernote Page
> //Read more about Evernote for Teachers.// >
 * 1) Create a new note. In that note, include text, a short audio recording (remember where the microphone is located) and an image. Add a few tags (this helps in finding and organizing your notes.) If you have Evernote on your desktop computer, sync Evernote. Look for the note on your desktop computer.
 * 2) Add your Evernote email to contacts (under your user name in the upper right corner => Evernote email address. Open a photo or document and send it to Evernote and then return to Evernote and find the file.
 * 3) Add the Evernote Web Clipper to Safari
 * 4) Share a notebook so others can read it. First create a notebook if none are created yet. Tap on the notebook and tap the share button. //Note: users can share notebooks or get a public URL, however,a premium account is required if you want others to have edit rights to files you save. Evernote Premium for teachers is $45 a year.//
 * 1) Optional: Try using the camera to take a photo of printed or hand written text. Penultimateis the free hand writing app from Evernote. Skitch, another free app from Evernote, allows users to capture and annotate websites, photos and more...all instantly synced with your Evernote account.

CloudOn Page

 * 1) Log on to CloudOn (Create an account if necessary.) Configure CloudOn so it can connect to your Dropbox account. Create a new word processing (Word) document and save it to Dropbox. CloudOn does not play by all the iPad rules so some things, such as copy and paste may not follow the normal iPad conventions. CloudOn menus can be small and a stylus is popular for people who like using CloudOn. CloudOn requires an account and Internet access.

//** Mind Mapping, Graphical Organizers, and Brainstorming Projects **//

 * 1) Create a popplet using Popplet Lite, with a minimum of eight popples (symbols.) At least one of your popples needs to have an image and another a drawing. Project ideas: the ideas/topics for a research project or the main ideas for an autobiography writing assignment. Export it when finished (when Exported, you return to a blank page.) If you are familiar with Popplet Lite, try the same project using one of the other apps.
 * 2) Use the brainstorming features of Inspiration Maps Lite to brainstorm a topic. Such as places to visit when you retire (or something more educational if desired.)
 * 3) //Optional// - log onto Prezi and view any Prezis you may have in your account. If the goal is to create a presentation, there are better apps for the iPad such as Explain Everything or Educreations, however, if all you want to do is enter some text or images for brainstorming or planning and then organize these ideas, it works nicely. Try creating a new project and try it out.

Popplet Lite


Popplet Lite has long been one of the most popular iPad apps for brainstorming, or storyboarding ideas. The free lite version limits you to one page or Popplet. The full Popplet version allows more than one Popplet $4.99. Popplet provides an intuitive interface allowing users to quickly capture and organize ideas. It is also a great tool for classroom with limited iPads for projects such as brainstorming. One student (who types quickly) or a teacher connected to a projector, can enter the ideas and when finished, the group can work to refine, sort, or further organize these ideas. Just tap the screen to begin creating a "popple." Once created, a popple can hold text, drawings, or a photo or can include these at the same time. So a photo can have a text label and a drawing on top of it. Popples can be linked to other popples using the linker buttons. The background colors can be changed and the entire Popplet can be zoomed or expanded with the two finger pinch. A finished Popplet can be emailed as a .jpg, .pdf or saved to your photo library. This app is great for mind mapping, brainstorming, and creating galleries.

Inspiration Maps Lite
Similar to the desktop version of Inspiration, users can easily switch between outline and diagram views - starting a project from either format. In the outline mode, main ideas can be indented or made sub ideas under other ideas and have "details" added to the idea. Ideas can be easily rearranged by dragging them up or down using an icon on the right of the topic. At any time a user can toggle to the diagram view, where the topics are displayed as colored symbols in one of six shapes (blue oval is the default.) The symbol may also hold a photo with the option to add text under the photo. There are options to change the text style, symbol color, background or event the link style. Links can easily be added or rearranged, or deleted (just use the trash can.) The rapid fire tool has long been a staple for brainstorming on the desktop version and it's available on the iPad version as well. Start with one symbol selected, click the rapid fire lightening bolt and begin a repetitive process typing, press Enter, type, press Enter, type, press Enter.... All the ideas will be linked to the original symbol. One in as ideas they can be rearranged, sorted, links changed. And remember, it's easy to now go from the Diagram view to the outline view. Though unless you own the full version, the outline view cannot be imported into a word processor for further editing. Inspiration Maps Lite - allows a user to create up to 5 diagrams and has a BIG link to update on the bottom of the screen. The full Inspiration Maps version is priced at $10.49, providing addition diagrams as well as connections to Dropbox, iTunes or other apps. The Lite version only provides options for email (or printing) and then only as an Inspiration Maps document. However, most students would just take a screenshot. A user can start with one of 35 different templates. One annoying "feature" - a user is allowed up to 5 diagrams on the lite version, but they can't be deleted - except on the full version. If a user wants a new diagram, they must delete the topics or symbols from an existing diagram. This can quickly be done in the outline view.

SimpleMind +
SimpleMind+ is a mind mapping app with a companion paid version just called SimpleMind for iPad ($4.99). Like others, this app does not provide many options for sharing in the Lite version. Most lite users will count on using screenshots to save their mind map as an image into their photos.

Prezi for iPads
Prezi for iPads is a free app for users with a Prezi account. It provides a subset of the tools available in the online version. A user can create a new presentation use Prezi for brainstorming - adding text and images. A user can also view a presentation they created on the online version. Prezi for iPads does not provide options for creating or editing a path, adding movies or YouTube, setting a background theme, or share/collaborate. If viewing a presentation created online with an existing path, tapping the right or left sides of the screen navigates the user along the path. Any presentation, including those made on the iPad, may be viewed without a path by simply dragging around the screen and double tapping on an image to align it and fill the screen. Prezi provides minimal information on their page: @http://prezi.com/ipad/ I anticipate future updates will add features currently only available to the online version.


 * MindMeister **

MindMeister is a nice app which requires a user to first create an online account. Internet access is required. Most of the features require a paid subscription. A personal academic account subscription is priced at $2.49 a month or $4.99 for a standard account purchased from the iPad. The app provides options for creating diagrams, but if you want to add an image to your diagram, or export to Word, PowerPoint and others, it requires a paid subscription. From the main idea, it's fast to brainstorm, the the symbols showing up around a main idea, each time the user presses Enter. Options in the free version include setting priority order or due dates for tasks, adding notes to symbols, and hyperlinks. Projects you create (mind maps) are stored and accessible online.

iThoughtsHD ($9.99)
IThoughsHD is often one of the highest rated business apps for brainstorming and organizing. iThoughtsHD is available for 4.99 through the Apple Volume Purchase Store.

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MagicalPad ($9.99)
App includes four different tools in one app: Outliner, Mind Mapping, Notes and Checklists. Featured in PC Magazine, this app occasionally goes on sale (was .99 for some time last February.) Organize thoughts, storyboard a project, create a checklist, or just record ideas. Finished projects can be exported to Google Docs, Evernote, or Dropbox. Sorry, no free version is available.

Other Apps and Sites to Explore

 * Idea Sketch (free) or Idea Sketch+ ($3.99) - similar to Inspiration, allows switching between outline and diagram view. The free version provides more output options, however, Idea sketch is for text as it does not support hyperlinked text or the use of images.
 * MindMaple Lite
 * DropMind Lite
 * iMindMap HD
 * EndNote for iPad ($9.99)
 * Comparison of Mind Mapping Apps
 * Apps Finder - list of Mind Mapping Apps - titles, links, and ratings still more mind mapping apps

//** Cite Your Sources Projects **//

 * 1) Use EasyBib to s can a book's UPC bar code or enter the title of a book into EasyBib. You can use the samples scattered around the room, or if you know a book's title, enter it. Remember it requires the Internet so their is a delay after you enter the title or scan the bar code. For the bar code scanning, some bar codes have a second, smaller code. You may need to cover this as it may cause an error. If you want to enter a book title from memory, try "Goodnight iPad" or "Exploring iPads for Dummies" some of my favorites. Once you have a list, you can email to yourself (optional.)
 * 2) Install the Zotero bookmark applet. Go to Zotero.org and log in. Navigate to an article on the MeL Databases (Zotero can auto fill fields from these sites ). With the article open, click the Save to Zotero bookmark.

** Cite Your Sources Apps **
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EasyBib
EasyBib is the free app which works similar to the app's website @http://easybib.com Users must be online to use Easy Bib as it pulls citations from the the Easy Bib website. Users have two choices: Search and Scan. For Search, simple enter the book's title and as you type, Easy Bib begins looking for the right book. Once you find the right book, tap to select it and the citation is created. The second option is select Scan to scan a book's UPC bar code. This turns on the camera and when you hold it over a bar code, a green rectangle is displayed and the photo taken and sent into Easy Bib for instant searching. Viola' if it's in the database, you instantly have the citation for your book.

**Zotero**

Zotero is free tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources. Most users install a browser extension in Firefox or Chrome, however, on the iPad you can add a bookmark applet. It does require an account as your saved resources are stored in the cloud. What! You've never heard of Zotero? When college students were asked their top web tools, Zotero is usually in the top 10, yet most high school students and many high school media specialists have media type="youtube" key="pq94aBrc0pY?rel=0" height="283" width="378" align="right" never heard of it. Step one, create an account on the website: @http://zotero.org Step two, on your iPad, go to this page and follow the directions to install the Zotero bookmarking applet Step three - go find some content and try using Zotero. Note: Zotero works automatically with articles, and may not fill fields automatically with every web site. You can enter this site's information manually. Try uses a news source or an online database and not how amazing Zotero works. Learn more about Zotero from Getting Started a page on the Zotero website with helpful tips and a useful video overview.

ZotPad ($9.99)


ZotPad is an Zotero client for iOS devices. "ZotPad is an iPad/iPhone client for Zotero reference management software. The purpose of ZotPad is to allow accessing Zotero libraries from mobile devices. The software provides read and write access to Zotero files stored on the Zotero server, WebDAV server, or Dropbox. ZotPad contains a basic file reader that can be used to open the most common file types and can send attachment files by email. Annotation workflow can be easily set up with third-party PDF annotating software." from www.zotpad.com

//** Browser and Notes Projects **//

 * 1) Use sling Note to research a topic such as // Smarter Balanced Assessment // Consortium or make notes from some of your favorite blogs. From your results, create a document which highlights your research. This document should include URLs, images and text.

** Browser and Notes **
**sling Note** ($2.99) media type="custom" key="22495940" align="right" sling Note has some nice features for copying information from a website and pasting this information onto a notes page. If you copy text, it pastes the text into an adjustable demension and font size textbox. If you capture an image (or text or any selection of a website) it allow easy pasting into your notes and resizing. A double tap of the captured image provides the web address for the captured image and a space for additional notes. Click outside the image to flip it back. Many saving options including an option to save to a folder in Dropbox. And when you want the website in the notes, simply drag the URL from the address bar and a hyperlinked URL is pasted into your document. A cool feature is the option to have two web pages open side by side, or a notes page and a calculator. Use 3 fingers to toggle between these options. Learn more about sling Note from the SlingNote website

ScratchWork is amazing. It provides a simple browser on the left and note pad on the right. Tap a button and either one temporarily fills the entire screen. It's easy to copy text or take notes as you are looking at the website. A user can also copy and paste in images (in the notes use a two finger tap) and as a bonus, there is a wonderful collection of math tools including math text tools and a plotting tool. Files save a .pdf, text, or to box.com for cloud integration. Learn about Sketch Work from this site created by the developer. I like what I see. Only supports side by side view using the landscape view.
 * Scratch Work ** (free)


 * Webnotes ** (free - ad supported)

Similar to Scratch Work, Webnote uses a side by side browser and notes page. I like the easy way to adjust the size of the web screen and the notes page. Menus can be hidden to provide additional space. The browser supports multiple tabs. The notes area prominently displays a character count, which is useful for Twitter posts. It allows immediate posted to Twitter or Facebook once the connections are allowed in settings. The ad supported app asks for .99 to remove the advertising along the bottom of the screen. Supports the side by side view in both landscape and portrait views. Does not support pasting of images into notes. //I'd recommend this app for those who want to review web pages and post to Twitter.//