Apps for Document Creation and Management

I've heard that the iPad is better designed for receiving information, such as checking your email, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks; reading eBooks, listening to music, watching videos; and for keeping up with your favorite blogs, websites, news sources, etc. I haven't heard or experienced very many positives related to using the iPad for content creation. For this e-initiative we want to look at technology tools that would enhance learning and teaching, ones that would encourage creative output and collaboration. How can we use our iPads to do that? Let's start with the ability to create and manage documents.

I'm currently playing around with three apps.


Dropbox I created a Dropbox account which created a Dropbox folder on my work pc. I can add files and folders from my work pc, or any other computer I designate, or from the Dropbox website. The a dropbox app allows me to upload or view files from my iPad. It's nice to store my documents in the "cloud" and I think USB drives might become a thing of the past.




iAnnotate PDF JVG recommended this app. It does basically what it claims to do, helps you annotate PDF files. It syncs with Dropbox so I can grab files from my Dropbox account, and then annotate them. I still find difficulty using my clumsy fingers to do things like highlight text. Perhaps a stylus would help? Anyway, I'm also excited about the typewriter feature of this app, which would allow you to fill out Adobe PDF forms. That's something you can't do in Adobe Reader, and I get frustrated by this all the time.









Quickoffice This app allows me to edit word docs and other types of files created with Microsoft Office. It also syncs with Dropbox so I can grab open files from my Dropbox account. It took me a while to master the rather non-intuitive features of MS Word 2007, so it seems almost a shame to have to learn yet another tool for editing word docs. After you open the doc, there a just a few buttons at the top for editing. It gets the job done but this is not a tool that I love.

That's it for now! I hope more people in our e-initiative will share what apps they have been using, particularly ones for creating content. Anybody using apps to manage Google Docs?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Note: after I posted, I had to go to my PC and correct the errors made by my aforementioned clumsy fingers and automated spelling correction).

eBooks @ Your Public Library

During the last few months, I had the chance to read several eBooks on my iPad. I first tried the iBooks app. I was happy enough with the experience, but I wanted to try checking out free books from the library, rather than purchasing from the Apple Store.

For several years most public libraries have offered eBooks, audiobooks, and digital content via the company called OverDrive. In the past though, you had to download the content to your computer first and then upload to your mobile device, and it was often restricted to non-Apple products. But now OverDrive and libraries have made the process of checking out eBooks relatively easy, and the EPUB format for eBooks works with iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, etc.

I downloaded the Overdrive Media Console App for free. There is a "Get Books" option that will link you to your local public library. This part is a bit clunky, as it takes you outside of the app and into a website for your library. I used Sno-Isle public library. From there, entering my library card number and searching for digital content was pretty easy. My biggest disappointment was the lack of books available. It took me several searches to find books I might want to read. Only one checkout is allowed per license, so popular eBooks have holds on them. Much like a regular popular book, you can put a hold on the eBook and get an email when it's available for you. So if I needed to read a book right away, I'd be much better off purchasing the digital book. But for most leisure books, I don't mind waiting.

Here are some screenshots* of the OverDrive Media app.

Sno-Isle Digital Media Home Page

Sno-Isle Download Page

OverDrive App with checked out eBooks

"If I Stay" eBook title page

eBook sample

To summarize, the OverDrive Media App is fast, convenient, and has nice features similar to iBooks. Library eBooks have typical library loan periods, and expire automatically so you don't have to worry about late fees. There may be a limited selection of eBooks at your public library. Also, you need to sign in with an Adobe ID to download EPUB books. This was a minor annoyance for me since I already had one from registering Adobe products in the past, but it's one extra step.

Anybody have other experiences to report on using the iPad as an eReader?

*Tip: to take a screenshot on the iPad, simply hold down the power button and the iPad circle button. More here.

eLearning Updates

I posted my eTextbooks Resource page. It's still a work in progress. There is so much content and information floating around related to eBooks, eTexts, and open texts. I'm trying to distill it down so it makes sense to busy faculty and administrators, who basically want to know the how and why of it.

We had an eCircle meeting on Wednesday and Gardner Campbell skyped in. I loved hearing about his use of social media in the classroom. He said it doesn't work without teacher buy-in. The teacher must believe in the importance of the kind of learning community that is truly collaborative and not solely instructor led. He explained how he used Twitter in the classroom as a back channel. Earlier I had thought about trying to do this in a library session, but I've decided it would work better in a quarter- or semester-long class where you have time to discuss how to be a good digital citizen. I still love the Embedded Twitter librarian idea, but it would have to occur under the right circumstances.

I'm using a new (to me) iPad app to write this post, called BlogPress. Up until now I've only posted on my pc. It works great! I'm still struggling with the iPad keyboard though*. I found about BlogPress through the UWB Learning Technologies list of iPad apps, which is super helpful!

* I finally figured out what to do without arrow buttons. If you hold your finger down, a magnifying glass will pop up and you can move your cursor.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

New Focus: eTextbooks

I am happy to share that I have a new focus for the remainder of our e-learning pilot. I'm going to research electronic textbooks. It feels like this topic has been popping up a lot lately, in the news and in our shared eCircle resources. Some examples that will warrant further investigation:

- 2011 Horizon Report - One Year or Less: Electronic Books
- Washington 2-year college and the Open Course Library Project) (More information here: Washington's 2-year colleges out to beat high cost of textbooks)

Some questions I have:

- What trends are happening right now or are just around the corner? (open access, new business models)

- What obstacles prevent wide scale adoption of electronic textbooks?

I'll also be testing out some existing e-textbooks on the iPad (and other apps).

Also, I read an eBook from the public library and I will eventually post about that.