iPad+Basics

= I** Pad Basics and Helpful Tips ** =

**iOS 7**
If you haven't already upgraded to iOS 7.1, you should. There are several interface changes with the new iOS, which has made some people reluctant to upgrade, but you will increasingly find that new apps cannot be downloaded with the older iOS. There are a few improved features that you will appreciate, including AirDrop, easy access to the Spotlight tool and Control Center, and quickly switching Apps with Multitasking. Apple has an [|overview of the basics here.] To upgrade the iOS with a personal device, simply connect your iPad to your computer. With any staff or student device that is supervised with the Blanchard Configurator software, you must bring the iPad to the Blanchard Tech Office for updating.

Now that we have migrated from First Class to Google accounts, Blanchard staff should change their Apple IDs to their new abschools email accounts. Your Apple ID is also your primary email address, which for most of us ends with @boxboroughschool.org. Here are [|instructions for changing your Apple ID].
 * Change your Apple ID **

Staff and student computers at Blanchard are currently managed by the Apple Configurator software, which allows for allocation of apps purchased through the Apple Volume Purchase Plan. Becasue updates for paid apps must be handled by Configurator, you should not connect your iPad to your computer for backing up to an iTunes account. Instead, we recommend that you back up your photos, videos, and other content to "the cloud."
 * Back Up your Photos and Other iPad Content **
 * ** [|How to back up to iCloud] **
 * ** [|How to back up to Google Drive] **
 * ** [|How to back up to Dropbox] **

Get the free AppStart app and you'll have a library of basic tips, advice, and tutorials for getting started with your iPad. The instructions are clear and thorough, and the advice is honest: there's no glossing over the fact that printing from an iPad can be tricky, or no definitive claims that the iPad can completely replace your laptop. Be sure to view "Trick Out--the Stuff Apple Should Have Shown You."
 * [|AppStart: the First 10 Apps Everyone Needs to Download.] **

__Useful Tips__
Go to Settings and select General to choose where to use your slide switch to Lock Rotation or quickly Mute volume. Since pressing and holding the left volume control will mute sound pretty quickly, I chose to use my slide switch to lock rotation, but it's a matter of personal preference. Simultaneously press the Home and the Sleep/Wake buttons to take a screen shot of your iPad. The screen will flash and you'll hear a click, indicating that a photo has been taken. Your screen shots are automatically saved in the Camera Roll and in the Photo Gallery, where you can view or email the photos. Suggested application: Use the Maps App to find a location (your school, a field trip destination, or anyplace in the world to connect with your curriculum), and e a screenshot!
 * Use Slide Switch to Lock Rotation or to Mute**
 * Take an iPad screenshot**

Connecting an iPad to a VGA Adaptor
Click the image below to learn how to connect your iPad to the Apple VGA Adaptor so that you can project through a classroom projector. The adaptor connects to the VGA cable usually connected to your computer. It works, but it's not ideal: the cable is annoyingly short, keeping you tethered to a very confined space, and it often becomes loose.

An alternative is to download the **[|Reflector software]** to your laptop, which provides a wireless connection, through the laptop to a projector. Blanchard has a subscription for a limited number of installations of Reflector. Blanchard teachers can email Peggy Harvey at pharvey@abschools to request to have Reflector installed on their computers.

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Thomas Suarez, 6th-grade App Developer
Watch Thomas discuss his motivation to develop his own apps, a testament to the educational value of encouraging student use of handheld devices, and giving them the freedom to explore. media type="youtube" key="ehDAP1OQ9Zw" height="315" width="560"

Apple Support Topics
Using Multiple iPads with a single iTunes Account