Learning in the Lou

For this demo I am using the browser but everything I am doing here could be done on my phone. If you are not familiar with Keep, check out this post for some background info. My use case is helping my son with a writing assignment. I feel this will help us organize some quick ideas before we ever open Docs. My Shared Keep Note Looks Like... 1. I added a question and a space for him to write some quick ideas. 2. I tagged it with our home address so it should pop up on his phone when he hits the front door. 3. I added him as a collaborator on the note. How I Did It... I added some sentences that might spark Aidan's thinking. I then clicked the ice cream cone at the bottom. On the dropdown, I selected Show checkboxes . I hit enter between each sentence to create a new box.  I dragged over the new box to indent it. My intended purpose is for Aidan to add his thoughts in this new space. I clicked the little person at the bottom to add Aidan. By clicking the bell I added our home addr...

 Do you have a PDF in your Drive that you really wish you could just write on? What about a screenshot of something you saw on the web, wouldn't it be awesome if you could project and write all over it? Check out this easy tip to do just that. I am assuming you already know how to cast/project your iPad to the big screen. If you need help, shoot us a message. This is a PDF I have in my Drive. To begin I take a screenshot of it. Next there will be a little image of the screenshot that appears in the lower left, click on it when you see it. If you miss clicking it, no worries. You can open Photos and see your screenshot there.  (To take a screenshot - hit the home and sleep/screen off button that the same time.) Now you should see the annotation tools appear at the top of the screen.  I have used a stylus or my finger to write. Don't see the tools, just scroll down/keep reading to learn how to find them. If you took the screenshot and it disappeared before you could click, ...

Why are we able to focus in a noisy coffee shop? Why does a soft rain make us feel cozy? Why do the crashing waves and birds make the blood pressure drop 10 points? I really have no idea but I do have a way to create that feel in one click. Ocean sounds - just click I clicked a few things and now when I read The Old Man and the Sea it takes me deeper into the story. I usually turn the volume down a bit so it fads to the background. It creates a wild difference in my focus and attention. The real key is keeping the volume down low. Coffee Shop - just click Buzzy of a Texas Cafe I clicked to open the cafe. Then I added a few sounds to create a new working environment. Rainy Day - just click Is there anything better than a thunderstorm?

 Files App - The Super App A while ago there was a new app that appeared on the iPad, Files. I opened it but really didn't see a use for it. I rarely use any type of file management, my files are a lot like my desk organization. Did you know the Files app is way more than just files? Check out one of the most useful things I just learned from Josh and Sherri, our Apple coaches. Do you ever have something you wish you could scan and then write on? What about the students, is there anything you wish they could scan, write on and then turn in? If yes, keep reading. Make sure you have the paper you need to scan on a flatish surface. Then click the Files app. It looks like an old school folder. 1. Click the ice cream cone, the three dots. 2. Choose Scan Documents. If Auto is selected, far right, all you need to do is line up the doc and the camera will automatically take the picture/scan the document. If not, click the dot by #1. 2. Click Save. Click Save. You can create folders, etc bu...

 Google Keep - the key to everything There is one app that everyone has access to and it is kinda life changing. In this post we are going to share two ways. Start by going to keep.google.com 1. Click to start taking notes. 2. You can also click one of these to create a checkbox note, sketch or use an image as the starting point of a note. I do like the image idea, think of screenshots and a little text to remember something specific.  I love a good checkbox. To create one, click on the ice cream cone, the three dots. Then select Show checkboxes. This will create a simple note that you can check the tasks off as you go. - One of the super features is how it integrates into Docs. Open Docs. 1. Click the Keep icon on the far right. 2. Click the ice cream cone, three dots, on the note you want to add to your doc. 3. Choose Add to document. How could you use this? I see some kids using Keep to storm some ideas they want to write about. They could also use one Keep note per big ide...