Using Google Drive

In 2014, students in Years 5 and 6 will be using Google Drive for document creation and storage. Here is a collection of resources that might be useful if you wanted to get a head start with Google Drive over the holidays. We will certainly need a few student "experts" as we all start to use it next year...

Your BCE student account gives you access to Google Drive and 30GB of storage space. Firstly, make sure you have installed the FREE Google Drive app on your iPad:

You can learn more about the Google Drive app for iOS here:

https://support.google.com/drive/topic/2429901?hl=en&ref_topic=2375071

Now, log into your Google Drive app using your myBCE email address and password. You can create and share documents right on your iPad. You can also use Google drive in a web browser on any computer. Your files will sync to any device where you are logged into your Google drive.

Here are some places you can find more information:

Richard Byrne has put together an easy-to-follow guide for using Google Drive on your iPad:

Google Drive for iPad by richardbyrne

Google's Support page for Google Drive:

Video Tutorial (duration 14 mins) on using Google Drive from a computer 

(using Google's Chrome web browser):

The Last Post

If you are a current Year 4 parent and have followed a link in the Contact newsletter 

to this 5Padwise blog, this will become YOUR space in 2014. 

Information about the compulsory

  CyberSafety Boot Camps 

can be found in the latest post

here on your iPad Launch Pad blog.

Apologies for the confusion everyone - we have 3 separate blogs now, one each for the three year levels who need information on Learning Innovations with iPads. This time of transition between year levels can be a confusing time for everyone!

---oOo---

Dear Parents of current Year 5 students, 

This will be the last post for you on this 5Padwise blog!

It's been a wonderful year of learning for your children and as they continue learning with iPads in Year 6 in 2014, you will have a NEW space to follow their news. Currently it's a blank space but you may wish to set up a subscription in readiness for the 2014 school year:

Click here to link to 6Padwise, the new Year 6 blog for 2014!

New App Required for 2014:

Morfo 3D Face Booth

Next year, your children will require a new app for LOTE. Our lovely Japanese teacher Mrs Flynn has asked that her students install Morfo 3D Face Booth. Although there is a free version of this app (simply called Morfo), Mrs Flynn advises that the paid version offers much better performance and added features and it is her preference that all students purchase Morfo 3D Face Booth, at a cost of 99c.

Due to the minimal cost of Morfo 3D Face Booth, we are hoping that you will not mind arranging this purchase for your child. The app may have uses for other learning areas as well as LOTE. You can provide this app for your child in several ways:

1. By gifting it to your child. You can do this by purchasing the app from your own Apple ID as a gift. Select "Gift this app" when you purchase and you will be provided with a redemption code to email to your child so they can install it under their own Apple ID at no further cost.
   
2. By temporarily adding your credit card information to your child's Apple ID account. Do this on the iPad in the App Store app > Featured tab > scroll down > click Apple ID: > View Apple ID > Payment Information or in Settings > iTunes & App Store > click account name > view Apple ID > sign in > Payment Information. As soon as the purchase is made you should remove your credit card details by selecting "None" in Payment Information.
3. By adding an iTunes Gift Card to your child's Apple ID account. If there is no existing credit on your child's Apple ID account, iTunes cards can be purchased in packs of 3 x $10, 2 x $15 or individually in $20, $50 and $100 amounts. This can be a useful stocking filler. Stores often offer discounts on iTunes gift cards. Keep your eye on the Gift Cards on Sale website for information on current iTunes card offers.

Please email Maria if you have any difficulty with this request for 2014:

mmead[insert 'at' sign here]bne.catholic.edu.au

Have a great break and don't forget to keep safe online. If you are unable to supervise your children during their iPad use over the holiday break, turn off wifi or use "Airplane Mode". You may also use Restrictions to turn off Safari, YouTube etc.

Remember, it is NOT an invasion of your child's privacy to check their sent and received emails occasionally, including attachments. This is what we call "appropriate supervision" for children of primary school age. By monitoring email use regularly you are helping to keep this method of communication a safe and positive experience for ALL of our students, and helping to educate your child in good digital citizenship. 

Targeting Maths 2 - Free for 48 hours

Parents, this app is aimed at Year 2 level but if you think your child would benefit from some engaging maths practice to develop fluency with numeracy skills, you might like to take advantage of this limited time free offer. 

Targeting Maths is a top quality app. The apps in this series normally cost $7.49 but for a limited time (48 hours I'm told), you can download Targeting Maths 2 for free. Students at St Catherine's are familiar with the high quality Targeting Maths software which is installed on our student laptops. The apps are Australian and aligned with national curriculum.

This promotional video from Pascal Press's Targeting Maths website will give you an idea of what the app offers:

Before you install the app, make sure you are logged into the App Store (app on the iPad) or iTunes (if you're using a computer) with the Apple ID that you wish to own the app. Either your child's school Apple ID, or you may prefer to use a family Apple ID so that younger siblings can benefit from using the app. But why not download it with both accounts?

Here are some screenshots from the app. You can see more information here at the iTunes preview.

Happy Installations!

Helpers Invited for iPad Setup Night 2013

Dear Year 5 Parents,

Your child will be bringing home a letter today, inviting them to help us out with iPad Setup Night for parents of Year 4. Please look out for the letter as we need consent forms back by this Thursday 14th November.

A copy of the letter can be accessed below. If you don't receive your copy, you can print one from the link below. Failing that, a scribbled note from you giving your consent for them to attend and bring their iPad, or even an email to your child's class teacher will suffice.

Thanks very much for your consideration of your child's involvement. We will really appreciate their help, as will the parents of our current Year 4 classes as they prepare to familiarise themselves with iPad management.

Parent Letter Setup Night Helpers.pdf by Maria Mead

Don't be PHooled by PHISHers!

Phishing emails try to trick you into revealing your personal information or account details. They often look very real but don't be fooled. Here's a phishing email that Mrs Peasey received this week:

Needless to say, Mrs Peasey is NO FOOL and was not tricked into entering her Apple ID account details... But it's a timely warning for us all. PLEASE, be very careful not to click a link in an email or to fill in your account details anywhere unless you are certain the website is genuine.

Check the URL of any links in emails before you open them.

HOW? 

On a computer: mouse over the link and you should see the URL at the bottom of your browser. If not, right click (ctrl + click on a Mac) and choose Copy Link. Paste the link into Word or a text editor so you can see it.

On your iPad: Tap and hold the link until you see a menu pop up. The URL will appear at the top of the menu.

If you don't recognise the URL domain, or if it looks very long and complicated with lots of nonsense characters, don't risk opening the link. If you're unsure, show an adult or forward the email to one of your teachers to check.

You'll find more information about phishing and other scams at ACMA's SCAMwatch website:

Protect yourself:

Stay informed. Stay alert.

New Apps for LOTE

Sensai has requested that you install the 4 apps below ready for Term 2 Japanese lessons. Each of these are free apps now so best to install as soon as you can. If you wait, there's a chance they could become 'paid' apps in the meantime.

Japanese - Hiragana (hk2006) *many of you have this one already

 

Japanese - Kanji (18 kanjis) (hk2006)

 Sock Puppets (Smith Micro Software)

 Fotopedia Japan (Fotonauts)

Clicking the links will take you straight to the iTunes / App Store page for each app.

Thanks everyone!

Need your iPad to READ to you?

You know you can your iPad convert your speech to text. iPad 3s and later models have a microphone input tool on the keyboard. You can use the free Dragon Dictation app if you are using the iPad 2.

But did you know you can ask your iPad to read text to you? 

This feature can be invaluable as it allows developing readers to access information in written text that would be difficult for them to decode otherwise. All children need to learn to read independently, of course but it can be terribly frustrating and disheartening for a young reader to continually struggle to decode written information, when researching a topic for example, that may be beyond their current reading ability. The iPad's text to speech facility can level the playing field for a struggling reader.

Here's how...

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

With "Speak Selection" turned ON, any time text is selected (highlighted) it will automatically be spoken to you. This can be annoying if you wish to select text for other purposes (say, to edit fonts) in a document) so turn off the feature when you do not need it.

If you are using an older iPad, you can use VoiceOver to have text spoken. With VoiceOver turned on, any text you tap will be read to you. This means you have to use a double tap to open apps etc while VoiceOver is on. Again, the feature can be turned off when not required.

General > Accessibility > VoiceOver

There are also Text to Speech apps which may be useful on older iPads which do not have the "Speak Selection" feature.

R-E-A-D on your iPad

[Image Source: news.blogs.slv.vic.gov.au]

The iPad is a very useful eReading tool, especially for developing readers. The built-in iPad dictionary allows young readers to check word meanings within the text with a quick tap (no searching for dusty dictionary volumes) and font size can be adjusted to suit personal preference. If less text on the page is less daunting for your young reader, they can increase the font size and enjoy a more positive reading experience. A student can also widen their literary experience by listening to audio books. This is not 'cheating'. It is a valuable experience for students approaching the upper primary years to be able to enjoy a book in an area of interest, even though decoding the text may be beyond their current reading skills.

Buying eBooks and Audio books can be as expensive as purchasing the printed copies but did you know you can borrow eBooks and eAudio book recordings through Brisbane City Council libraries? With your BCC Library card, you can log in to the Digital Media site and browse Juvenile and Young Adult titles.

Click here to browse the Digital Media Collection

Borrow titles for up to 21 days at no cost. Borrowed media simply disappear from your collection once the borrowing period has expired so you will have no concerns about accumulating overdue fees.

[Image Source: www.stylingyou.com.au]

Some cautions:

• Due to the wide variety of digital media file types on offer, you may need to install a couple of extra FREE apps to allow you to read or play borrowed files. Follow instructions in the Digital Collection site and be assured that Overdrive and Adobe apps are perfectly safe to download from this site.
• Parents please supervise students and check what they are borrowing. As in any public library, there are many adult titles available. The above link will take you to the Juvenile and Young Adult section but does not restrict access to these sections.
• Finally, a reminder that unfortunately it is not advisable to read eBooks in the bath!

[Image Source: techli.com]

Working Towards Independence in Learning

Year 5 students are starting to develop some strategies for greater independence in their learning. Self-direction becomes increasingly important at this stage of schooling. 

In year 5 this year, we strive to:

• explore, discover and find out for ourselves before we ask someone else
• recognise our own strengths
• identify our weaknesses so we can work out how to improve
• monitor our learning by setting goals and reflecting on our progress
• support and learn from our peers

Taking an Active role in learning: Celeste and Axelle demonstrate the use of Dropbox for their peers

Taking responsibility for our own learning involves critical self reflection. Learning reflections will become part of our weekly routine. Students are given sample questions to guide their reflections (below). With regular practice they will become better at reflecting critically, setting goals and articulating their thoughts.

Questions for Learning Reflection by Maria Mead

We have a range of apps that we can use to record our learning reflections...

We are looking forward to exploring these apps this term. Once we are familiar with them, we will be able to choose the best app for the job each time. My own app preferences may be different to those of others. That's OK. That's the beauty of the student-centred Learning Innovations program in Year 5. My iPad helps make me make the right learning choices for me.

Viva la difference!

Morning Fitness Activities

Lovely to see so many parents at the Parent Evening last night! The teachers presented some research indicating how their Daily PE program of morning fitness activities can enhance children's memory, attention span and learning throughout the day. We thought you'd like to see some pictures of your children starting their day at school today. They will be able to explain to you at home what happens at each station. ...They certainly have their favourites!

New App - Mathmateer

Dear Year 5 Parents,

Today your children were asked to install a new FREE app to supplement their maths program.  It is called Mathmateer FREE.

 Click here for a link to the app in iTunes

If you have advised your child's teacher of their Apple ID password, then this app was most probably installed yesterday at school. If not, can we please ask that you arrange to install the app on your child's iPad at home sometime over the next week?

We apologise for this extra task. We will try to keep extra apps to a minimum but occasionally needs and opportunities will arise that will be of benefit to your children's learning. If at any time you wish to advise your child's teacher of their Apple ID password, these extra installations can be managed at school.

Thanks very much everyone!

Please continue to email Maria (mmead@bne....) if you have any questions or concerns about any aspect of the program.

A window into Yr 5 learning spaces

We are gradually but surely progressing through our long list of iPad setup tasks with your children at school. We realise that certain situations at home (especially cyclones!) can compromise home wireless connectivity and tax a family's time and attention so we are especially grateful for your efforts in attending meetings and supporting this program. We trust things will settle for you soon (as the necessary demands diminish!).  Don't hesitate to email Maria (mmead@bne.catholic....) if you have any issues or queries.

We'd like to share some pictures of our early days in Year 5. We already have "favourite" places to work in our learning space. When we are concentrating on handwriting or listening to our teacher we sit in chairs at the tables. When we are creating, investigating or practising skills, we can sit wherever we are comfortable. We start the day with prayer in our own class groups but our dividing door is always open and we use the whole space. For most of the day we watch and listen as a year level group then proceed to work together on group activities. This way, there are always at least two teachers ready to help us. We're becoming very good at putting shoes on quickly. The "shoeless" space keeps us comfortable and our carpets and furnishings clean for lounging. Our teachers are "clean freaks" so we wipe down our tables each day.