Another iPad Story

Few weeks ago, three of us, who teach the Design a Quality Online and Blended Course cohort program, received iPad so we can share with faculty how we can integrate this new tool into their academic life including research, teaching and service.  Jean-Marie already posted her experiences as a new user, so in my blog post, I’d like to talk a little further (just tiny bit further) about how iPad can be used in your academic life.

As an instructional technologist, whenever I looked at a new tool, I always ask few questions, even before I investigate the tool seriously:

1) can this tool do things that other tools cannot do?

2) can this tool help me improve my teaching or my job productivity?

3) can this tool transform the way I teach or do my job?

Only few tools so far in my life has been a “transformational” for me.  One is word processing program, which has really changed the way I write.  Younger people probably have no ideas what I’m talking about, but there was a time when we had to write on piece of paper and type on a typewriter (gosh, I feel real old).  When I first started writing for my undergraduate coursework, I began writing an outline on a piece of paper, wrote a thesis statement, formulated supporting arguments and evidence and then added transitions and introductory paragraphs.  I kept working on the details until I was done writing and then typed on my electric typewriter (at least I didn’t have to use whiteout or literally “cut and paste” anything because it was electric, whew!).  But now on my computer, I write bits of outline, bits of a thesis statement, bits of supporting arguments etc. and move those bits around a lot as I formulate ideas what to write.  I’m not sure about other people, but it was truly transformational experiences for me as I now think and write differently.

So, can iPad be transformational?  I’m thinking it might be now that I’m getting more things done on iPad.  The thing that has changed me most so far is the way I read and collect information.  In my previous post “Keeping up with all things new”, I briefly talked about RSS feed aggregator, such as Google Reader to keep up with all new online  information.  RSS, in a simple term, is a subscription to certain website so when new information becomes available, it will push the information to your computer or wherever you’d like to get the information.  MobileRSS (Free version) has been really a nice tool on iPad to read all those new pieces of information.  I can glance at headlines and short description and decide if I want to read further.  As we’re all overwhelmed by the amount of information lately, it’s really life-saving for me to scan through information quickly and read the ones that I need.  Then Read It Later (Free version) is an app that works a charm with RSS feeds or information on the website.  Read It Later is literally a place for the things that I want to read it later.  So when I find an article or website I’d like to read when I don’t have time, I just click a button for “Read It Later” from the browser or RSSMobile and it will store for me till I have time to read it.  Read It Later also offers a web-based program so you can do the same from your computer as well.  In fact, I use it on my computer and iPad depending on where I am and what I’m doing.

Then if I want to “keep” any webpage for a research purpose, I use either Delicious to bookmark (which I found a way to have a shortcut on iPad) or Evernote (also available web version)  to clip the page.  If it’s PDF or Word document, then I’d use DropBox or Google Docs to store it in the “cloud.”

By now, I may have lost some audience….  It sounds too technical for some people, but it is actually easy to understand if you see it.  If you’re interested, please come drop by at CTLT or contact me and I can show you how.  In the future, it will be nice if iPad users on campus get together and have a “show-and-tell” event.  Well, look for the future events in related to this at CTLT!