Technology @ Hebron

Here is a workflow we recommend for planning and writing a paper using the iPad and a number of different apps provided for all faculty and staff:

1. Use Notability to collect notes, PDFs, class handouts and related research together in one place.
2. Use the mind-mapping app MindNode to brainstorm ideas, as well as plan out the structure of the paper using outline view. This collapses the bubble layout into a text outline which can then be exported and used to write the paper around.

Here is an example mind-map:

You can then tap the outline button in the top right hand corner to see what the outline will look like:

Next, you can tap the share button, choose Plain Text Outline as the Export Type, and tap Send to App… to copy the text outline to an editing app such as Pages:

The end result will look something like this (but with more detail!), and the paper can then be written around the outline:

You can find out more about using MindNode through the official user guide.

3. We recommend either Google Docs (for simple text-only writing) and Pages (if layout is important, including the addition of diagrams and images, etc.) as the apps to actually use to write the paper.

4. Finally, to collect references and citations we recommend RefMe, in which you create a new project for each paper, collect and format your references and then export them at the end to add to the finished paper.

This video gives a nice overview of how to use the app (it’s recorded on the iPhone but the iPad app is very similar):

N.B. Although we do not currently have an Office 365 subscriptions for faculty and students to make use of the Microsoft Office apps on the iPad it is still possible for students to export completed written work as a Word document. Take a look at the various options in this post. 

Now that the new 3D printer has been installed in the old Math Office we are ready to start using it for classroom projects. This aim of this post is to give you an overview of the process of creating and printing an object in 3D. Please contact the technology department if you would like to use the 3D printer for a specific project so that we can help you plan everything out and help setup your print jobs. 

Step 1

The first step is creating or downloading the 3D object that you or or students are going to be printing. To find pre-built models you can go to Makerbot’s Thingiverse site and either browse their collections or use the search tool. Once you have found the model you want to use, click the Download This Thing! button and then click on the .stl version.

If you would like to design your own 3D object you can use Tinkercad, a easy to use browser-based modeling tool. You will need to create a free account and we then recommend that you work your way through the in-built lessons which show you how to put shapes together to create a model. Note that you can also import .stl files from Thingiverse into Tinkercad to alter and build upon.

Once you have created your model in Tinkercad you can click Design: Download for 3D Printing to download your .stl file.

Please note that the maximum model size for our printer is 6 x 8 x 10 inches.

Step 2

Now that you have your .stl file you are able to print, but first you will need to book the printer via this Google Sheet. Just fill in all the details including the day you will be printing. Because 3D prints take so long to complete we only want to schedule one print per day.

Step 3

On the day you have booked the printer you need to make sure you have a copy of the .stl file you will be using. You can upload this file to Google Drive, email it to yourself or save it to a memory stick.

Next, on the MacBook next to the printer you can download the file to the desktop and load the MakerBot Desktop app from the dock. Click the Prepare tab, then click Add, choose your .stl file and then click Print:

Note that you can add more then one .stl file to print multiple models, there just needs to be room for them all to fit on the build plate.

Once the file has been uploaded you will need to click again to confirm the print. The machine will then start heating up and printing your model. The display on the printer will let you know how long it is going to take to print.

Once the print is done you just need to peel your model off the blue paper, and make sure the area is completely clear of plastic for the next print job.

We are hoping that Notability becomes a key app for both students and teachers on their iPads to use for taking text and visual notes as well as storing, organizing and annotating class handouts, presentations, etc. We also hope that teachers will use this app in conjunction with Air Server, their MacBooks and classroom projectors to use as a mobile interactive whiteboard.

When you first open Notability you will see the following screen, with your notes on the right hand side and any subject folders you make on the left hand side:

Tap the + icon in the top left to create new subject folders to organize and store your notes:

Any notes you have already created can be dragged and dropped between subjects.

To create a new note tap the pen and paper icon in the top right hand corner. When you have a note open you can use two fingers to scroll and pinch to zoom in and out. The different tools can be seen across the top of the app including text entry, a pen for drawing, a highlighter and an eraser:

Tap on a tool twice to see any additional options. You can also tap on the + icon to insert other objects like photos, web clips (screenshots of a webpage) and sticky notes:

Once these have been added you can annotate over the top of them, you just need to tap somewhere else on the screen to deselect them. If you need to select and move one of these objects later on you need to use the text tool and just tap the object.

In addition to building up notes with these tools, Notability also offers powerful importing tools and can link to a number of cloud storage services. On the opening screen tap the import button and then tap Google Drive to link your school Google Drive account:

You just need to login and tap Accept. You can now import all kinds of documents including PDFs, images and Microsoft Office files from Google Drive. Notability will turn them into notes which you can then view and annotate over the top of.

Once you have finished annotating you can also export the file back to Google Drive, just tap the export button and tap Google Drive again:

One thing to note with exporting is that if you export the same file back to the same location in Google Drive it will overwrite the original. So if you want to save the originals and your students’ annotations you will need to create some kind of folder structure to save the separate files.