5 iPad tips to make things easier

Here are some tips to help make using your iPad a little bit easier.

1. Put your apps in folders: Making folders helps to keep your screen decluttered and helps your find apps easier.  To create a new folder, long press on an app until it starts to wiggle.  Then drag it on top of another app.  If you already have a folder you can drag your wiggling app to an existing folder.  You will also be able to give your folder a name.  Your iPad will try to come up with a good name, but you can click on it to rename it. 

2. Make the text bigger: If you find things a little to small to see you can change the size of the font.  Click on settings, then display & brightness and then Text Size.  Here you will be able to choose what size you want the font to be. 

3. Define a word: If you come across a word that you don't know the meaning of just long press on it and click "Define" when the menu pops up. 

4. Type an accented letter: If are typing words in foreign language you may need to use an accented latter.  To do this, long press on the letter that you want an accent on and a pop up will appear with options for you to choose from. 

5. Talk to type: I find it much easier to talk out long blocks of text instead of typing it.  Click on the microphone icone on your keyboard and start talking.  You can even say things like period and comma when you want to insert those punctuation marks.  

Leave me your iPad tips.

252 iPad Apps for your Classroom

Ipads are great to have in the classroom.  When I got my first set (even though it was only 4), I was so excited to use them with my students.  Then reality sets in and you need to figure out how to use them.  What apps are you going to use?  Where do you even look for apps?  AskATechTeacher.com has created a list of her favorite iPad apps and placed them into categories.  Even if you think you have enough apps for your classroom iPads, I suggest that you take a look at her list and see if you can find anything new.

What are some of your favorite iPad apps that you use in the classroom? 

Renaming a file on Mac

Alice Keeler created this simple video and explanation about how to rename a file on Mac.  You can find her post here.  Her video is embedded below as well.

What other little tips and tricks would help you out as you begin this new school year? 

Setting up Right Click on a Mac

When my school switched over to Macs a few years ago many people struggled to make the conversion from PC.  One thing that was a struggle was not having the right click that they were used to on their PCs.  After realizing that years later coworkers were still struggling with it I have made a short tutorial on how to set it up on your mac.  I hope this helps you out!

What other tips would you like me to share?

Spotlight to search your Mac

Have you ever went to look for a file but couldn't remember what you called it or where you saved it? You are going to love the Spotlight feature. Searching the spotlight will search your computer for apps, documents, images and other files. In addition, it also gives your suggestions based on other things, such as e-mail and your dictionary.

You find the spotlight in the top right corner of your mac. It looks like a magnifying glass.


Below is a screenshot that shows what it looks like when I searched for "periodic table".

How to temporarily make your Mac dock smaller

The next couple of posts will be a mini-series about quick tips for using your Mac computer.  If there is something that you've always wanted to know how to do, now's the time to ask!



If there is ever a time when the Mac dock is getting in your way then this tip is going to going to help you out!

On your dock look for the vertical line separating your dock. It is usually near your documents folder.





When you hover over it, your mouse turns into a line with arrows on each end. You can then click in drag your mouse up or down to enlarge or shrink your dock.