Using Apple’s Family Sharing to Keep Your Family In Sync

The best software updates make our lives easier. Family Sharing on Apple devices is a feature that improves the process of approving purchases, sharing that purchased content with your family, and keeping the whole family in sync with calendars and reminders. Many parents may not be aware that Apple has made it very easy to set up a Family Sharing plan for any device using iOS 8 or higher such as iPhones, iPods, and iPads.

Family Sharing allows you to approve all purchases from the App Store and iTunes, track where your children are located using Find My Friends, and help find lost devices using Find my iPhone. It also allows you to create a family calendar, reminder list, and family photo album.

To set up Family Sharing, simply go to Settings on your device, select iCloud, select Set Up Family Sharing, and click Get Started. 

One family member will be the coordinator of the family. This person is known as the Family Organizer. Your family can consist of up to five members in the Family Sharing plan. 

You have the option to share purchases with up to five Apple IDs in your family. Family members will be able to view and download your purchased music, movies, TV shows, books, and apps. Please note for Family Sharing, you must have a valid method of payment on file.

Once your payment information is entered, you can add family members. If your child doesn’t have an Apple ID, you can click the link that says Create an Apple ID for a child. When you invite a family member, they will receive an email informing them that you have invited them to Family Sharing. They click View Invitation and it will immediately open their iCloud settings and ask if they want to accept the Family Sharing invitation.  When they accept, they become part of the family and can share apps. You will receive a notification on your device when family members accept your invitation.

Ask to Buy

With the Ask To Buy feature, parents can approve all purchases for children under 18.  Approving apps and movies allows you to know exactly what is being downloaded on your child’s device. If you don’t want the app he requests to install, you decline it. Nothing can be installed without your approval! The child sees a popup in the App Store with a link to ask to purchase the app. On your device, you will receive a request pop up when your child asks to get an app. 

Please note most apps are compatible for Family Sharing, but In-App purchases are not allowed in Family Sharing. In-App purchases are extra features within the app that cost money.  When you view the description of an app in the App Store, there is a Family Sharing label that says Yes if it allows other family members to download the app. 

If you want to see what your family members have purchased or to download their purchases, go to the Purchased section in the App Store, iBooks or iTunes. 

Location Sharing

You can choose to share your location with your family in the Family Sharing setup as well. This allows family members to see the location of your devices in Find my Friends. Once it is set up, you can ask Siri, “where is my son?” and your iPhone will show you!  way to check up on your children to make sure they arrived at their destination. 

Share a Family Calendar and To-Do List

If you choose to set up a family calendar, all family members can view the calendar and receive notifications when something changes or when something is added to the calendar. It’s a great way for the entire family to see what appointments, practices, and special events are coming up. 

Family Photo Album

A family photo album is set up automatically in the Photos app on devices on your family plan. Everyone can add pictures and video to the album. When items are added, the family is notified there is something new in the album. If you have grandparents with Apple devices, you can also create and share a family photo album with them.

With more and more students getting devices, we encourage you to set up Family Sharing, if your children are on Apple devices. Stay involved and know what they are listening to and what apps they are using. All of these options help make sharing content within your family easier. It’s a great way to stay informed with what your children are using on their devices.

Visit iMore.com for a great guide to setting up and using Family Sharing.

Seesaw app

If you want online journals for your students, I encourage you to try out the Seesaw app. It is a great free app that allows students to a photo, video,  or drawing of their work to post online to their journal page. We wanted students to be able to record a video of them solving a math problem on their iPad while they explain what they are doing. Seesaw doesn't have this capability, but we decided to app smash (use more than one app for a project) and used Explain Everything ($2.99) for them to create the video. Students saved the video from Explain Everything to the camera roll, then imported that to their journal page on Seesaw. Teachers can decide if they approve each post by students.

Parents can download the app and receive an update any time their child's work is published. Parents can only see their child's work. Teachers and parent can leave comments on each post and each post has a "like" button.

I encourage you to check it out! We just set up a 2nd grade class on it today and can't wait to get started! Below is a quick 90 second video with more explanation about this fantastic app!

They have also created some teacher resources here.

Senior Kindergarten "I am Thankful" Project

Wow! It's been a while since I've blogged!

Recently, I worked with 7 SK boys on an "I am Thankful" project. We used the iPads to create pictures using the Doodle Buddy app. The boys (I work at an all boy school) drew three or four pictures and saved them to the photo album.

We then opened the Shadow Puppet EDU app. If you don't have this app, you need it! It's free! The boys selected their pictures and resized them by pinching their fingers together (how easy is that?).
Then, after I modeled how to record their voice, they went to different areas of the room (to help with sound), and recorded what they were thankful for on each picture.
I didn't have the boys write down what they were going to say...I was very impressed with their descriptions on each picture.

To say they were excited is an understatement! Once they saved their recordings, many of them figured out how to play them back while I was helping other students. Their faces lit up while they smiled and some even squealed with delight!

We have a Kindergarten blog using Kidblog, so I copied the link on each iPad, went to the website and them copied the HTML code to paste into the boys' blog posts.

The Kindergarten teachers sent emails to parents to let them know about the project. Many parents left a comment on their son's blog. Teachers and administrators also left comments.

Below is a sample of one of the finished projects. You can also use this link to view other posts. Feel free to leave a comment! Our boys love to read them!


We also used the ShadowPuppet app with 2nd graders to sequence stories. Here is a sample of that project.

Smilebox Reminder

Teachers, don't forget you get a free smilebox premium account. Create slideshows, cards, newsletters, and more with this great application! Here is my Christmas card from this year to give you an idea of how cute your creations can be!

This ecard generated with Smilebox

Thanksgiving Word Cloud

Here is a family or class activity for Thanksgiving...
Have each person list 3-5 things they are thankful for this year.
Go to http://www.wordle.net/create and type in everyone's answers (if the answer has more than one word and needs to stay together,

 put a ~ in between the words like my~dog).
Enter 2012 THREE times in the list to make it larger. (the more times you enter a word, the larger it is in the word cloud). Make sure words that are the same are typed the same like Family not family (capitals matter!)
Click Go.
Print out the word cloud and save it for each year. Compare/discuss what your family values. 

National Mock Election for Students

In 2008, our school participated in National Mock Election for students. We used laptops set up as voting booths and students came with their class to vote for President. We are going to be doing this again this year for the 2012 Presidential Election. Voting via this website takes place Oct. 25-Nov. 1. It's very easy to register to set up your class or your school. There are resources for educators as well as I Voted stickers that can be printed on Avery labels.
Help your students learn more about the voting process and this election by participating this year!

Printing from your iPad or iPhone

This application runs on a mac computer and will allow any networked printer to be used from an iPad or iPhone. It's a great deal for $20! We use it at my school and you can select what networked printers you want to use to print from iOS devices. You just need to run the application from a computer that is always on.
It's called Printopia and here is the website.
I highly recommend it if you are wanting to print from an iOS device without purchasing a new printer.

Free Apps (8-16-12)

My Story is free for a limited time-get it QUICK! Great storytelling app for the iPad.

Marble Math and Shake-a-Phrase are going free on Friday, Aug. 17 ONLY! Marble Math is for ages 8-12 and Shake-a-Phrase is for ages 8+.

Twist Carnival is free for limited time. 4.5 star rating. Rotate pieces of candy to fill the candy jar in this matching game.

VS. Racing is free for limited time. Arcade racing game. 4.5 star rating.

Silent Film Director is free for limited time. 4 star rating. Allows you to create short silent films with a variety of video effects.

iBlast Moki 2 HD app is free for limited time. 4.5 star rating. Physics based puzzle game.

8-10-12 Free Apps (limited time)

*Please note these are not free forever....please check price before purchasing. I am not updating posts as the free time limit expires.

Free iOS math apps for young math learners (FREE TODAY ONLY):
http://www.kidcapsuleapp.com/fb/appFridayGrid.php?promo=appFriday_2012_08_10

Free apps from today's update of AppsGoneFree:

3D Rollercoaster Rush
Arcade type game on high speed roller coaster tracks. 4 star rating. Free for limited time. (iPhone only)

Pinch n Pop!
Matching type game-combine "squirms" to control their population. 2.5 star rating. Free for limited time. (iPhone only)

Scrap It! Baby Years HD
Digital scrapbook app for iPad only includes lots of stickers, paper styles, ribbons, letters and numbers, and more... Free for limited time. 5 star rating.

NxtApps 4 Kids
Educational game to help your child practice basic math. Free for limited time. 4.5 star rating.

SunrizerXS Synth
A Virtual analog synthesizer with lots of features. Free for limited time. 5 star rating. (iPhone only)

Tapsteroids
Protect your space ships from asteroids in this arcade type game. Free for limited time. 4 star rating. (iPhone only)

Megacity HD
Challenging logic puzzle game where you build a Megacity. Free for limited time. 4.5 star rating.

Rat on a Scooter
Great name, huh? :) Distance game-help your rat jump different distances. Four modes of the game. Free for limited time. 3.5 star rating.

Parachute
Navigate a teddy bear through caves in this arcade type game. Free for limited time. 3.5 star rating.

Monkey Flight
Sling monkeys through the air to collect fruit in this arcade type game. Free for limited time. 3.5 star rating.

8-9-12 Free Apps (limited time)

I recently downloaded an app called AppsGoneFree and I love it! (see previous post) Every day, it gives you a list of apps that are free for that day or for a limited time. I started posting these on Facebook and twitter and my friends enjoyed it, but I started thinking not everyone wanted 5-7 updates of free apps every day...so I am going to try to post them in a blog and for those interested, they can check the blog post rather than me jam up their Facebook page or twitter feed.

*Please note these are not free forever....please check price before purchasing. I am not updating posts as the free time limit expires.

Free apps from today and yesterday's update:

Centipede: Origins
This is an updated version of Atari's classic arcade game, Centipede. Free for limited time. 4 star rating.

Kayak Pro
Travel app-compare flight, hotel, and car rental deals. Free for limited time. 4 star rating.

Dream Machine Pro
App determines when to play sounds based on your sleep patterns.  Free for limited time. 3.5 star rating. (iPhone only)

Doodle Notes
Arcade game where you tap notes to make music. Tap the notes before they exit. Free for limited time. 4.5 star rating. (iPhone only)

Chasing Yello
Arcade type game-jump over logs, rocks, and collect stars to power-up. Free for limited time. 4.5 star rating.

Signature for PDF
App allows you to add text or your signature of PDF files. Free for limited time. 3.5 star rating.
(iPhone only)

Hungry Turtle for iPad
Hungry Turtle for iPhone
Physics-based puzzle game where you try to feed the hungry turtle. Free for limited time. 4.5 star rating.

Flip Movies
Add a flip book effect to videos with this app. Free for limited time. 3.5 star rating. (iPhone only)

Follow the Rabbit
Puzzle game where you try to collect coins dropped by the rabbit. Free for limited time. 4.5 star rating.

About Time-time tracker
Keep track of your day with this productivity app. Free for limited time. (iPhone only)

Flight!
Paper airplane game which includes challenges. Free for limited time. 5 star rating. 

Free Apps!

Who doesn't love free apps for your iPod, iPhone, or iPad? With limited budgets in our school systems, anything we can get for free is always great! I recently stumbled across the AppsGoneFree app and love it! Each day, it lists apps that are free for that day or for a limited time. I check it every day and there are great apps going free regularly. Some are educational, some are photo apps, some are games, but you can check them out and only get the ones you think you will use (or your students will use!)
I have started posting on Facebook and Twitter the apps that are free and include the link from iTunes to share with my friends and PLN when I know about free apps. I've had lots of comments telling me they look forward to my free app alerts, so if you do this, I encourage you to SHARE AWAY!

innovatEd Event (FREE and online)

innovatEd is a professional development opportunity for educators on Thursday, April 19 from 5:00-8:00pm at Presbyterian Day School in Memphis, TN.  We are hoping for a great turnout from Memphis area educators, but all sessions will be streamed live, so no matter where you live, you can benefit from this event!

There are already over 100 people registered to attend, so we have five presentation rooms during each time slot. Presentations will be posted by early April...we are close to having that finished.

This event is being sponsored by MAIS-TEC (Memphis Area Independent Schools Technology group.) A great team of individuals is We wanted to provide a professional development opportunity for teachers in Memphis and around the world. The focus is innovation in education....what can we do in our classrooms to keep the students engaged and interested while covering our curriculum.

Presentations will be 15 minutes long. There will be people skyped in to present as well as live presenters. We still have about 3 sessions to fill if you are interested in presenting.  Click here to fill out the presenting proposal form.

We hope you will tune in online or join us if you live in the Memphis area. If you live in Memphis, a pizza dinner will be provided by MAIS-TEC from 4:30-4:55 during registration.

ScribblePress App

I want to tell you about my new favorite app for the iPad2...ScribblePress. It's basically an app where students can create a story and illustrate it. After creating it on the iPad, they can share it to the ScribblePress gallery online, email a link to their story, and share it to iBooks on the iPad2 they are using.

Students can create an original book or start from a template where they fill in the blanks in a story already created.  Once they fill in all the blanks, they then illustrate their story. Another neat feature is there is clipart they can use, lots of different marker colors and tip sizes, stamps, and they can even use the iPad2 camera to take a picture and include it in their book.

When I first downloaded the app, I was disappointed because students needed an email address to create an account. I contacted the company and shared with them that I work with 1st-3rd graders who didn't have email accounts. I mentioned sites like Kerpoof that allow teachers to set up an account and then create student user names and passwords so students can login without an email. The people at ScribblePress are amazing! Within a few days, they contacted me about helping Beta test their new groups feature. I was able to create an account and set up multiple classes. I created a student user name and password for each student.

I have used this with 1st and 3rd grade classes. They have all loved it and seeing the excitement on their faces to hear their book will be published on the bookshelf of the ScribblePress site is wonderful!

After the students finished their books, we emailed the link to the teacher and the teacher then forwarded it to the students' parents. When the parents click the link, they have the choice to read in browser or download it for iPad/iPhone, Nookcolor, or Literati/Kobo. Parents can also share on Facebook, Twitter, and email the link to others.

Here are links to a
1st grade class bookshelf (books made using a template),
3rd grade class bookshelf (books made using a template), and
3rd grade class bookshelf (books made from original stories).

I also think this would be a great way to "show the learning" at the end of a unit...students create a book sharing what they know (for example) about the Solar System.

If your students blog, copy the link and paste it into their blog post to share it with their followers.

One minor thing to note: if you are going to share the books to iBooks, I recommend only putting 3 sentences on each page to prevent text from being cut off the bottom of the page in iBooks. This isn't a problem if you are only reading the books online.

Give it a try...all of our teachers that have used it have LOVED this app!

Cool Photo App! GroupShot

I received an email today about GroupShot. It's in the app store for $.99-not a bad price, so I thought I'd share it on my blog with you. I usually try to blog about free apps and software, but thought less than $1.00 was worth mentioning! (Please note it is $.99 for a limited time, then will be $1.99).

Here is the description from their website:
"GroupShot solves a common problem faced in group photos, a person isn't facing the camera or has an expression that doesn't fit the rest of the photo. Usually we take several shots with the hope that one will be perfect. With GroupShot people can pick and choose the best photo of them and integrate it seamlessly into a new, high quality, original pixel level photo."

When you watch the video on their site, I think you will like what you see.
Basically, if you can't get everyone looking at the camera at the same time and take multiple shots, it will allow you to replace people's faces using their face from the photo that is best of them.
Watch the video...check it out...I just purchased it and it's so neat!

Symbaloo

Our classrooms all have laptop carts and I've been looking for a way to organize sites our students use on a regular basis. Through the power of twitter, I found Symbaloo.  Symbaloo is a simple start page that allows you to organize and access favorite sites on one page. It has a great look for kids (as well as adults). Symbaloo allows you to create various webmixes, so I created one for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades as well as a subject area for the main subjects. Our school uses Google Apps, so using Google Sites, I create a home page for each grade level. I made that page include the webmix with more general sites (our school homepage, AR, IXL, etc.) I then created a Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Keyboarding, and Just for Fun site for each grade level. Click here to see our 2nd grade example.
Symbaloo is very user friendly. You can increase or decrease the size of your webmix. You can personalize the icons for each individual square. You can add or delete sites on your webmix any time. You can also embed it in another site, email the link to anyone, keep it private, or share with the world. 
I have shared this with our teachers and they are excited about how easy it will be for their students to access web sites. We also plan on sharing the google site for each grade level with parents so they can make it their homepage on home computers.
Symbaloo is free, but there are paid accounts as well.  Check it out! I think you will be pleased.

Robotics Using Lego Mindstorms

I presented on Robotics Using Lego Mindstorms at the Martin Institute Summer Conference. Here is the link to my presentation. Also, click here for the conference wiki. Many presenters shared their slides and handouts on this wiki. Great stuff!

Newseum

Newseum is a great resource for social studies, government, and history classes. If you click on the Today's Front Pages link, you will see 760 front pages from newspapers in 76 countries. You can click on the image of a paper to view it larger. Not only are there today's front pages, but also archived pages and Top Ten (which shows the top 10 headlines from that day).
The Newseum keeps an archive of national and international front pages that chronicle events of historical significance....topics range from Super Bowl wins, natural disasters, weddings, elections, political events and more.
There is even an app for the iPhone and iPad!
Just a note, you probably want to preview the site before showing it live to students in case some of the headlines are controversial or inappropriate.

Flash Cards by Study Stack

EduTechSmith shared this via twitter this week, so I wanted to share it with you...
Study Stack is a great website to create virtual flash cards. You have to create a free account to use this site.
You can find flashcards to study or create your own flashcards. There are other activities such as matching, crosswords, hangman, scrambled words, and bug chase.
There is also an app to put on your iPod or cell phone to allow you to study flashcards anytime and any place. Flashcards can also be printed to use when studying.
I searched for several books that the students at our school read in class and most of them already had flash cards created for them that the students can use for reviewing vocabulary. If you don't like the standard cards that appear, scroll down to choose a different activity like the ones mentioned above.
Students do not have to be logged in to use flash cards that are already created.
Share this with your students...why have them create cards or struggle studying when these resources are already created for them? The parents and the students will be so happy you shared this with them!

Primary Wall

@plnaugle shared Primary Wall via twitter and after looking at it, I decided to share it on my blog.
This is a great resource that is super easy to use. As you can see above, it's a sticky note site to use with your students. Several of my teachers have used Wallwisher, but we've had some difficulty with them saving and loading, so we are always looking for similar sites.
Basically, you create a site, share the link with your students, and give them a question or something to comment about on a sticky note they create. One thing I like about Primary Wall is you don't have to approve each sticky (although that is a nice feature sometimes.)
This has lots of possibilities in the classroom. Have students post a sticky note on Monday morning about something they did over the weekend, have students post a sticky note on questions they may have during a lesson you are teaching-review their questions at the end of your teaching time, have students post a sticky note if they have a question about homework that can be discussed the following day. Those are just a few....if you use a site with sticky notes with your class, please post a comment to share you ideas with other educators!

Fakebook?

Let's face it, most students today have heard of Facebook....even my 5 year old daughter who will start kindergarten in August asks me if I am going to put her picture on Facebook and even my MOM is on Facebook.
Classtools.net is a great site with lots of tools for teachers to use with their students. One tool they recently created was Fakebook (and as their site states, NOT affiliated with Facebook or any other social networking site.) This is a great activity to use for students to create a Fakebook account for a character from a book, a person from history, or a biography report about someone.
Here is an example of William Shakespeare:

Fakebook allows teachers and students to create imaginary profile pages for study purposes. Use Fakebook to chart the plot of a book, the development of a character, a series of historical events, the debates and relationships between people, and more!
You can save your work and edit it later in case class time runs out!

If you have used this or plan to use it, please leave a comment with your lesson idea so we can learn from each other!