Keeping your students on 1 app

Apple has introduced Guided Access in iOS 6. It keeps your device in a single app and allows you to control which features are available.

Locking a mobile device into a single app has been a request of parents and educators for some time. Using Guided Access to limit an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to one app can be handy when you want a child to remain on task and focused. It is also nice for youngsters who might accidentally click the Home button.

To start Guided Access: 

1. Launch the Settings App.
2. Go to General and choose Accessibility.
3. Turn Guided Access On.
4. Set a passcode.
5. Launch the app you want lock the device into.
6. Triple-click the Home button.
7. You can choose to disable touch or motion in addition to disabling the Home and volume buttons.
8. Tap the Start button.

Thanks to Primary Possibilities for the image

To exit the app, triple-click the Home button and enter the Guided Access passcode.

iOS 6 is now available as a free upgrade for iPad 2, iPad 3rd generation, iPod touch 4th generation, and iPhone 3GS and newer.

Flipped Classrooms

In the secondary classrooms within Commerce ISD, we are using our technology to shift the focus from teachers being the lecturer to becoming a facilitator of learning. This includes using the resources available to flip our classrooms. The "flipped classroom" is a buzz word that is gaining focus in the ed tech world and it can sound scary to the novice tech teacher. I created this Prezi to help introduce the concept to our teachers and clarify any misconceptions. I hope that it intrigued our teachers to try the model!