The Music Educator’s iPad Toolkit by Stefani Langol Berklee College of Music
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here has been a rapid uptake of iPads in education since its introduction to the mobile device market in March 2010. A recent article published on CNET News on September 4, 2012 (http://tinyurl. com/8bxuzpt) reports that “Apple’s iPad is outpacing traditional PCs in sales to students and schools for the first time ever.” Concurrently, the use of social media, cloud apps, mobile devices, and mobile apps is shifting the landscape of teaching and learning, providing teachers with many new ways to enrich their classrooms and curriculum. What makes the iPad so great for teaching? Although you can use an iPad to do some of the things you would normally use a laptop for, it really isn’t a substitute for a laptop or desktop computer; rather, it is an alternative to the standard computer. Aside from the fact that it is fun to use, the iPad is a seamless combination of lightness and portability, battery life, and stable operating system (iOS), with well over 200,000 avail able apps to choose from, many of which are free or very affordable. You’ve heard the phrase “there’s an app for that!” There are apps for just about any educational pur pose you can think of, from productivity, presentation, and organization, to compo sition, performance, and much more. The iPad boots up in a flash, is easy to use, can lay flat on a desk, upright on a piano, or at tach to a stand, and is highly customizable. So, what are some things that can help with the implementation of an iPad in the music classroom, and what are some practical ap plications? Useful Accessories The iPad has many third-party accessories. Among them are a few accessories that can add to the iPad’s usability and functionality in the classroom. Here are some that I think make a teacher’s iPad life a little easier:
Case
It’s important to protect your iPad investment with a good case. Apple’s Smart Cover protects the screen, but it’s also a good idea to get a back cover. There are many options for iPad cases—front and back covers, portfolio style cases, shells, sleeves, jackets, all with many designs and colors. Keyboard
Sometimes it is awkward or too slow to type on the iPad’s virtual keyboard. There are many wireless and Bluetooth keyboard options available, many with a case, that make adding text to any kind of writing app flow with more speed and better accuracy. The one caveat is that Bluetooth connections can drain an iPad’s battery life. Good companies to consider when looking for an iPad keyboard are Apple, Zagg, Logitech, and Belkin. iPad Stand
It’s very handy to have a tabletop stand for hands-free portrait or landscape viewing. In addition, you can get a microphone stand adapter, which is terrific when you are using your iPad to view scores. There are many options for iPad stands. Just Google “iPad stands” and you’re bound to find one you like. As far as a microphone stand adapter, I highly recommend the IK Multimedia’s iKlip. Hand Strap
Hand straps are great when you need to hold an iPad with one hand. They are particularly useful when using the iPad and a virtual instrument app for performance when you need one hand for holding the iPad, and one hand for interacting with the app. Search for “iPad hand strap” and, again, you will find many options. If you happen to live near a store called Five Below, you will be able to find a great hand strap in their mobile device accessory section for $5.00. Stylus
Using your fingers is part of the iPad experience. However, sometimes more preciTEMPO 32
sion and control is needed. The Studio Neat Cosmonaut and Adonit Jot Pro are both good choices, but individual taste will dictate what kind of stylus works best for you. iPad Camera Connection Kit
This kit comes with two adapters. One allows you to connect a USB device, such as a digital camera or a MIDI keyboard, to the iPad. The other allows you to connect an SD card reader to the iPad. This is a very useful accessory, especially if you want to do any recording using a MIDI keyboard with GarageBand or other MIDI recording apps. VGA Adapter: This adapter allows you to connect an iPad to an LCD projector. PageFlip Cicada
If you have a lot of music scores stored as PDFs that you want to use with your iPad, the Page-Flip Cicada is an essential add-on. It is a Bluetooth foot pedal that lets you turn pages in PDFs and iBooks. Projection The more you discover how the iPad can support your teaching, the more you will find it necessary to display your iPad’s screen to the class. It’s easy to pair your iPad with a TV, projector, or computer if you have the correct equipment and/or apps. There are several ways to do this. Here are three common scenarios: Using a VGA Adapter
This method tethers the iPad to the projector, so it works best if you do not need to be moving around with the iPad while you are presenting. To use it you simply hook up the VGA adapter to the iPad and the projector. There are some limitations to this method. First, it does not work with the original iPad, only iPad 2 and the new iPad. In addition, it does not carry audio, so you will need a separate audio cable that runs from the iPad to the classroom audio system. MARCH 2013