iPad Resources

Updated 8-16-2023

 

Your iPad tips and tricks: How to make the most of your Apple iPad

1) Organize your Apps

iPad tips and tricks

(Image credit: Apple)

Are your apps sprawled over multiple Home Screens? Organize them into folders for like-minded apps and you can find what you want faster. You can even drag folders to your Dock for fast access to favorites, so for example we have Work and News folders in ours for our most-used apps. 

2. See what’s running

iPad tips and tricks (Image credit: Apple)

Swipe up from the Dock and you’ll see your recent apps with large thumbnails to make them easier to identify. You can close an app from here by swiping it upwards, or switch to an app by tapping on it.

 

3. Get complete control

iPad tips and tricks (Image credit: Apple)

Swipe down from the top right of the Home Screen to show Control Center, which has shortcuts for everyday tasks such as adjusting the brightness and volume, locking the screen orientation and so on.

 

4. Say NO to notifications

It seems like every app wants you to enable notifications, and some of them take advantage of your trust by blasting you with unwanted ads. Silence them by going onto Settings > Notifications where you can customize app notifications and silence specific apps.

 

5. Discover energy hogs

iPad tips and tricks (Image credit: Apple)

Use Settings > Battery to discover the health of your iPad’s battery and which apps are doing the most draining: in our screenshot a single game has accounted for 44% of our battery usage in the last 24 hours. This app list can help you identify apps that may be too demanding, or apps that are running in the background that you didn’t know about.

 

6. Take a screenshot

Press the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons (or the Power and Volume Up buttons if you don’t have a Home button) simultaneously and you’ll hear a click. The screenshot is automatically added to your Photos library but a thumbnail appears on screen for a moment: tap on that and you can edit it before saving or sharing it.

 

7. Control what apps do in the dark

iPad tips and tricks (Image credit: Apple)

Some apps like to do things in the background, which can be useful: for example it’s handy to have your newspaper ready to read when you turn on your iPad in the morning, or to have the current weather forecast in your widget. 

But background refresh could also mean apps using bandwidth and battery for no good reason, which isn’t ideal if you’re on a cellular connection. You can control which apps can use background refresh in Settings > General > Background App Refresh.


 

What If your keyboard is not syncing with your ipad?

Turn off your ipad. It should take care of the problem. If not- take the ipad out of the case and clean the inside of the case. Bring it to the Tech room if the problem still persists.

 

Is it OK to use a disinfectant on my iPad? 

Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe, 75 percent ethyl alcohol wipe, or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. Don't use products containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don't submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don't use on fabric or leather surfaces.

If you have any questions please bring it to room 214.

OVERVIEW OF THE IPAD AT GLIDDEN-RALSTON

  1. What is the iPad distribution schedule? iPads were distributed in the Fall, before school started. The iPads for students are collected at the end of the Spring semester and redistributed at the start of the Fall semester to students again. We try and make every student keep theirs from the previous year,.
  2. What's the purpose of the iPads? They are tools for learning, much like books, computers, and other classroom equipment and materials. They are available for use by all students and teachers, for all subjects. They permit teachers to teach in new ways, they allow some textbooks to be kept up-to-date in electronic form, and they are used by students to take state tests each Spring. They give our students general experience in regular use of computing devices, which they'll need to compete with other 21st century students. The specific software used in a classroom depends on the teacher, the curriculum, and our ongoing research into software choices.
  3. Will students take their iPads home? Yes for grades 7-12, as long as parent turned in the required forms. Students take their iPads to and from school in their backpacks.
  4. What comes with the iPad? Each iPad has a sturdy protective keyboard case, a connecting cable (called a "lightning cable"), an AC adapter for charging, and a logic Pen.
  5. When are they charged? They should be charged whenever needed for use at home. Although there are charging carts in homeroom classes for kids in grades PK-6th, iPads should be brought to school with a full charge each day. Leave chargers at home. Losing one will result in a $50 cost.
  6. When iPads go home, will students need Internet access at home? No. A student's iPad-based homework will be on the iPad and can be used without Internet access. Certain activities, such as viewing online videos or emailing a teacher, require Internet access over Wi-Fi but will not be required at home. The iPads do not have cell service.
  7. Can students use a home computer instead or their iPad at home? If they have a computer or tablet with Internet access at home, students can use them to access their stored documents, e.g., reports. If their homework requires use of a specific iPad app, they would need to use their iPad.
  8. Must a home computer be an Apple computer? No. Student documents are stored "in the cloud" and can be accessed from a web browser on a PC, Mac, or a tablet.
  9. How can student documents be on the iPad and in the cloud? The documents are automatically "synced" between the iPads and Apple's iCloud service whenever they have Internet access, meaning anytime students are at school.
  10. What's installed on the iPads? The iPads are pre-loaded with educational materials, other basic apps, and security software.  Teachers can add other software of their choice. Students may request educational software.
  11. What about students with disabilities? GR have always made accommodations for students with disabilities, and the use of iPads is expected to increase the opportunities for these students. For example, students with visual disabilities will be able to change the size of the text they are reading, change the contrast and background color, or use text-to-speech technology. If you have concerns about a particular student's abilities, talk to the student's counselor.
  12. Does GR have enough bandwidth for all these iPads? We installed wireless networking throughout the school in 2013-2014. Another upgrade before the 2017-2018 school year further increased our capacity. We anticipate another upgrade in the next few years.

SAFETY

  1. Are the iPads likely to be damaged? Not in routine use. They are in sturdy cases made of plastic and rubber. Each student should take care of his or her iPad, which is not likely to break through casual bumping or even accidental drops.
  2. What if an iPad gets lost or damaged? As with school books, lost or accidentally damaged iPads need to be brought to the attention of the Technology Department. Contact Kirk Thelin or Kellie Henderson asap. 
  3. What happens to lost or stolen iPads? The screen will say "Property of Glidden-Ralston when it's turned on and will not be able to access student data or be used in other ways.
  4. Will students be targets for theft? Because iPads are more expensive than other school supplies, they may be targets for theft, but a stolen iPad will be of no value to a thief once GR remotely disables it. For extra safety, students who are walking to or from school or riding public transportation are advised to leave their iPads in their backpacks rather than show them off in plain view.
  5. Can students go to inappropriate websites? Pre-installed software, which GR has improved since the first year of our 1:1 distribution, will prevent students from using iPads to reach non-educational websites. Students can watch educational videos at TeacherTube.com or KhanAcademy.org or Edmoto.com because the sites are "pre-filtered".
  6. Can students make purchases without our permission? No. 
  7. How do I know students will use the iPads appropriately? This is part of what students learn at GR and it relies on a combination of methods:
    • Automatic GR software restricts iPad access to purchases and inappropriate websites.
    • Students sign and must observe the GR Policies.
    • Our teachers instruct students in Digital Citizenship: online safety, privacy, anti-bullying, and more.
    • Parents can and should monitor their child's online activities. 

REMEMBER!!

  • Bring your iPad to school daily.
  • Charge your iPad every night so it's charged and ready for use when you bring it to school. 
  • Keep your name and homeroom on your lockscreen, for quick identification.
  • At school, use your iPad only during class periods. It should be off and put away before school, during passing periods, and during break and lunch.

IPAD SAFETY

  • When traveling to and from school, keep your iPad hidden in your backpack.
  • Keep your iPad safe and secure when it's at home.
  • Practice safety at all times.

IPAD RESPONSIBILITY

  • Your iPad is an educational device, so treat it with respect
  • Do not allow anyone to borrow your iPad. You are responsible for returning it at the end of the school year.
  • You are also responsible for your charger. You must return it at the end of the school year.
  • Keep your passwords secret except from your parents. This includes 4-digit security codes, email passwords, Apple ID passwords, and any other passwords you have.

APPROPRIATE IPAD CONTENT

  • Practice good digital citizenship by using your iPad only for educational purposes.
  • Apps (software) should be downloaded to an iPad only at the direction of a teacher.
  • Do not download, create, send, post, or share any inappropriate content:        
    • No hate messages.
    • No disparaging words against any ethnic group, religion, race, sexual orientation, or person.
    • No content which would offend a group or person.
    • No offensive pictures.
    • No content that you'd be embarrassed for a parent or teacher to see.

 


Gmail Information

What is G Suite?

G Suites is a suite of web-based messaging and collaboration applications that Google hosts on their servers. Google provides these applications as a service rather than as software you must download and install. To access these applications, you simply use a web browser on any computer that's connected to the Internet. 

How is G Suite @ Glidden-Ralston (GAFE) different from Google's public offering (Gmail)?

Google Apps @ Glidden-Ralston are the same Google products but they are offered as Google Apps for Education.  Google provides the services to us, and we are the owner and administrator of the accounts and data.  In some cases, new features and product updates are not immediately available in Google Apps for Education.

What does G Suite @ Glidden-Ralston include?

Google Email, Calendar,  Drive, Google Sites, Classroom and many more!