OS X Mavericks: Transfer files between two Macs using target disk mode

Just a quick post today on something I needed to do. You can use a Thunderbolt cable (not cheap) to transfer files between two Macs.

In my case, the WiFi connection on the Macbook was not functioning well and I need to transfer several GB of data over, I did however have a Thunderbolt cable.

Use this method on Apple’s Support site. It works on Mountain Lion as well.

5.3 GB in about 15 seconds

iPads Improve Classroom Learning, Study Finds

Just how big is the universe, how small is an atom, and how long have we humans lived on Earth, compared with dinosaurs? Such answers are better learned with an iPad, according to a new study that shows just how tablets tap neurocognitive abilities that help students understand enormous scale and other difficult concepts.

Students saw learning gains after as little as 20 minutes of study on the iPad, the research found, and if supported with guidance from an instructor their improvement may have been even more pronounced, the scientists suggest. “The bottom line is that these iPads and similar tools actually do make a difference,” said physicist Matthew Schneps, a founding member of the Science Education Department at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts.

It’s great to see studies like this being done. I don’t find the results surprising, but what it does show is that the new technologies we have available today, need to be used in different and innovative ways. As stated in this article, educators cannot just simply take paper based textbooks and place them on a tablet and hope that improves student results.

Read the full article here

 

iPads in schools: The right way to do it

So Macworld talked to several experienced hands about the best way for schools to transition to tablets, guidance that Los Angeles officials might consider as they plot a new path forward.

In many schools, iPads arrived in classrooms only after a planning process that spanned three or more years.

Some educators, experts say, have been willing to start buying tablets simply for the “shiny new toy factor,” without first figuring out how they’ll fit into the curriculum.

As much as Apple use the word “Magical” whenever they can, to describe their products, one cannot expect an iPad deployed in a classroom to magically just change the environment for the better.

It’s all about evaluating what the school is going to use the device for and therefor what applications and content need to be available on the device. What you will discover is that the partner you find to develop your iPad content is where you will see the device really shine.

As stated in this article it’s not just taking paper text books and making them electronic, it’s about embracing a new chapter in the digital age. Let us not forget that children are the adults of tomorrow, we should teach them now how to exist in that digital age.

Read the full Macworld article here

iPad education faces crossroads

An ambitious attempt to integrate digitised based material into the the Los Angeles Unified School District ended in the confiscation of  2100 iPads from their students who misused the devices outside the academic context. The South African Basic Education department faces the same challenges if they do not re-evaluate their overzealous attempt to jump on the same bandwagon.

The introduction of iPads in the classrooms of South Africa, yields great concern, when acquiring expensive material is prioritised over recruiting and retaining a solid teaching support network.

An overview of how iPads are being used to enhance learning, encourage engagement and motivate South African learners.


Read the full article here

Apple’s record quarter in education: iPad has 94% of tablet market

Apple had its best quarter ever in education, CEO Tim Cook said today on the company’s quarterly earnings call. That includes the companies highest sales ever, and a 94 percent tablet market share for iPad.

A 94 percent share of the education tablet market is good for Apple, but is it good for education? As the saying goes, “there is nothing like good competition”. I think Apple needs some competition in this space, but that is easier said than done. A good tool for education is about the hardware and the software, something Apple controls entirely with its iPad and iOS, as well as creating a thriving app developer community.

If Google, as the most likely form of competition is to grab some of that market share, they will need to create a viable education hardware and software eco system to do that.

“We do see Chromebooks in some places,” Tim Cook admitted. “But the vast majority of people are buying PCs, Macs, or an iPad. Our share of tablets in education is 94 percent … which is sort of unheard of. I’ve never seen that kind of market share before.”

As some schools in the USA are finding out the hard way, you can not simply put an iPad in the hands of every student and hope they get a better education.

Read the full article here

Apple Giving iOS Devs Free Copies of OS X Server to Promote Xcode’s Continuous Integration

Apple today sent out emails to iOS developers, promoting Xcode’s continuous integration feature and offering free copies of OS X Server, which is normally priced at $19.99. OS X Server, which was just updated to version 3.0, is provided for free for Mac developers.

Read the full article here

Madison school (USA) seeks to avoid controversies associated with iPad usage

Sandburg Elementary School principal Brett Wilfrid has heard the rap on iPads in schools and he says success in using the technology in classrooms lies in careful consideration for how they are used.

The school on Madison’s far east-side has been working over the past three years to put an iPad in the hands of virtually every student between second and fifth grades, as well as each staff member, becoming a leader in adoption of technology in the Madison Metropolitan School District.

We have no doubt that tablets will be the future in education. But simply equipping students with the technology is not enough, the school needs to have a well thought out plan for how they plan to use the devices.
“We want Sandburg to be a place where we pride ourselves on providing 21st century education with all students having access to excellent technology that prepares them for a future in the workplace and teaches them responsibility to use it well,” Wilfrid said in a recent interview.
It’s all about the apps, get those right and there will be good results. It’s also not about one killer app, the best idea is to use a suite of apps, even from different vendors, addressing specific needs. As you move forward so those needs will change, so be flexible in changing the technology, hardware or software.
Read the original article here

 

FileMaker Partners with Multishoring.info to Meet Growing Demand for Custom Business Solutions

Multishoring.info (Poland) will offer custom business solutions built using the FileMaker platform in a nearshoring and offshoring model. The services will be available to both FileMaker Business Alliance members who require additional cost-effective developers and directly to FileMaker customers.

Nice to see a growing demand for this development platform. Looks like we will have to set-up an offshore development location at Mobitek Studio in South Africa.
Read the full story here

 

Community Unit School District 300 (Chicago – Illinois – USA) expands their use of iPads in new courses

The district is looking at expanding some of its existing programs — including the use of iPads in the classroom, according to Ben Churchill, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning for high school.
“We imagine a world in which every kid has an iPad. We don’t want to go too quickly. We’re taking a more slow approach,” he said.
The article highlights some new courses the district plans to introduce such as Robotics, Video Production and programs for cosmeticians
“That sort of real-world learning would be a lot more challenging without the iPads,”
Read the full article here