I learned some other important things today:

1. Before purchasing an app, we need to consider the capabilities, the cost, potential time saving, and the value of the learning experience.

2. We also need to consider if there are alternative ways of doing the same thing for free.

Working my way down my list I found that iTeachPhysics app is pretty much useless. No quizzes, tutorials, or anything that would engage a student in learning. So the value of the learning experience is negligible as are the capabilities.

I downloaded iExploriments: Electricity-Simple Electric Circuits. It was fun to play around with, and I found myself thinking that it’s a grade school app that high school students could also gain some benefit from. Then I had a wonderful insight:

There are far better free circuit simulations available on websites. For example:

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/research

http://www.compadre.org/osp/

http://www.theuniverseandmore.com/

http://selene.cet.edu/

http://www.falstad.com/ripple/

Why spend money on simulation apps? Now I can cross off all of the simulation apps from my list.

The only problem is that the iPad does not support Flash or Java and cannot access any of these wonderful simulations YET. Let’s hope that these wonderful people who created these simulations will move them to HTML 5. In the meantime I will need to reserve the computer lab instead of the iPad cart when we do simulations.

I learned some important things today:

1. Before purchasing an app, we need to consider the capabilities, the cost, potential time saving, and the value of the learning experience.

2. We also need to consider if there are alternative ways of doing the same thing for free.

Video analysis is a $4.99 app by Vernier available for the iPad. I used my iPad today to record a ping pong ball rolling across the carpet in my living room and coming to a stop.

Below you see the screen shot of the Graphical Analysis on the iPad:

Below you see the screen shots of the Logger Pro analysis on the computer:

It only took a few moments to connect the iPad to my computer and then do the video analysis on Logger Pro.

The analysis capabilities in Logger Pro are far more robust than Graphical Analysis on the iPad. You may not agree, but I think it also delivers more educational value.

Everyone has a different situation, but for me I could not justify the cost of the Graphical Analysis package for the iPad (even with Vernier's wonderful educational discount package) because we already have Logger Pro installed on all of my students' computers and on all of the analysis computers at our school.

I learned some important things today:

1. Before purchasing an app, we need to consider the capabilities, the cost, potential time saving, and the value of the learning experience.

2. We also need to consider if there are alternative ways of doing the same thing for free.
Tomorrow I want to develop this theme a little more.

So long for now.

 

I have convinced myself that the iPad is a tool that can improve my productivity and teaching.

Now I want to explore how/if it can improve my students understanding of physics. There are two categories that I'm going to explore:

1. Can the iPad do as well or better in what we presently do with computers? NO
2. Can the iPad enhance what we are doing by providing new capabilities? YES

I'll start with the first question:

1. Can the iPad do as well or better in what we presently do with computers? NO

In physics students use the computer to aquire data from sensors or input manual data, analyze data (Logger Pro), create charts and graphs (Excel or Logger Pro), develop mathematical and graphical representations of their findings, and write lab reports (MS Word). Graphs from Logger Pro are cut and pasted into MS Word, and the student use the wordwrap function to move text around the charts to produce professional reports. I can now grade them electronically using iAnnotate. 

Students use their cell phones to photograph their raw date and lab set-up, merge these into the report, and submit it electronically via the school website. We sometimes make videos and do video analysis with Logger Pro.

 

A comparison of iPad apps and computer apps might look like:

 

Pages vs. MS Word

Graphical Analysis vs. Logger Pro

Video Analysis vs. Logger Pro

Numbers vs. Excel

Keynote vs. Power Point (for presentations)

 

I am not going down the path to install the iPad apps and spend time trying to make them do what we presently do with computers UNLESS someone can convince me that the iPad can do what we presently do with computers. I may be wrong, but when I look at the iPad apps I just don't think they are robust enough YET to do what we are presently doing with computers.

 

2. Can the iPad enhance what we are doing by providing new capabilities? YES

 

Apps that I have already investigated:

 

1. Clinometer - for measuring angles. Many students have this on their smartphones already, and we use this on a regular basis in physics. Probably useful in other courses (math, architecture, art, etc.).

 

2. FreqGen - for generating tones of specified frequencies. There are several sound and vibration experiments that can be done with this. This would eliminate the need to purchase electronic sound generators. Another physics teacher told me that this produces "gorgeous" results.

 

3. speedClock - measures the speed of moving objects. It works, but I need to spend more time with it.

 

4. Video Physics - Vernier's iPad app. It works, but not as robust as the Logger Pro version. Students can use the iPad to make videos and upload them to Logger Pro.

 

5. Acceleration - It produces a 3-axis display of instantaneous acceleration. When the iPad is dropped, the freefall acceleration changes from - 1 g to 0 g's. It might not be wise to have students do this experiment. Not sure what else it's good for. Open to suggestions.

 

6. Accel Pro - It produces a cvc file of 3-axis acceleration data. This might be very valuable for various experiments with acceleration. I need to spend more time with this.

 

Apps that are on my list to investigate include:

 

1. iTeachPhysics/Patron Technosoft India Private Ltd.

2. Building Parallel Circuits (Lite)/Sebit LLC

3. Exploriments:  Electricitty-Simple Electrical Circuites in Seriies, Parallel

4. Exploriments:  Weight, Mass and Force of Gravity—Effect of Altitude

5. Finger Physics HD Free/Press OK Entertainment

6. Gas Laws HD Lite/T.J. Fletcher

7. Kinetic Balls 2/Motin 9 Studios

8. Mechanices/Reflare

9. Physics 2 HD/Hanz Meyer

10. 3D Solar System Planets/AcnodeLabs

11. Solar Walk: 3D Solar System Model

12. Converter: units converter

13. Force Effect

14. Force Effect Motio
15. Clock
16. Camera Awesome

 

Other apps that sound interesting include:

123DMake, Accel, AcceleMon, Acceleration, Accelgraph, Accelmeter 3D, accGauge, AMagicTrick, Axelerom, Beats, Brake Meter, EMF Meter, Explore, Formulas, Fourier Touch, FouierSynthesizer, SpectrumView, GraphCalcPro , Illusions, iSpeedMeter, ITestSounder, Kinematics, Max_db_Time, NASA, NASA HIAD, Oscillator Free, pUniverse, Paper Physics, Photo ID, Physics Pro, Physiculator, QuadMaster, R Finder, Refractive, Resistor CAL, Tone Gen, VectorMett, Xperica, Compass, Concrete, EasyMeasure, HandyTape, HeightRange, iAngle Meter, iHandy Tool, Level, Level +, Magnifier, Measure!, Metal / EMF, Roll Ruler, TriangleRuler, AirPrint or Printer Pro (for printing to wireless printers), The Elements (beautiful, but pricey), Quizzam (online quizzes/review), Quizlet (review), Physics Regents Buddy.

 

If you have some experience with these please help me prioitize my investigations.

 

Some thoughts for AP physics people:

 

What do you get if you cross a giraffe with an elephant?
Giraffe elephant sine theta.

What do you get if you cross a mosquito with a mountain climber?
You can't cross a vector with a scaler.

How is Christianity like a vector?
It's a cross product.