Travis Allen's Blog

As I am sure everybody knows, Apple showed us the long rumored "iPad" yesterday.

I can't quite express how amazed I was when I saw this. As my team and I watched the following video, we were excited with the technological and educational possibilities that the iPad presents.

As John Ive said "I don't have to change myself to fit the product, it fits me." I'm looking forward to exploring this myself and truly seeing how versatile it is.

The little details are what really caught my attention, even something as small as how the album springs to life at the touch of a finger.

What I am really looking forward to though, are the new and creative ways people will use this technology. For example, the applications. The calendar has been completely redesigned into something that looks to be an easy-to-use, highly graphic agenda. I believe the iPad will change peoples' opinion of mobile devices and applications, from thinking of them as a gaming, music and video platform, to a fully capable device with amazing unrealized potential and the tools to educate.

Imagine easy to read textbooks, interactive assignments, accessible lectures, notes and video straight to your iPad, and paperless schools.I can't wait to see what new and improved educational applications this device will bring.

To the best of our ability, we are going to research the full potential the iPad will bring to the classroom. What works, what doesn't work, what can be improved, and problems schools may run into. As we gather this information, we will constantly be providing tools for schools, students and app developers to collaborate with each other and learn the best ways of implementing this technology.

-----

As with any new device, there are critics. Many people have commented that it is just an over-sized iPhone, but I personally don't think they see the real value of the iPad and its use of apps. The larger screen opens a new gateway for educators to explore, making learning more involved and easier than ever.

Comments and opinions are appreciated.

Today, I have two new apps for you that allow you to do just that! You can explore the galaxy, or, if you think you might feel homesick, your own home planet!

I can't exactly take credit for finding this one. It was, in fact, my girlfriend, Hannah Mitchell. Hannah is a bit...lost when it comes to geography. So, in order to avoid my constant jabs at her lack of geographical know-how, she turned to her iPod Touch.

Via the App Store, she found GeoMaster, which makes learning geography into a timed, competitive game. GeoMaster calculates your time. The more accurate you are, the better your time will be.

Before long, she was flying through the game and could locate more countries, cities and states than I could! Me being a competitive soul, this didn't sit well, so I set about using GeoMaster to sharpen my map skills as well.

This app is for those of us that feel the need to travel a bit beyond our atmosphere. With the touch of a finger, you can be zooming your way through the galaxy in an instant. The intuitive controls and awesome sound effects make this app a must have.

When you click on a planet, you have a wealth of information at your fingertips, ranging from surface temperature to the planet's radius compared to the Earth's.

And for some of our even more adventurous travelers, you can even travel through time. Star Walk allows you to see the position of the planets and phases of the moon at any point of time in the past, as well as hundreds of years in the future.

Happy travels!