Numbers on the iPad — Working with a music library

As I continue to work through the music library at my new school (I do so from 9pm-12pm, as that is when my family is asleep and I can be gone without bothering anyone…although I certainly have been bringing music home to work with, influencing my family time), I am updating the spreadsheet of the music library.  Certain parts of the music library are highly accurate…others are not.  It seems that the previous two directors (before the most recent director) basically worked out of specific file cabinets.  One teacher, who had over 20 years at the school, seemed to work out of four cabinets, and another teacher who was there about five years worked out of a single cabinet.  The music selections in these cabinets are generally very organized and in good shape.  Unfortunately, there are 13 filing cabinets in all.  The first six filing cabinets (before the “preferred” cabinets) had been organized at some point in the past–with some issues.  At this point, I have four filing cabinets to go…one is a “preferred” cabinet, and the other three are going to be a nightmare to work with.

As I work through the cabinets, I am reordering the numbers (a spreadsheet eliminates the need for separate libraries for SA, SSA, SAB, and SATB music (there is no TB or TBB music in this library, as far as I can tell) for every piece, and recording other data, such as title, voicing, composer, arranger, publisher, publisher number, original cost, year of copyright, genre, musical period, and number of copies.

I’m doing all of this with Numbers for iPad.  I realized the other day that I don’t even have Numbers for my personal MacBook.

I am actually going through each cabinet in order, taking a single copy (as clean as possible) for each song, making sure that I get each title in the library–and add when a title exists that isn’t listed (this is happening quite a bit).  When I bring the single copies home, I enter all the data (most songs just have the title and a composer or arranger, plus voicing), then cut all the spines of the music and then scan them with my Canon P-150 scanner.

After I know the library spreadsheet is correct, I am printing labels for each folder of music, which has the new number, voicing, and title.

I have not found a way to make Pages easily print labels, so I am reverting to Word…I send the Numbers for iPad file to my e-mail as an Excel file, which I open with a template I’ve made with Word.  Then I print labels.  I have even put the school logo on each label (I like small details like this…and wish I would have done so at my old job).

If anyone knows an easy way to make labels from a data file on the iPad, let me know…as far as I know, you can’t do this (yet)…and even Pages has some issues with label templates.

Now, here’s the piece that amazes me that I’d like to share this evening.  I didn’t realize that Numbers for iPad has a ridiculously easy-to-use form feature.  Spreadsheets can be intimidating things…and it is easy to lose your place on a file, even with alternating colors of each row.  Forms allow you to see/work with the data for one row at a time, using column headings as fields.  I didn’t even realize this feature was available until this evening.  So, as of tomorrow (I was at my new school this evening, getting another large stack of music to work through over the next few days) I will be entering data using the forms feature.

To learn more about the Form feature on Numbers for iPad, MacMost has a good summary video of the feature:
http://macmost.com/creating-forms-in-ipad-numbers.html

(Note: an iPad keyboard is recommended if you are going to be doing a lot of data entry in Numbers for the iPad)

Scanning Again

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I have decided to move from my high school position to a middle school position in my district (we have strong bidding rights based on seniority). Part of the decision to move is based on the fact that every student at my new school will have an iPad next year.

Rather ironically, I am moving from the newest building in the district to the oldest building in the district.

Four other schools (and possibly a 5th) are also going all-iPad, one high school (my former former [yes, two formers] high school position), three elementary schools, and perhaps one other middle school.

I leave my highly organized, highly structured environment that I built from scratch at my old high school position to a middle school position where the entire room is in need of a lot of work.

This includes the middle school music library, which is in complete disarray. It looks like the library was in order at one point, but it now contains multiple numbering systems, skipped/missing numbers, and more. I need to digitize the library anyway–but my job this summer is not only scanning music, but completely re-working the storage of music, the music catalog itself, and physically taking inventory of each and every piece. This may sound like an unhappy chore to some people, but I love making order out of chaos. I've done this at two schools, and this will be my third. What is interesting is that as I scan, type into a spreadsheet, and print and apply labels, I am getting these scores ready for permanent storage. I am reticent to throw away any song, even if I know it will never be used or the copies are so worn that they could not be used again. Realistically, the next trip for most of the music–including the music I will buy over the next years–will eventually all find its way from storage to a recycling bin (once copyright is figured out with converting paper to digital–schools cannot afford to replace traditional libraries at a 1:1 cost).

My scanning process remains the same as what I did last year, and perhaps I'll go over that in another post.

What I wanted to talk about tonight is the interesting progression of music at a very old school, as well as the need to leave a musical legacy in the music you choose for your program, as someone else will inherit it someday.

So far, I've come across pieces from 1897 through 2000, nothing newer at this point (I will come across those pieces at the end of the library). I've finished work on about 1/3 of the library (450 pieces), but I won't know the correct number of titles until I have finished, as I have come across file folders full of pieces that seem not to be in the catalog.

Nearly all the pieces are still under copyright (1929 is a good year to use as a starting point), even though a huge percentage are permanently out of print and will never be sung again. I would say that of the first 450, about 25% are pop songs from the middle and late 1900s. Few are what I would consider “lasting classics,” and the former directors at this school seem to have had a love for the music of the Carpenters and Neil Diamond (and not even the songs from those artists that we would most know them for today). I also note that none of the songs have been purchased in a quantity (or remain in a quantity–extant) to supply an entire choir, particularly when our current 6th and 7th grade classes will have about 140 singers (rehearsing in different hours of the day).

As I catalog the title, composer, arranger, publisher, publisher number, year of copyright, original price, number of copies, genre, and musical period in my spreadsheet, I am also gaining valuable data to bring to our district curriculum director. Schools in our district are expected to buy music out of building capital or even booster funds…yet the music itself is our curriculum (*in secondary schools). If I can make a case that the majority of our songs were copyrighted in the mid 1900s, with many of those being “pop” songs, I might be able to obtain more funding for music for our school, and all the schools in our district.

I find it fun to be working with music that is so “old.” The least expensive piece was $0.12, the most expensive so far was $1.95. The going price of music today is $1.95–the most common price I have seen thus far is $0.30. It is fun to see the main arrangers of the day. We are used to seeing the names of Shaw, Huff, and Emerson–a generation earlier saw names like Lojeski, Leyden, Metis, Stickles, and Warnick. I was reminded today that there was a time that Hal Leonard was located in Winona, Minnesota (it is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin today).

But as I go through this music, I am realizing how much of the music will never, ever be used again. At my old high school, we had to buy a certain amount of pop music for our show choirs–and hopefully most of those songs are (or will become) standards that can be used again. Funding is so limited that it is important to make wise choices not only for your current choirs, but for choirs in your future. This, of course, applies to band music, too–but bands for the most part are a little more protected from the “pop” influence (marching band is another matter altogether).

I still have at least 900 titles to go through before I'm done with this project, and perhaps I'll find a lot more music that can be used today.

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Quick Take-Aways from the 2013 WWDC Keynote Address

Apple presented its annual WWDC Keynote address today, and I had the rare opportunity to watch most of it live on my Apple TV (I lost signal about six times during the presentation).

Some general thoughts:

1. I think iOS 7 looks great; I don’t get the angst in the media about it, especially since the media has been saying that iOS is stagnant and old.  You can’t have it both ways.

2. I fear that my trusty 2008 MacBook will not be able to upgrade to OS X 10.9 (Mavericks).  

3.  I was very happy to learn that iBooks…in textbook form…are coming to OS X 10.9

4.  As a person with a lot of apps, I like the idea that they will self-update.  The problem is when you have an app that you want to purposely leave as an old version (e.g. the old version of iCab which could download YouTube videos).

5.  AirDrop is going to be great…the question still exists: can you AirDrop between Mac and iPad?

6.  I love the idea of iTunes Radio, and as an iTunes Match subscriber, I love that it will be ad free.  Pretty amazing for $25 a year.

7.  One of my wish list items is still up in the air: can we finally write to the music storage on our iPads from other apps or mail?

8.  The other wish list item: will the next version of Keynote for iPad have annotation ability?

9.  iWork in the cloud: sounds wonderful.  If it is free to all iCloud subscribers, Google has an issue on their hands.  I always would wish to work on the better product and more importantly, the better looking and working product.

10.  New MacBook Air: I want a retina screen before I buy mine.  7 hours of standby time, or 10 hours?  Pretty amazing.  Can they put that same tech in the A7 processor for the 5th Generation iPad (and 2nd Generation iPad Mini)?

11.  New MacBook Pro: it looks fantastic.  I just have no need for such a machine.  Seriously…was it designed by aliens?

12.  A few companies are being put out of commission with some of the developments.  1 Password?  Doomed by Keychain in the Cloud.  Bump Technologies?  Doomed by AirDrop.

13.  I wish AirDrop could be made to work with all the iPad 2s that have been sold to education, where it would be a huge benefit.  In fact, it really should work with the iPad 3s.  I’ll probably drop a short note to Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, about it.

14.  I wish these updates were released before the school year started, but the timing suggests October or November.

15.  No iPad or iPhone this summer.  That’s okay.  It’s nice to own the latest and greatest for a few more weeks.

At any rate, a lot of interesting news today.  It’s a good time to be an Apple user!

The iPad is ideal for physical education

I am on record for my belief that notebook computers do not fit into “non-core” areas of education (granted, the 21st Century Skills list all of these activities as part of the core, but anyone in education knows how things stand).I came across a blog today (phyedtech.org) that addresses the use of technology in physical education, and one particular article about the iPad.

http://pyhsedtech.org/2012/11/17/ipad-is-right-for-pe/

The only thing missing in this article is a discussion of specific apps that can be used in physical education, such as Coaches' Eye or some of the many play-drawing apps (for football, basketball, etc).

School leaders and IT departments do harm to “non-core” areas when they make decisions about tech integration that are based on solely the needs of “core” areas.

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iPads and Chromebooks in 1:1 Deployments?

This evening, Erin Klein, a technology integration specialist I follow on Twitter (@KleinErin) posted this tweet, which is a link to THE JOURNAL and an article by Leila Meyer who discusses using both iPads and Chromebooks in a 1:1 deployment.

Debating iPads or Chromebooks for 1:1? Why not both? zite.to/11xXOkG

—
Erin Klein (@KleinErin) June 07, 2013

I find myself completely at odds with the article, having purchased both devices. Meyer’s article is based around two core beliefs:

1. iPads are better suited for younger students and subjects like math

2. Chromebooks are better suited for older students and subjects like English (i.e. kids write so much they need a keyboard–”Kids gotta type!”).

Let me summarize a few thoughts:

1. This approach ignores the many classes in which a Chromebook is basically useless (including music)
2. This approach believes that the number one role of a computer in secondary education is to write papers (this is NOT technology integration).
3. This approach believes that Google Docs are robust apps that are ideal for writing those papers (There are benefits and drawbacks to Google Docs)
4. This approach believes that other hardware features of the iPad are not necessary in secondary education (Cameras for iMovie and so on, not to mention the wide variety of apps)

I own a Chromebook.  I am writing this blog post on a Chromebook.  I think it is an ideal machine, particularly in school media centers, where the purpose of computers has been for research, writing, and making PowerPoints.  But the Chromebook is so limited as a browser-based system that its strengths lie only on the S (substitution) and A (augmentation) levels of the SAMR technology integration model.  It just isn’t a device that allows for higher level technology integration. And, for the most part, the only people that are buying Chromebooks are schools and individual users who just need a web browser…everyone else is buying iPads these days…quite literally everyone else.  So there is a chance that Google will eventually abandon these devices, as they have other services in the past.

Now, if a school wishes to use a combination of iPads and MacBooks, or iPads and Windows PCs…I’m fine with that and can see the argument about how the Mac/PC better prepares them for the business world (although businesses are buying plenty of iPads, too).  But I’d still argue that notebook computers are very hard to integrate into all subjects.  But to honestly say that iPads should be used in elementary and Chromebooks should be used in Secondary is really limiting what you can do with technology at the secondary level.

Okay…so that keyboard on the Chromebook helped your student write a ten page paper (how many ten page papers do you think your student writes in high school anyway?), but have you seen the interface and resulting documents from Google Docs?  Can you cite things to your school’s standards with Google Docs?  Furthermore, how is that 4 hour battery holding up in class?

And show me the creative projects your students are doing, such as videos (iMovie), musical compositions (GarageBand or Notion), or some of the interesting presentations they have created (Keynote, Haiku Deck, or Scrollshow).  How about the great notetaking apps where students can type notes, draw, or write notes by hand (Notability, Noteshelf)?

Do you see where I am going with this?

The answer, in my brain, is to go with iPad Minis at the elementary level (smaller users, smaller hands) and iPads at the secondary level, and let students buy their own keyboard case (there are several wonderful ones on the market) instead.

The other hidden aspect of the Chromebook implementation is the cost savings.  Chromebooks can be purchased for around $200, whereas you really don’t want anything less than a 32GB iPad these days…at $429 (32GB Mini) to $599 (32GB iPad 4).  You can buy two Chomebooks for every iPad, and sometimes four Chromebooks for every MacBook.  Schoosl typically donm’t buy bargain Windows PCs, either…they buy school units with extended warranties starting around $1000 as well…once again, making it 4 Chromebooks for every Windows notebook.  Add a keyboard case to the iPad, and the financial argument even goes further.

So…the question schools ask: is this device (iPad, notebook, etc.) worth two to four times more than the Chromebook?  If they answer no, they feel the creative and multipurpose nature of the iPad is not worth the cost–and chances are, they are not invested in technology integration, just technology substitution–making a better typewriter.

Should you mix devices in a 1:1?  Maybe, but certainly not in the combination of iPads for elementary and Chromebooks for secondary.

What would I suggest?

1. iPads in the hands of all students, 1:1 (iPad Minis in elementary, iPads in secondary)
2. Students provide keyboards if needed.
3. Chromebooks in the media center, replacing old desktop computers
4. MacBook labs for specific subjects needing specific notebook programs
5. Teachers should have both a Macbook (for iBooks Author alone) and an iPad

This model is more expensive than 1:1 Chromebook, and slightly more expensive than 1:1 iPad, but significantly less expensive than 1:1 MacBook or Windows PC deployment.

If you have noticed, I have not discussed Android tablets, as the article is dismissive of that platform.  That would be an article for another time.

HDMI Out with the Google Chromebook

I am using–having purchased it for myself–the $249 Google Chomebook made by Samsung, the same general device being purchased by schools for 1:1 implementation.

I do not believe that the Chromebook is the answer for SAMR models of tech integration, particularly when it comes to the M (modification) and R (redefinition) levels of that model.  However, if you are looking for a device as a substitute for traditional computer use in education (papers, research, presentations), it is a fitting device.

The Google Chromebook comes with HDMI out only, which is problematic for many schools, as schools will often fail to purchase projectors with HDMI capability–yes, even in 2013.  Most projectors come with HDMI output…but there are still models that do not have that feature.  Furthermore, most schools are not wired for HDMI, so a VGA cable connection is run to the projector from a mounted point on the wall.  So, even if you have an HDMI equipped projector, you will still need to convert HDMI to VGA.

I remembered to bring in my Kanex ATV Pro to school today, which is a small adapter that converts Apple TV output to a VGA plus audio (1/8″ stereo mini plug) connection, which costs around $65.  One of the best parts about the Kanex is that it does not require an additional power connection to covert the Apple TV’s signal from HDMI to VGA.

I thought I would try that device with the Chromebook.  It did not work.  I still had an older, powered HDMI to VGA convertor in the choir room (about $100 on Amazon), and it did project the Chomebook’s HDMI output to the screen.  Audio does appear to run throught the HDMI port (this is standard, however, on my 2008 MacBook, audio does not go out via the HDMI dongle, but does with later models of MacBooks).

So..you can convert the HDMI signal, you just can’t do so with the small, unpowered Kanex ATV Pro.

I also had to reboot the Chromebook to get it to start “automatically” projecting via the HDMI port (it apparently isn’t hot swappable).  And when I did get the Chromebook running both the device’s screen and HDMI output, the Chromebook would not allow me to mirror the displays, as they have to share the same resolution (to mirror, you have to hit the CTRL and Maximize Windows keys).

I know a lot of users like to have a secondary montior that isn’t mirrored–I just happen to be one of those people that prefers my “presentation” screen to mirror my monitor (a default change in Office for Mac 2011, by the way, where PowerPoint prefers to present in presentation mode for the presenter and in PowerPoint mode for the class–easy enough to fix, but complicated enough that you have to show teachers how to avoid this (if they wish to…and most of them do).

So…in summary:

1) Yes, obviously, you can get HDMI out from a Chromebook

2) The Chromebook HDMI out will not mirror your screen unless you match resolutions (otherwise, you just have a second desktop)

3) If you want to connect to VGA, you will need a more expensive powered HDMI to VGA converter

4) You may need to restart your Chromebook to get the HDMI output working

5) Audio comes out of the HDMI port on the Chromebook

Planning for an iPad Rollout

This afternoon, I was given a substitute teacher at my current school so I could attend the iPad rollout strategy at my new school (moving from high school to middle school in the process).  I will be part of the school’s tech team as part of my role, but much of the planning has been undertaken by the existing tech team.

I am thoroughly impressed.

My new school has thoroughly researched how best to do an iPad rollout, learning from a number of districts around us.

They have created a plan where teacher inservice (before the start of school) will be focused on teachers becoming familiar with the materials for the student iPads, and then the entire first week of school will be based on iPad training, digital citizenship, and workflow.

Although the school itself typically utilizes an eight period AB schedule, the school will adopt a special six period schedule for the first week, where students will attend six training lessons for five days, meaning thirty training sessions.  Teachers will be asked to teach each of the sessions to moving groups of students, causing the teacher to learn all the material, and letting the students work with different teachers.

And in the first three days, the students will have to master all of the day’s materials (hours 1-5) before getting to play with the iPads in the last session.

Some teachers were a little apprehensive about teaching things that they may not feel qualified to teach, but the tech team and administration is creating materials to be followed for each lesson.  Teachers have plenty of time to study these lessons and to sharpen their skills with certain aspects of iPad use before the kick-off in the fall (plus they will have additional time to prepare in the fall).

The last two days of student training will be focused on iPad use in the context of apps and workflow between apps.

I will ask (at a later time) if I can post these materials/lessons online.

I’m really excited by the potential of this 1:1 project and the detailed planning that is underway to make this rollout both a positive and impactful experience for all of our students.  I am excited to be a part of this project and at this school!