Make Using Discovery Education on the iPad EVEN Easier for your Students

For over a year, I have shared with teachers how to download Discovery Education videos and then import then into iTunes for syncing to the iPod touch/ iPad. This is a great practice, especially at elementary school where having students log onto another site can be time-consuming and/or when time is short and you really want the students to focus on one or two videos. However, there are times when you want students to find their own resources for learning and having access to Discovery Education would be ideal on the iPad!

Discovery Education has created an iPad optimized environment! While not an app that is downloaded, it can look like one by creating a web clip of the website! Students can find content using Discovery Education's targeted keyword search or explore content via the visual subject browse.


Users open the Web Clip, enter the district username and password, and explore thousands of video clips covering all core, K-12 curriculum areas.

So now, you may be asking, “How do I create a web clip?”

First, tap the Safari app and enter the url:  mobile.discoveryeducation.com. Then, tap the “Send to” icon and select Add to Home Screen! Repeat the process on each device, or better yet... Have your students do it! It is that easy!


Thanks, Angela for sharing this website!

Dropbox and DROPitTOme!

I've known about Dropbox for a while, but I just found out about DROPitTOme yesterday. Together, these two tools offer teachers and students another way to share files when using web 2.0 tools and a variety of devices.


Dropbox is an online storage website where you can store 2 GB of files for free. You can then access those files from any computer, phone, iPad, iPod touch, as well as the Dropbox website. You can access your files even when you're offline. It is simple to share folders so you can work together on the same projects and documents. See other people's changes instantly.

With DROPitTOme, you can securely receive files from anyone to your Dropbox. You setup a unique upload address (web address) with password protection. A person accesses that website, browses their computer, finds the file and enters the password. The file is uploaded to your Dropbox. (To register for a DROPitTOme account, you must already have created your Dropbox account.)

So, how could teachers use these services?

• Teachers could have a Dropbox account and have students use DROPitTOme to upload projects. DROPitTOme automatically creates a folder within Dropbox! 
• Teachers could create a class Dropbox account and everyone could use it as a collaborative space. 

Currently, I'm able to upload a photo from my iPad, but videos are also supposed to be able to the uploaded. I have just contacted Dropbox to find out how to accomplish that. So, students could use the iPod touch or iPad to take video and then upload it to Dropbox to be able to access it from another device to add to a project. Hopefully, they will add the service to allow other file types soon!

What are your ideas?