iPad Printing and Projecting in the New BYOD Classroom

 BEHIND THE A.T.E. BALL:

IPAD PRINTING AND PROJECTING IN THE NEW BYOD CLASSROOM

By David Valentine

The inclusion of employee supplied devices to the set of school supplied digital devices has been gaining momentum since at least 2006. Even earlier teachers brought their personal laptops, boom boxes, and home made overhead slides to the classroom. Now the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend is in full swing as another fact of life in the 21st century classroom. But the issue of device compatability continues to dog intrepid educators who ask,  "how do I get my iPad to print to the classroom printer? Which, by the way is at least 8 years old, and would not know a WiFi signal from a HiFi signal?" And while we’re at it, "How do I get my iPad to talk to my classroom projector or document reader?"

     The short answer is "Easy " (well, probably).  If your school iPads do not have access restrictions such as locked apps, and your district has set up a school wide, or district wide Apple account you are in luck. You will also need any WiFi enabled laptop (either yours or the school's) that is already configured to your a printer or schoolwide printer hub.

From your iPad you will need to go to the App Store and download the free "Printer Pro Lite" app from Readdle, Inc.

.From your print capable laptop navigate to http://reaaddle.com and download the Printer Pro utility for desktop and laptop computers (it doesn't matter if your device runs Windows, OS X or Androiid).

Once you've installed both apps start with the iPad, but make sure your laptop is powered up showing the desktop.

• ·Open the Printer Pro Lite app and choose a sample PDF or image file to print.

•  The Printer Pro Lite app will display the available printers you can print from.

• ·Choose the printer you prefer and touch "Print".

After a few seconds your file will emerge from the designated printer. Magic? Nah! The iPad uses your laptop's WiFi connection to piggyback its print job to the target printer. Pretty cute, huh? For a few dollars extra ($6.99) the full featured Printer Pro app will also print from Google Docs, Dropbox and any iWorks document. 

Monitors and Projectors Large and Small

      The iPad can easily connect to your LCD or DLP projector or to a separate stand alone SVGA monitor. All you need is The Dock Connector to VGA Monitor Projector Cable

The cable supports transmission of HD video to HD TV on iPad 2, 3 and 720p HD format video on iPad 1, iPhone 4s, and iPhone 4. The cost ranges from a little under $27.00 to 49.95 depending on the outlet. Apple sells it for $29.99.

In service to disclosure, the cable does not turn your monitor into a mirror of your iPad’s desktop. That is to say, you need to be in an app in order to see the app’s contents on the second screen. As an example, lets say you want to see a particular picture in your collection of images in the iPad’s Photos app. You will need to open the app and choose the picture before it appears on the second screen. So don’t freak out when you pull the cable out of its mailer to connect the iPad to your wide screen SVGA monitor or projector, and you don't see anything at first. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles, kids!

The Pocket Projector for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch

Another somewhat more exotic addition to the growing list of  iPad peripherals is the iPad Pocket Projector (left). It also works with iPhone 4s, 4, 3GS; and the third and fourth generation iPod Touch. This little DLP projector, 3" L x 2 3/4" W x 1" D produces 6" to 60" diagonal images from 8" to 78" distance. The brightness of the device is only 35 lumens, so it is not a substitute for a full size projector, but it works best in very dark environments or reflected against bright matte surfaces such as an ordinary flat white wall or (if you still have one) on an old pull down silver projector screen.

A surprising plus is you can mirror the display of you iOS device to navigate to files, You Tube videos, slide shows or use the regular camera on the iOS device like a document reader. Its 640x480 pixel resolution (4:3 aspect ratio) does not produce startlingly bright, color rich images; but it can be effective in more intimate situations where you don’t want to hassle with cables, AC outlets or bulky projectors. The iPad Pocket Projector plugs directly into the iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch's 30 pin connector. For presenters, social workers and paraprofessionals it can be a handy option to share information in parent/teacher conferences, IEPs and small grade level meetings.

            The iPad Pocket Projector has a manually operated focus wheel on the side of the case, and its LED is rated at 20,000 hours. It also functions as a backup battery for the iPhone. The price is $249.95 from Hammacher Schlemmer a purveyor of unique and one of a kind items. Go to http://hammacher.com to get more info or order the device.