Ipad Listening Centers @ Your Library!

Here's an interesting idea from Tom Barrett's slide presentation on Twelve Interesting Wasy to Use an iPhone. For library purposes, especially with younger students,  I think it would work better with an iPad.

Create a series of book reviews/trailers, have "guest readers" of stories or poems, or any other audio/video cast you'd like.  Load them on the iPad (on several iPads, if you're lucky enough!) with an eye-catching graphic icon. (I'll post a mini tutorial below on how to change the icon for those who don't know.)

Now comes the cool part:  Belkin makes a nifty little gadget called  "Rock Star," which allows users to hook up to five headphone sets to the same device--be it an iPod, iPad, or other MP3 player.

Groups of students can listen to a story, podcast or watch a video if the screen is large enough.  What a great way to have an ongoing story time, give mini-tutorials, etc.

Any ideas for other uses?

How to Change an Icon:

On a PC:   Right click on the folder (this only works with folders) and select "properties."

 






From the Properties menu, choose Customize. You can either just add an image onto the folder itself, or change the icon altogether.


















Assuming you've made your own icon, you can browse to it onto your computer, or choose one of the pre-made options.  You can also find plenty of free icon collections online.   Choose your icon, click OK and voila!  You now have a new, far more visually interesting icon for the folder.  


ON A MAC: 1. select the new icon you want to use and go to File>Get Info (or Command-I).


This opens up a large panel, scroll down, to "preview," select the image and copy it (command-C).


2.  For the icon you want to change, repeat the File>Get Info step.  Once the panel opens, instead of copying the image, click on it and paste (command-V).  You now have a snazzy new icon for your folder).