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Tutorial: Using WriteShop ebooks on an iPad

April 11, 2012 in Homeschooling, Technology with 2 Comments

I’m excited to be partnering with WriteShop and preparing to review WriteShop Primary Book A. We’re using their ebook format. I like ebooks for a number of reasons. Easy to store. Portable. Easily reusable. Most of all, I like that I can use the teacher’s guides on my iPad and not have the expense of printing them.  But, sometimes there are little technical issues to overcome to make using ebooks work on a portable device such as an iPad.

WriteShop’s Teacher’s Guide file is formated as an Adobe Portfolio, meaning that the individual PDF files are packaged together as a single PDF file.  This is fine if you’re using Acrobat Reader on a computer, but you cannot open this file in Preview on a Mac or use it on most portable devices.  Here’s a simple tutorial to help you unpack those files.

Using WriteShop ebooks on an iPad

This tutorial was created using Adobe Acrobat Reader for Mac, but the process should be similar on a PC.  Although my instructions are specifically for iPad, the resulting files can be used on any device that can open a PDF file.

1.  Open the WriteShop teacher’s guide file.  There should be a preview pane on the left hand side that shows the individual lesson files.  Right-click and select all.

2.  Right-click on the selected files and choose Save File from Portfolio.  Choose a location to save the files.

3.  You now have each lesson as it’s own PDF file in the location that you chose to save them.  These individual files can be opened in Preview for Mac or moved to a portable device.

4.  Move the files to your iPad or other portable device. My preferred app for reading PDF files on my iPad is GoodReader.  I put the files in either Evernote or Dropbox on my Mac. Those files sync with my iPad and I can open the files using the GoodReader app.  You could also use the Adobe Reader app or the iBooks app. I like GoodReader because I can highlight and make notes on the pages.

GoodReader for iPad is available in the App Store for $4.99. 

GoodReader for iPad - Good.iWare Ltd.

I hope this tutorial helps you make the most out of your ebooks from WriteShop.  If you have additional questions, please leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them.

App Review: Map Trek Ancient World

April 6, 2012 in Homeschooling, Technology with 0 Comments

We’ve been using Map Trek Ancient World on iPad for the last few months.

Map Trek Ancient World is an interactive timeline map of the ancient world that has some really neat features:

  • Tap on an event to bring up a map.  These are the same maps you’ll find in Map Trek Hardcover book, which we love.
  • Tap the pins to bring up additional information about a place.
  • There are review quizzes along the way, the results of which can be emailed.

One slightly annoying things to be aware of about Map Trek Ancient World: the sounds are not tied to the volume button.  Turning down the volume with the side button on your iPad or iPhone will not turn off the sounds.

Jonathan and I have enjoyed using Map Trek Ancient World.  We think it’s a fun app and it goes very well with Story of the World.  It has a lot of potential for more features.  It would make a great independent activity and resource for an older child, but a younger child needs an adult to sit and guide them through the app.  It’s not a flashy game; its a fabulous resource with a lot of information.

Map Trek Ancient World is available in the App Store for iPhone and iPad for $9.99.

Apple App Store

{Material Disclosure: We were given a free copy of Map Trek Ancient World in exchange for an honest review.}

Resource: Your Blogging Business

March 10, 2012 in Books, Technology with 0 Comments

Are you a hobby or business blogger?  Hate the thought of taxes?

Nikki Hughes has written a fabulous ebook to help you understand taxes and record keeping associated with blogging.

You can get the book for 50% off right now.

Plus, when you buy the book, you can email questions directly to Nikki!

Use the code 50forMarch15.

Read more about Your Blogging Business ebook

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Swagbucks Birthday Bash

February 16, 2012 in Technology with 0 Comments

Now is a great time to join Swagbucks!  Head over to Swagbucks and use the code BIRTHDAYBASH12 to earn 140 sign up bonus points.  After that, make sure you RSVP for the birthday bash and you’ll be entered to win one of four $1,000 prizes.  All the details of the birthday bash are on the Swagbucks blog.

See how I use Swagbucks for our homeschool. 

Review: Kids ABC Trace App

February 14, 2012 in Homeschooling, Technology with 0 Comments

Jonathan and I have been playing with another app we’d like to share with you.

Kids ABC Trace is an iOS app for iPhone that focuses on two skills:

  1. Tracing letter in both uppercase and lower case.
  2. Learning each letter name.

Take a look at David’s (former teacher and creator of the app) daughter using the Kids ABC Trace:

Can’t see the video in your email or RSS reader?

The app was a little below Jonathan’s level since he started reading and writing very early, but he still had fun with it.  Jonathan was a little frustrated with the app at first because he wanted to go faster with the tracing.  He needed to slow down and be more precise with his initial touch for a stroke on the letter and then it responded better.

After properly completing a letter, the app’s response is always “good job.”  To me as the parent, I got frustrated hearing the same thing over and over.  Jonathan didn’t seem to mind, but I’d love to see randomized “praises” for successful tracing of a letter.

Jonathan giggled every time he pushed the button for the letter name.  He really got into it.  I think the addition of phonetic sounds seems like a perfect next step for that area of the app.

Over all, it’s a nice app, though priced a little high in my opinion for the current feature set.  It is best for a preschooler or Kindergartener working on letter names and not yet writing.

Apple App Store

ABC Kid’s Trace is available in the App Store for $1.99 

{Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this app and compensated for my time in exchange for an honest review.}

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