Summer Teacher iPad/iPod Maintenence

Is your teacher iPad reaching it's limit of app space?  You have many photos of what's happened in your class this past year and you want to save those photos.  This post will walk you through some summer maintenance you can consider tending to on your teacher iPad.

Recover memory and clear off your photos.  We suggest transferring all your photos you want saved off the iPad onto your computer.  I put them in a folder by the year, so I can always go back and find a picture taken during a particular year.  Once all your photos are safe on your computer, delete them off the iPad.  Except maybe the few favorites you use to share with others or as you background.  Key word there is few.

I would delete all apps that are classroom curriculum related, then put back (apps store purchased area) the ones you know you'll use in the fall.  How many apps on the teacher iPad are in the "I'm trying it out mode" but you really don't use them often?  Don't put those apps back. This actually might be a better task to complete in mid-August after you've inundated your iPad with additional trial apps throughout June and July.

You may be thinking "but then I have to jump through all the hoops to start apps I use often again and I have it just the way I want".  I find that is a good thing, because most of your kids will be jumping through those hoops in the fall, so this keeps your experiences sharp and ready to share with your class.

Next, clear out browsing data that has accumulated over the year.  To do this go into Settings - Safari - and Clear History along with Cookies and Data.  Note, if you clear cookies your passwords will need to be re-entered.  Which as a good thing will cause you to revisit and remember them.

A tip to speed up your iPad is spotlight searching.  Go into Settings - General - Spotlight Search and turn off all items you don't want to search through when using Spotlight Search.  Since I typically use spotlight search to find an app, I have all other searches turned off so finding an app becomes much quicker.


Finally, don't forget to take an iPad with you as a teacher for the summer.  Keep connected with your PLN finding new ideas from Pinterest, Twitter, or Flipboard.  Is there a better way to familiarize yourself with story telling apps on an iPad than to take photos of your vacation experiences and create digital stories?