We are lucky enough to have an ipad at home...technically it's my husband's ipad but that's neither here nor there. Anyways I have played around with it for a couple months now and it is my new favorite gadget of all time. I love how big the screen is in comparison to an i-phone, but how easy it is to bring anywhere. It has the functionality of any computer (you can create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, use the internet, among many other typical functions), and it has the access and ability to host the ingenious app store and all of it's wonderful apps! I have been reading so much more because of the ibooks app. I never thought in a million years I would ever use an e-reader. I love to highlight and take notes when I read. Well you can do that (very easily) on the ipad using ibooks. LOVE IT! Books are so much cheaper too. Ok I suppose I will stop rambling and explain some of my ideas for how one could use it at work, particularly in higher ed/student affairs.
Surveying- Ok I recognize being known as the survey person is pretty dorky, but hear me out. Do you need a quick data sample? The ipad is amazing for simple quick surveys. If your hosting an event in which you would normally have no way of surveying your audience, using a survey app on the ipad you can create the questions and its easy for participants to complete it. Most of the time people will be so intrigued by holding, playing with or using the ipad they are happy to complete a 5 minute survey on it. Do you have a couple of logos, fliers or website designs your trying to decide on? You can load images, pdfs, videos, websites and just about anything else worth looking at onto your ipad. Bring it out to the food court or lounge with your three logo options up, and ask students which one is more appealing. This is just 2 examples but it's pretty obvious how many other options there are.
Paperless Resources- Its so bitter sweet when you come across that free 100 page e-book of training exercises. On one hand its a score!! On the other you shamefully walk away from the printer feeling so guilty for having printed 100 pages. With an ipad you can load any pdf into your ibooks. This way you can read it, keep it in a slim ipad instead of a bulky binder, highlight it and take notes on it.
Enhance your next meeting or presentation- I recently gave a brief presentation about core values and how to incorporate them into a work environment. There is a really good video Zappos did about their core values that I wanted to show. Normally I would have to lug my laptop along to show the video. This time I got it up and running on my ipad with the youtube app easily, and my bag wasn't weighed down by the laptop and charger. The video went full screen and its not much smaller than showing it on a full size laptop.
Membership forms and sign up sheets- If your office is hosting an interest session, or recruitment event the ipad can be a great tool to increase your sign up numbers. If someone is interested in joining the organization, filling out a sign up form or completing a membership application there is no need to wait until they receive the form in their e-mail in-box the next day. With advanced apps to create forms, even advanced enough to collect payment, this is very easy to do on the spot.
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