Weekly Reflection (2/23 - 2/27)

This week I started creating the new Burlington High School Help Desk App for iPhone and iPad. The ideal vision for this application is very similar to the Domino's Pizza App. The user should be able to send descriptions of their issues directly to the Help Desk using the app. Help Desk members will then have the opportunity to tackle a given problem and devise a solution right from the comfort of the Help Desk headquarters. Once a solution is found, the Help Desk member will inform the user or ask him to come down to the Help Desk for further assistance. This will lead to greater efficiency in the Help Desk. Additionally, it will eliminate the need for students to leave class and wait in the Help Desk while their solution is being found. The development of the application is expected to near completion this Monday. However, as with all things tech, if an issue crops up, it could tack on a few extra days. All in all, the app is expected to make its debut in the iOS App Store around March 16th. Stay tuned for the weekly updates as development continues!

Weekly Reflection (2/9 - 2/13)

This week I was able to achieve one of my long standing goals: creating an iOS app and submitting it to the App Store. With Mike Seleman, my partner in crime, we created this game from scratch in approximately 2 weeks. All the images were drawn pixel by pixel by Mike and all the code was hand-typed by yours truly. The tools we used were Xcode, to create the actual app and write the code, and Gimp, to create the images. We recently submitted the app to Apple for review and hope that it will be approved and available to the public sometime next week. The game is named “Banana Boom” for reasons which will become evident to you once you play it.

Another notable event which occurred this week was my presentation at Medfield High School during their Digital Learning Day Conference. During this event, Jhymon Moodie, a fellow Help Desk student, and I led the “iPad 101 to the Rescue” session. During this seminar, we taught the teachers (ironic, I know) how to use the iPad effectively, from configuring the settings to multitasking gestures. Presenting at this event was a rewarding experience because of the positive feedback I received from the audience following the seminar. In the future, I hope to share my experience in BHS's 1:1 technology environment with other educators and do my part in advocating for the similar programs throughout the region.Who knows, I might even get the chance to do a bit of advertising for "Banana Boom" on the side?