Apple eNews for Education: June 2004

	The .Mac Learning Center sports a sleek new interface and a wealth of new content, including comprehensive .Mac tutorials and guides to iLife '04 and Keynote, to help you get the most out of .Mac services and your Mac.
	When the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus pulls up at a local school, the excitement is palpable. Not because a music legend is about to step off, but because future stars may be stepping on.
	More news...

In “The Macintosh iLife ’04 in the Classroom,” newly published by Peachpit Press, Jim Heid reprises his first book on Apple’s suite of digital media applications by introducing us to the latest versions of iMovie, iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, and GarageBand, the newest member of the troupe.

Joining Heid in the spotlight is Nikos Theodosakis. The author of “The Director in the Classroom: How Filmmaking Inspires Learning,” Theodosakis has written a teacher supplement that offers a wealth of practical advise for getting started, choosing suitable topics, managing digital video projects, choosing equipment, and much more.

The book is such a valuable resource that we’ll award copies (while supplies last) to attendees at NECC. And Peachpit Press is generously offering newsletter subscribers a 30% discount on book orders.

Apple made two big product announcements earlier this week.

We’ll start with the introduction of AirPort Express, the world’s first 802.11g mobile base station. Eminently portable, AirPort Express fits in the palm of your hand and weighs less than 7 ounces. Great for school or home, you can plug it right into an outlet wherever you need wireless Internet access or USB printing. Featuring AirTunes, it also lets you play your iTunes music wirelessly on your home stereo or pair of powered speakers.¹

We also announced new models of the Power Mac G5. Featuring dual processors across the line (running at 1.8GHz, 2.0GHz, and 2.5GHz), a new liquid-cooled 2.5GHz model at the top of the line, an 8x-speed SuperDrive standard in every model, and more powerful graphics cards, the 64-bit Power Mac G5 computer offers outstanding performance to anyone (documentary filmmakers, mathematicians, musicians, or videographers) who would like to accomplish far more in far less time.

The 1.8GHz and 2.0GHz models are already available, and the 2.5GHz models begin to ship in July. Prices start at just $1,799 at the Apple Store for Education.

^{1
Wireless Internet access requires a Wi-Fi certified 802.11b- or 802.11g-enabled
computer and Internet access. Wireless printing requires Mac OS X v 10.2.7
Windows XP, or Windows 2000 and a Wi-Fi enabled printer. AirTunes requires
iTunes 4.6, now available for download.}

You’re not likely to experience any unlikely jolts if the students in your class drive around the web in BumperCar, the web browser for kids. A new Mac OS X web browser from Freeverse Software, BumperCar provides “unparalleled parental control features” and easy access to “over 40,000 kid-friendly sites.”

It’s quiz time. And now you can create multiple-choice and true/false quizzes that your students can take right on their Macs with Fast Rabbit Software’s School Time Quizzer.

Microsoft has begun shipping Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac, an impressive new version of its productivity suite. The Student and Teacher Edition is available for just $129, a significant savings.

Musicians and the press agree. When it comes to learning musical notation, theory, or composition, few products compare favorably to Sibelius 3, the new Mac OS X application from Sibelius Software Ltd. How would your students benefit from Sibelius 3?

Every week new Mac and Mac OS X products become available. Like to see some of the newest arrivals?

Apple eNews for Education
June 2004
Volume 3, Issue 6

We hope you enjoyed reading this issue of Apple eNews for Education. Next month, we’ll have even more exciting education news for you.

Apple eNews for Education is a free, monthly email publication.

Event dates are subject to change. Some products, programs, or promotions are not available outside the U.S. Visit your local Apple site or call your local authorized Apple reseller for more information. Prices are estimated retail prices and are listed in U.S. dollars. Product specifications are subject to change.

As an art form, documentary filmmaking has enjoyed a long and successful history. And, now, educators are learning that making a documentary as a class project engages and motivates students, inspiring them to work together as a team, research topics extensively, write, and develop interviewing, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Says social studies teacher Perry Lee, “Documentaries give students a hands-on way to learn history and create a final product that they’re always going to remember.” And he’s joined by a chorus of other voices extolling the benefits of documentaries as an important new classroom curriculum.

To help you take advantage of and get started with this exciting new learning opportunity, Apple has developed Classroom Documentary Filmmaking Solutions, complete solutions that provide you with all the tools and resources your class will need to begin creating documentary films and learn valuable 21st-century skills.

You have until June 30 to enroll in Apple’s “X for Teachers Program.” Not just for K-12 teachers anymore, the program is now open to all full-time K-12 educators (including faculty, instructional staff, administrators) and to faculty, staff, and students at Colleges of Education.

Join X for Teachers—it’s easy and free—and you’ll receive the latest information about maximizing the value of Mac OS X in the classroom and a tempting variety of special offers.

For example, members of the X for Teachers program can purchase an eMac and Keynote for just $749. Or perhaps you’d like to purchase a personal copy of iLife ‘04 and get Jam Pack for just $20. Visit the X for Teachers site to see some of the other exclusive offers available to members of the X for Teachers program.

And don’t forget to join (terms apply). Or to encourage a colleague to join.

If you’ve thought of replacing your old laptop with a new iBook G4, treating yourself to an iPod mini, or purchasing an iSight so you can teleconference with friends and colleagues, don’t forget to shop at the Apple Store and take advantage of your educational discount.

Because you’re an educator, virtually all Apple products and many of the third-party products you’ll find on our online store—including video cameras, laptop bags, mice and keyboards, iPod accessories, and software—are available to you at a discount. Like an example? By using your education discount, you could save $200 when you purchase a new 12-inch PowerBook G4 or $500 when your purchase Final Cut Pro HD Academic. And you still qualify for many of the other benefits of shopping at our online Apple Store for Education.

It didn’t take long. Soon after we introduced iChat AV and iSight—the videoconferencing solution for the rest of us—teachers started telling us about the innovative ways they were using the new products in the classroom.

Yes, we had thought educators would use iChat AV and iSight to let students communicate with their peers in other cities, states or countries, but we didn’t realize how many of you would use the products to help students collaborate on science experiments, engage in cultural exchanges, participate in mentoring programs, or take virtual field trips.

Now we know. In fact, we have a new website devoted to the topic of using iChat AV and iSight in the classroom. The site even includes a growing collection of lesson plans. Visit today and see how you might be able to use iChat AV in your classroom.

If you’re destined for New Orleans and the twenty-fifth annual National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) later this month, plan on visiting the school of tomorrow.

You’ll find it at the Apple booth. Visit us, and you’ll enjoy hands-on sessions designed to show you how you can use digital media to enhance the curriculum. While supplies last, we’ll be giving away copies of Jim Heid’s new book, “Macintosh iLife ‘04 in the Classroom” and a copy of the Apple iLife Lesson Plan CD.

We’ll also loan you a digital camera you can use to “document” your trip to the Big Easy. When you return it, we’ll show you how easy it is to import those digital pix into iPhoto, turn them into a slide show, and archive them onto a CD. Would you like more information about Apple’s plans at NECC?