For example, our current MacBook Pro machines have a built-in DVD player that is very convenient for showing videos in class. The new laptops that teachers will be issued are the 2018 MacBook Air machines. Although these are very lightweight yet power devices, they don't have an onboard DVD player.
- Take a look at the new 2018 MacBook Air's specs by clicking this link.
- Read a discussion about the new MacBook features, pros, and cons, by clicking this link.
- Compare these features to your "old" MacBook Pro by clicking this link.
So, one of the big questions everyone is asking: how will you show videos or play music in class if the new laptops don't have built-in DVD drives?
Many of you may feel reluctant to let go of your old ways of popping in a DVD and pressing play. But, in the big scheme of things, we should all try to stay in step with the times and make the appropriate shift (for the same reasons we don't want to continue using slide projectors, film strips, or VHS tapes from yesteryore).
Have no fear. The transition can be relatively simple, and I am here to help.
There are a number of ways to make the shift.
If it is media that you use regularly, the preferred option is to convert your DVDs (or CDs) to a portable digital file that you can save on your drive or on the cloud. Ripping CDs is as easy as popping a CD into iTunes. But, ripping DVDs is a bit more complex.
First of all, the idea of ripping DVDs always seems to be shrouded in controversy because we've been taught that it can have illegalities associated with copyright infringement. On the bright side, it is good that we are conscientious of this, because teachers can get in a lot of trouble if they are found to be breaking copyright law.
Just remember: as long as you own a licensed copy of the original recording, you can legally make a copy of it to show for non-commercial public education purposes, especially if you are upgrading to a more modern media type for preservation purposes. Just be sure to safely store the original physical copy of it (maybe in a labeled shoebox in the back of your closet) and don't sell tickets to the general public for showing it every weekend at your backyard BBQ.
If you want to make digital copies of your current DVDs by converting them into a lightweight file that you can store in your Drive and play with a simple click of the mouse, take a look at these links:
SourceForge provides this free, open-source DVD ripper called DVDx here:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/dvdx/
There is also a decent list of recommended free DVD rippers here:
https://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-free-dvd-ripper
Also note that many of your videos may already be available on MediaCast or YouTube. If it is a YouTube video you show frequently, you may even want to "rip" it as a stand-alone file that you can save to a drive (that way you won't have to stream from the web and worry about WiFi connectivity issues).
If you still want the convenience of popping a DVD into your computer, Amazon sells several affordable (around $25) external DVD/CD players that you can connect to your computer via USB. Click here for link to buying options.
As always, you'll still be able to check out from the Tappan Media Center good ol' fashioned DVD players as well as laptops that have DVD drives built-in, so feel free to stop by and borrow one of those when the need arises.
See you then!
See the AAPS IT blog for more info on preparing for the laptop "refresh" and backing up your information at the following link:
https://aapsinstructionaltech.blogspot.com/p/backing-up-data-from-your-computer-2018.html
This article was written by Kyle Kipp, Tappan Media Specialist