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CATEGORY: Hardware — Computers, Other Learning Devices |
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The iTunes U app gives iOS users access a catalog of free educational content from top universities including Cambridge, Duke, Harvard, Oxford and Stanford, and any K-12 school district can offer full courses through the iTunes U app.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Jan 2012
ALA's American Libraries magazine has published a great article on ebooks and school libraries. Part of the first two paragraphs should get you into it.
News/Cool Links - Posted 16 Jan 2012
A song that keeps repeating in Mary Ann's head these days is "Hard Times Come Again No More," no doubt owing to the hard times and education budget cuts her public school colleagues are experiencing in Texas. In an effort to chase away this earworm with some positive thinking, she asked herself and other educators what they can do in the face of these cuts. See what the crowd came up with.
At Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, an iPad pilot initiative is exploring how a new portable technology, in the hands of teachers and students, can affect teaching and learning. Librarian Carolyn Foote describes how they are proceeding, keeping a close eye on what is working and what the impacts of the project are.
The textbook is evolving, to say the least. Stephen is excited by the opportunities this presents for educators. So this month's column explores the opportunity to enhance a learner's experience and success with next-generation textbooks.
The 2011 sweepstakes awarded nearly $200,000 in customized classroom technologies to 53 schools nationwide.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 Sep 2011
In a move highly anticipated since its initial announcement in April, public libraries and schools in the U.S. can now lend ebooks for the Amazon Kindle.
News/Breaking News - Posted 22 Sep 2011
The e-everything revolution charges ahead in the education realm. This month, Victor Rivero reprises and updates the discussion he started last year in his article "E Is for Explosion: E-Readers, Etextbooks, Econtent, Elearning, E-Everything."
Information Today, Inc.'s news bureau chief and NewsBreaks editor Paula Hane has posted a report on the ALA summer conference and news emanating from it.
News/ITI Cross Links - Posted 07 Jul 2011
OverDrive-powered library collections are now available on the LG Quantum, Samsung Focus, HTC Trophy, and other popular Windows Phones
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Jun 2011
The "Advanced Physics with Vernier - Mechanics" lab book offers a new set of experiments for more in-depth introductory physics courses, such as college physics, Advanced Placement Physics, or International Baccalaureate Physics.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 May 2011
The new package is designed to help K-12 districts tackle the print-to-digital transition by enabling the efficient tracking and managing of textbooks as well as the devices used to support students in the classroom.
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 May 2011
So the announcement about Google's Chromebook is out! And so is a river of informed commentary. Read this to find a really good take on the device and what it means, or might mean, ... or ...
News/Cool Links - Posted 13 May 2011
Building on the success of EBSCOhost Mobile, a website application designed for internet-capable mobile devices including smartphones, the new iPhone application (app) provides a quick and convenient way for Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users to access quality content via EBSCOhost.
News/Breaking News - Posted 12 May 2011
Too often, says Mary Alice, obvious and necessary training about the basics gets lost in training about "big picture" items such as cloud computing or data mining. So she brings us back to those basics and discusses where media specialists fit in.mary alice anderson
Optimized for Sketchpad 5, the activities allow elementary, middle, and high school students to explore mathematical concepts related to the Common Core State Standards using a dynamic, hands-on learning tool.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 Apr 2011
Winning entries in the competition, which was created to mark the launch of Vernier's Video Physics app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, demonstrated both creativity and innovation by using video to demonstrate the science concepts behind many everyday occurrences.
News/Breaking News - Posted 04 Mar 2011
The agreement with BrainPOP will allow BrainPOP's animated content to operate seamlessly with Turning Technologies' student response systems for immediate assessment of student learning.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Feb 2011
In 2010, patrons and students downloaded millions of digital books for iPhone, Android, Sony Reader, NOOK, and personal computers.
News/Breaking News - Posted 07 Jan 2011
Mobl21 is an easy-to-use platform enabling educational mobility. With the editor, individual teachers, students, or institutions can create and share learning assets that complement formal courses, extending learning through the use of desktop widgets, social networking sites, and devices such as the iPhone and iPod touch. Facebook, iGoogle, Android, BlackBerry, and Flash Lite apps will be available soon.
The SMART Board 400 series uses SMART's patented DViT (Digital Vision Touch) technology to recognize both pen and finger inputs, enabling teachers and students to easily interact with digital content.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Dec 2010
The new "Safari To Go" app, built specifically to leverage iPad capabilities such as pinch-to-zoom and drag and drop functions, allows subscribers of Safari Books Online to view book content in their library.
News/Breaking News - Posted 22 Nov 2010
LS2 Mobile is a smart-phone interface that allows people to connect with their public or school libraries from any place with mobile or Wi-Fi internet service.
News/Breaking News - Posted 05 Nov 2010
Just carry an iPad into a restaurant or a school library and see how much attention you get! It's a device everyone wants to get their hands on, touch, and play with. But just what are its strengths and weaknesses as a teaching and learning tool in schools? That's what author Carolyn Foote and her colleagues wanted to find out in their district. Read on to learn about their ongoing iPad pilot project at Foote's high school research center as they examine whether the devices are helpful in a school and/or library environment.
In other columns this year, Stephen has explored the nature of the ebook in school libraries. But, he notes, he hasn't actually discussed the pros and cons of the print and electronic formats for books in general, nor focused on the classroom as opposed to the out-of-classroom library use of books. So that's what he covers in this issue, starting with a simple list of pros and cons.
There's a quiet—or not so quiet—shift happening in school libraries across America. The social media revolution—reflected in all manner of shiny iPhone apps, blogs, Nings, Facebook pages, and other social networking tools, sites, and platforms—is real, and it's running like a loud line of students straight through the stacks, into the common areas, taking a sharp turn, and heading right on up to the teacher librarian/media specialist's desk. Are you ready for it? In this article, Victor Rivero addresses issues, answers, and resources to help.
ResponseCard NXT and TurningKey software provide a user-friendly summative assessment solution.
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 Oct 2010
The SMART Board 800 series interactive whiteboard supports multiuser writing and common multitouch gestures currently recognized in Microsoft Windows 7 and Mac Snow Leopard.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Oct 2010
A free service for WilsonWeb subscribers, WilsonWeb Mobile provides "anytime, anywhere" access to WilsonWeb reference databases, marrying WilsonWeb's versatile searching, trusted information, and practical tools with smart-phone convenience, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 Sep 2010
Teachscape Instruction | Mobile version 1.4, optimized for the iPad, further expands the number of devices that educators can use to collect data during their classroom visits.
News/Breaking News - Posted 01 Sep 2010
Shmoop now offers more than 4,000 titles available across the web, iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle, Nook, and Sony Reader.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 Aug 2010
ResultsManager extends the existing reporting functionality of the company's TurningPoint and TurningPoint AnyWhere software to allow instructors and presenters to store, track, and administer multiple interactive polling sessions.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Aug 2010
Student response systems, also called "clickers," are handheld devices that help teachers poll students during class sessions and tabulate the responses. This technology is the same as that used when audiences are asked to vote on something during a television quiz program. The advantages of student response systems include increasing student involvement and allowing rapid and accurate assessment of understanding, knowledge, or interest. In this month's roundup, author Charles Doe provides a look at a representative sampling of these systems.
Last time, Stephen wrote about some of the issues facing us in the transition to a new and much more complicated ebook ecology, exploring our understanding of ebooks and how they differ from traditional books. In Part 2, he looks at emerging standards, legal issues, and what's in the pipeline for ebook devices, plus strategies for school libraries and their learners.
In "E Is for Explosion …" Victor Rivero sets the scene with an overview of recent happenings in the world of e-reading devices as well as etexts, then focuses in on more than 15 kinds of electronic texts and content and their producers/providers.
For July 1, 2010: Need an inexpensive video camera to record interviews and other school events in high definition? There are two popular cameras that will fit the bill, the Flip UltraHD and the Kodak Zi8.
Cyberbee Web Pick/Cyberbee's Web Picks - Posted 01 Jul 2010
By
Linda C. Joseph
Discovery Education experts will provide interactive learning professional development courses using the Epson BrightLink 450Wi interactive projector.
News/Breaking News - Posted 23 Jun 2010
Conceived and developed in conjunction with Phunware, the U.S. Geography by Discovery Education App delivers a fun and educational solution to engage students in learning about United States geography, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Jun 2010
The Assistive Listening System enables educators to provide any number of designated students with a listening device to clearly hear the teacher or other amplified audio.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Jun 2010
Califone has enhanced the Performer Plus Multimedia Player/Recorder to play MP3-CD formatted discs, enabling it to play CDs burned from personal computers.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Jun 2010
Shmoop ebooks for topics in literature, poetry, U.S. history, civics, music, and biography are now available.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 May 2010
The ebook juggernaut is moving along like a train with no brakes, and it's raising so many issues. For this month's Pipeline column, Stephen Abram thought it would be useful to put down his thoughts on the subject, how users and learners will need to adapt, and how libraries and schools may need to adapt as well.
Charles Doe takes a look at the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS Digital Camera.
Now both MyVision Basic and MyVision Free classroom management software will support mixed platform environments, allowing teachers to manage students working on both Macs and PCs simultaneously.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Apr 2010
Charles Doe takes a look at the Epson PowerLite Presenter, a portable projector/DVD/speaker combo that can be used without a computer to display the contents of a DVD, CD, USB memory device, iPod, or a variety of other electronic media.
After reading an interesting Library Journal piece by Tom Peters entitled "The Future of Reading: As the Book Changes Form, the Library Must Champion Its Own Power Base—Readers," Stephen Abram is moved to ask, Is reading in jeopardy? Personally and professionally, he says, he really doubts it, but …
The GP1's integrated USB reader enables users to run movies, pictures, and office applications directly from a USB thumb drive without the need for notebook attachment.
News/Breaking News - Posted 17 Feb 2010
The unit's built-in SD card slot and USB port allow the Spirit SD to work with the latest digital file formats, providing educators with the technology to play pre-recorded instructional resources, stories, and music for the whole class.
News/Breaking News - Posted 22 Jan 2010
The $649 PowerLite 83V+ is a feature-rich, easy-to-use and affordable projector benefitting students, teachers and school administrators, the announcement states.
News/Breaking News - Posted 20 Jan 2010
The new version of GradeCam is the first online assessment solution to use a document camera to grade paper-based quizzes and tests, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 Jan 2010
In a year's time, Charlie Doe's district has placed interactive whiteboards in about 30% of their elementary classrooms and, in doing so, has made interactive whiteboard technology the envy of the district. That sparked his interest, so for this roundup, he takes a brief look at several products that offer a variety of approaches, from full whiteboards to equipment that makes a standard dry-erase whiteboard become interactive.
There is an economical way to introduce videoconferencing that involves inexpensive laptop computers and programs such as iChat, Skype, and ooVoo. A technology integration plan shared by a few pioneering districts in the author's area proves this point. Through it, schools have been able to make a serious commitment to the "new wave" of interactive technology at a minimal cost.
To accommodate various presentation styles and technology integrations, TurningPoint AnyWhere combined with Turning's ResponseCard keypads or ResponseWare, a web-based polling application, creates a wireless response and voting system allowing presenters to ask interactive questions within their preferred presentation application.
News/Breaking News - Posted 04 Dec 2009
The constant development of new and evolving internet and electronic technologies has resulted in the creation of an exciting variety of teacher tools for classroom use. The related changing nature of culture and the way students learn these days makes it imperative to adopt these digital tools in our schools. This article takes a look at a sampling of new or updated software, web-based services, and hardware that can be very useful in a variety of learning situations.
The new “clicker” device provides students with additional feedback during interactive polling via a small LCD screen.
News/Breaking News - Posted 23 Oct 2009
A recent story in the St. Petersburg Times focuses on how a local elementary school has embraced the "kids' technology" and is pressing iPods into service for teaching and learning in multiple ways.
News/Cool Links - Posted 15 Oct 2009
The USB-powered camera has a 2-megapixel resolution with auto focus, and adjusts to lighting conditions. In addition, the Diggiditto's software features image recognition capabilities.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Sep 2009
A 9-year-old girl is poised on the surface of the moon, a spaceship and stars in the background. Her fellow voyager, in the form of an orange, cylindrically shaped robot, responds to her conversation with an unintelligible mechanized beep. These two space pioneers are engaged in a lively discourse about the nature and origin of constellations. Is it a Nickelodeon special? The latest remix of Lost in Space? A juvenile version of 2001: A Space Odyssey? Nope. Just business as usual as an elementary school class Johanna Riddle reports on produces another Pawprint Production educational video.
Looking at the world around us, it seems clear that digital photography and video are here to stay—and they should be used in K–12 education. Equipment prices have dropped significantly; cameras and other digital devices can be placed in students’ hands without concern. In this article, Charlie Doe takes a look at some of the possibilities for the classroom and media center.
Charles Doe reviews the Study Buddy Handheld Tutor, a device that offers electronic multiple choice practice opportunities for students of all ages.
The collaboration is intended to promote the use of podcasting for both teaching and learning.
News/Breaking News - Posted 12 Aug 2009
Charles Doe reviews the portable and affordable Epson DC-06 Document Camera.
The JourneyEd Academic eStore Network (AEN) provides access to more than 15,000 online stores offering thousands of top-tier software and technology products—including programs published by Microsoft and Adobe—at discounts of up to 85% of retail prices to verified education buyers.
Enhanced usability and accessibility, extended international support, and additional learning management system integrations are among the Elluminate Learning Suite enhancements.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 May 2009
There is a dirty little secret out there in school land, and it involves money and time wasted due to poor purchasing. Far too often, supplies, equipment, software, books, consumables, and other materials are bought (frequently in bulk), but they turn out to be huge disappointments that see little or no use. Enter Mary Ann Bell, with “one of those ‘do as I say, not as I do’ missives,” to advise you and address this situation.
A mobile device—also known as a hand-held device, handheld computer, ultrasmall laptop, tablet, palmtop, or simply a handheld—is a small, very mobile computing device. Many mobile devices have features that make them especially useful tools for educators, teachers, administrators, students, and others. This article will take a brief look at some examples of ultramobile PCs, handhelds, probeware, portable gaming devices, and digital media players that could be useful in an education setting.
There are many approaches—and many acronyms—related to ESL studies. Whichever approach or aspect is being considered, ESL resources have increased enormously with the introduction of computer and related electronic technologies. Charles Doe’s article offers some examples of the many fine possibilities available, with a mention of some of their more interesting features.
The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) launched a Green Computing Leadership Initiative designed to help schools identify ways to reduce waste, save energy and promote sustainability.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Nov 2008
Like that of many others, the condition of the technology in Mary Alice Anderson's district has declined to the point of continuing frustration. The need for change was obvious. Even this longtime Mac user and champion knew they had to do something … And so they did. In this column, Mary Alice shares her district's success story in the hopes that she can help media and technology specialists in similar situations remain … well … a little less discouraged.
Resources or tools that facilitate elementary classroom processes but aren’t major curriculum or textbook components can take at least three forms: tools that help teachers with their daily work; materials (software or electronics) that can be used for learning centers with individual students or small groups of learners; and online or electronic materials and software that support the curriculum or help teaching in some other way. This article takes a look at a few examples of new technology-based possibilities for elementary education. Several of the items mentioned here can be used across grades K–12, but they are well-worth considering in an elementary resources context.
Students in Mary Alice Anderson's district are benefiting from new or renovated media centers in four of their nine schools, a significant part of the district's renewed emphasis on facilities improvements. The district opened two entirely new secondary media center constructions in 2000 and 2006; this summer a new elementary media center opened in completely renovated spaces and another relocated to improved spaces in former classrooms. In this column, Mary Alice looks at features that enhance the functionality and educational environment of these long overdue new facilities.
Document cameras—sometimes called visual presenters—are among the most exciting current technologies available to assist teachers in presenting formal or informal lessons. These devices can take the place of overhead projectors. They offer an array of helpful functions and features—and should be found on every teacher’s desk in every classroom. In this issue's "Look At ... " roundup, Charlie Doe takes a look at examples of document camera technology offered by a variety of companies.
Sally Finley reviews the NXT Sensor Adapter, a device that enables a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robotics system to use sensor-based controls.
Charles Doe reviews the Bamboo Fun Pen Tablet, a computer input device.
Rhonda Clevenson reviews Smart Talk Español, an interactive learning device designed to help students develop vocabulary, oral language, and word recognition skills.
New and developing technologies are producing a wealth of wonderful resources for science instruction. These include everything from virtual experiments delivered via software or the internet to probeware and data loggers—and a number of interesting and useful devices in between. This roundup takes a look at a variety of science programs and tools, with a focus on what’s available and what’s interesting. The goal is to introduce some new possibilities for classroom use, not to provide a comprehensive review of this category of learning tools.
The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC is a full-functioned mini-notebook PC with pricing that starts at less than $500.
Over 130 middle school and elementary full shows and 1,000 video clips are available in H.264 digital format, which uses the latest video compression technology to provide high quality video in a small file.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Mar 2008
Sally Finley reviews LabQuest, a handheld data collection tool that can be used as a stand-alone device or a computer interface.
Geocaching, using GPS technology, is loads of fun, and it offers lots of educational opportunities as well. Yes, even in the media center. Media specialists are good at making curricular connections, and, says Mary Alice Anderson, the curriculum connections with geocaching are easy to see. Don't believe it?? Read and learn.
The SMART document camera enables teachers to display detailed images and video of any physical object and instantly incorporate that material into digital lessons using the SMART Board interactive whiteboard and Notebook collaborative learning software.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 Feb 2008
The AV Tutor is a handheld player/recorder that allows students to compare their pronunciation of words with prerecorded "model" examples. It offers enhanced sound quality and, being a digital device, requires little maintenance.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Feb 2008
The featured technologies in the book, Technology in the Secondary Science Classroom, range from the easy to master, such as digital cameras, to the more complex, like probeware and geographic information systems.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Jan 2008
Remember folder games and puzzles? Teachers have always used instructional aids of one kind or another to supplement instruction, such as calculators in Math class, games, puzzles, math aids, and other devices for small group or individual work. In recent years, computers and computer-related electronics such as MP3 players, hand-held devices, keyboards, projectors, whiteboards, and a diverse collection of additional electronic instructional aids have become available. Charlie Doe's Look At ... roundup this month sorts these supplemental electronics into categories and describes an array of them for your information.
Rhonda Clevenson reviews GeoSafari Quiz Bowl, an interactive electronic educational game that simulates a television game show in the classroom.
Three winners will receive an Interwrite Makeover and prizes valued at more than $15,000.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Dec 2007
The Radiosophy HD100 is an HD radio receiver and digital AM/FM clock radio developed and distributed by a team of former Gateway Computer employees.
The ClassMate Reader enables students to listen to an audio version of textbooks and study materials while following the highlighted text on screen.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 Oct 2007
Dukane Corporation announced the release of the upgraded AirSlate 2, a wireless annotation and mouse control pad that gives an instructor the freedom to roam around the classroom while giving a presentation.
News/Breaking News - Posted 13 Sep 2007
It happened to Mary Ann recently, for the first time in ages. She had a near meltdown because of a glitchy computer problem. … Actually, she had several problems. … In fact, it was a perfect techie storm!!! ... So for this month's Belltones column, Mary Ann has thought through and compiled a range of tips and advice to help herself--and you!--deal with such eventualities, or should we call them inevitabilities.
Charles Doe reviews the Radius Audio Learning System, a hardware product that plays CD-ROMs and reads digital activity cards to process information and student responses.
Improvements to the wireless classroom pad include new design and software.
News/Breaking News - Posted 27 Jun 2007
Mary Alice spent part of New Year's Day setting up her new computer and putting obsolete technology in storage—floppy disks, applications for earlier operating systems, assorted wires and cables, and even old automation system disks that ran on a 48K Apple II! The occasion led to reminiscing and wondering what memories other media specialists have of outdated technologies. A quick post on LM_NET brought an instant response; apparently, many media specialists were eager to share their fond memories and favorite experiences with the technology they experienced as technologist pioneers.
The integration is scheduled for May 2007 with the release of the DyKnow Vision and Monitor software versions 5.0.
News/Breaking News - Posted 26 Mar 2007
Three new GenevaLogic Vision Kits provide individual classrooms and entire schools with classroom management tools for effective computer teaching.
The Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) offers an online resource with information on an array of local and national options available for donating, selling, or recycling used electronic equipment.
News/Cool Links - Posted 29 Dec 2006
FrontRow ToGo is an all-in-one sound system that clarifies and evenly distributes the teacher’s voice throughout the classroom, allowing students to more easily understand teachers regardless of where they’re seated, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 20 Dec 2006
Califone International, Inc. launched the USB Jackbox, the first jackbox with microphone inputs.
News/Breaking News - Posted 20 Nov 2006
Charlie Doe reviews the Nova5000EX, a full-featured tablet computer or electronic learning slate that can be categorized somewhere between a handheld unit and a laptop computer.
New and exciting uses of digital technology in language arts are appearing all the time—a very good thing in view of the digital nature of the lives of today's K–12 students. As we all know, the amount of time that students spend with television, cell phones, iPods, gaming technologies, the Internet, computers, and other electronic technologies is stunning. Fortunately, emerging digital technologies can help language arts teachers liven up their classes, making them more digitally relevant and keeping or regaining student attention. This article takes a look at some Web-based programs and some new hardware that may provide new ideas for your language arts classroom.
ISTE’s new book is a comprehensive guide for planning, implementing, and managing successful laptop programs in the classroom.
News/Breaking News - Posted 25 Aug 2006
The companies signed an agreement that names Follett Corporation Companies – Follett Library Resources and BWI – as non-exclusive distributors of Playaway’s preloaded digital audiobooks.
News/Breaking News - Posted 18 Aug 2006
Nicholas Negroponte, chairman emeritus of the MIT Media Lab, presented the first public demonstration of the latest prototype of the $100 laptop at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) in San Diego this month.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Jul 2006
Through the partnership, Inspiration will be preloaded on Fourier’s Nova5000 student computing device.
News/Breaking News - Posted 11 Jul 2006
Gateway reduced the cost of the Gateway FPD2185W 21-inch widescreen LCD flat panel display to $499.99.
News/Breaking News - Posted 03 Jul 2006
Mary Ann Bell loves technology, and techno-gadgets--almost to the level of addiction. (Well, not really.) It's not too serious, but it's a problem she says she's working on. In schools, though, with the advent of technology, the problem of unwise purchases seems to have increased dramatically, and it can be serious. In this month's Belltones, Mary Ann get into some of the reasons for this, and what LMSs and their schools can do about it.
Exciting new mobile computer technologies are moving into K–12 education on many fronts. Today, teachers can work with portable media players, audience response systems, smartphones, portable keyboards/small laptops, tablet PCs, laptops, and hand-held devices (personal digital assistants, or PDAs). All of these sport the latest in wireless and other technologies, and all vary widely—and wildly—in function, potential, and cost. This article takes a look at seven types of currently available mobile technologies.
GO Solve Word Problems, Science Court, Reading for Meaning, and Decisions, Decisions 5.0 are among many of the company’s titles now supported by online guides to help educators use them with interactive whiteboards and projectors.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 Jun 2006
The new Intelliboard 77 interactive whiteboard combines educational content software with electromagnetic digital technology.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 May 2006
Gateway will package and sell DyKnow software with its learning services and hardware products.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 May 2006
The new program is research-based and designed to deliver engaging, targeted reading intervention for students in grades 3-6.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 May 2006
The Califone DVD50-PLC is a portable DVD player with a 7-inch screen, two headphones, cables that connect the unit to a television and/or sound equipment, an AC adapter, a rechargeable battery pack, and a remote control.
Stephen Abram has been following the Duke University experiment of providing iPods to all students ... and a lot more that's been going on with iPods in education. iPods represent, he asserts, a bellwether technology. In this column he discusses why and lays out a host of educational activities the technology lends itself to.
Gateway’s new M285-E and CX210 convertible notebooks house two execution cores that enable the performance of multiple computing tasks at the same time.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Apr 2006
New MMIS columnist Mary Ann Bell introduces herself in her inaugural Belltones column and discusses some of her interests and plans for upcoming columns, including information ethics, technology use in schools, the principles of AASL's Infomation Power, information access, and more.
Charles Doe discusses digital cameras and provides an overview of some of what is available in this installment of our LOOK At ... series of features.
In this article, Johanna Riddle offers four elementary-level projects that use technology as the mortar of interdisciplinary and inter-literacy learning. Some of the technology applications are as simple as scanning an image or clicking a digital camera. All four of these projects spring from works of literature that are common to most school media centers. They follow a framework that includes introducing a work of literature, learning a technology process, providing reading and working time, self-evaluation, and group discussion of outcomes The communication skills garnered by the students build on each other from project to project and year to year.
Students or audience members can use the system’s credit card sized input devices for polling, testing, or anonymous response.
News/Breaking News - Posted 15 Feb 2006
New features give teachers improved ability to create and manage digital content, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Jan 2006
Sally Finley takes a lookat Go! Motion, a motion detector that connects directly to a computer's USB port to collect position, velocity and acceleration data for moving objects.
Reviewer Charles Doe takes a look at the Mobilepresenter BT, a wireless tablet used to annote presentations and run computers while a teacher or presenter is moving around a room.
In the last installment of the two-year run of Learning Unleashed!, Trevor Shaw looks back and takes stock of what they have accomplished over the past 2-and-a-half years of their technology infusion and integration program at his school.
In thinking about phones, Stephen Abram asks, "So, what does it mean when I see a short video of a kid keyboarding over 40 words per minutes with his thumbs on his phone? What does it mean when I call 411 and get Silicon Sally, who is just a computer but asks me questions and (mostly) understands and answers? And what's this got to do with learners?" And then he gives some answers!
Charlie Doe covers scanners in this "Look At ...," discussing how they can be effectively used and what you need to know about them to make an informed buying decision, then describing an array of scanners from "basic" to "multi-function."
The DIBELS assessment evaluates kindergartners and first-graders in six areas: word use fluency, initial sound fluency, letter naming fluency, phoneme segmentation fluency, oral reading fluency, and nonsense word fluency.
News/Breaking News - Posted 16 Nov 2005
Reviewer Charles Doe examines The New Classroom Jeopardy!
The SMART 600 series offers larger screen sizes, an easily accessed Help button, a hardware expansion slot, and new accessories.
Reviewer Sally Finley examines the Valiant Roamer Robot.
The tablet computer rollout--culmination of the Learning Unleashed! program--went off smoothly this fall for Trevor Shaw's school. In this column, he discusses how and why it worked out so well.
Charlie Doe looks at everything from computers, projectors, and printers to curriculum, tool, and security software in his latest Look At ... roundup.
As you might expect, Apple's latest iMac has all the ... well, the latest! Its features are those today's students want to play and work with, so, just to keep up to date, you may want to read this announcement on the iMac G5 via one of our Information Today, Inc. sister sites. (From Information Today, Inc.'s EMediaLive.com)
News/ITI Cross Links - Posted 19 Oct 2005
The standards-based activities are organized by state, subject area, grade level, and keyword for searching on SMART’s new Web site for educators.
News/Breaking News - Posted 14 Oct 2005
The new Gateway FPD2185W provides a 21-inch widescreen LCD flat-panel display that provides high-definition viewing at a price of $599.99.
News/Breaking News - Posted 10 Oct 2005
Olympus America, Inc. and Tool Factory, Inc., sponsors of a classroom grants program and a student photo contest designed to strengthen education through digital imaging and the power of visual learning, have announced deadlines and new details for new rounds of both programs.
News/Breaking News - Posted 29 Sep 2005
Trevor Shaw documents their plans in anticipation of "deployment," as the the first day of the 2005–06 school year and the initial rollout of their student tablet PC program approach.
The new Web site was specifically designed for tweens, to engage, entertain, and educate them about the features of the new FLY pentop computer.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 Jul 2005
Version 4.1 includes major enhancements to the software packages, which foster interactive classroom instruction and control and monitor student desktops.
News/Breaking News - Posted 20 Jul 2005
The FLY pentop computer offers a range of innovative applications for tweens (grades 3-8) to learn, communicate, and game.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Jul 2005
The company has added an authoring and game-sharing system to the Classroom Jeopardy package.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Jul 2005
The partnership, an extension of the Adobe Digital Kids Club program, is intended to make it easier for K-12 educators to take advantage of digital cameras and photo editing software in the classroom.
News/Breaking News - Posted 06 Jul 2005
This month, Trevor Shaw focuses again on the importance of the public relations aspect of his school’s tablet PC initiative—good PR gained largely through a substantive, all-faculty professional development day primarily planned and executed by the faculty themselves, that is.
Stephen Abram recounts several stories--under the headings "Tiny Gifts," "Tiny Libraries," and "Tiny Apps"--around the theme that small actions, or small technologies, can have a very large impact in the library and information world, and in the broader world as well.
The upgraded software expands educators’ options for developing and delivering questions and lessons using the classroom response system InterWrite PRS, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 28 Jun 2005
AlphaSmart Manager for Dana allows file and application management on up to 30 devices at once, and new system software functionality improves wireless file access and setup, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 24 Jun 2005
Inspiration’s visual learning software is now compatible with leading handheld computers, with the Pocket PC version joining Inspiration for Palm OS, launched last year.
News/Breaking News - Posted 22 Jun 2005
Local hosting allows schools/school districts to access unitedstreaming content and features via servers installed on site, decreasing the load on their Internet connection, the announcement states.
News/Breaking News - Posted 01 Jun 2005
Aimed at K-12 students and teachers, the two programs will award winners packages that include Olympus digital cameras, Tool Factory educational software, and cash.
News/Breaking News - Posted 19 May 2005
Using mCLASS reading assessment software and the Gear Up! reading series, teachers can assess students’ reading ability using a handheld computer, according to the announcement.
News/Breaking News - Posted 02 May 2005
Change can be hard to swallow, and the introduction of one-to-one computing has presented massive changes for virtually everyone involved in Trevor Shaw's school's technology initiative, Learning Unleashed. In this column, Shaw discusses their experiences with getting parents and teachers on board with the initiative, in the face of resistance to change. And he comments on new tactics they evolved that helped.
“We really are going to get this cupboard in better shape—eventually!” How many times have typical LMSs said that? Yet their software storage cupboards have probably never been ideally organized. Media specialists and technology staff discuss ways to manage networks, set up servers, or configure computers, but they don’t take much time to share ideas about how to organize the physical stuff in their cyber environments. In this issue's column, Mary Alice Anderson take time to do just that.
Streamingmedia.com author Mark Fritz writes how Cisco’s VoIP solutions help school districts consolidate their networks and make videoconferencing a reality. (From Information Today, Inc.'s Streamingmedia.com)
News/ITI Cross Links - Posted 02 Feb 2005
Staff technology training sessions can get bogged down if too much time is spent in direct instruction and not enough time is spent actually working on projects and discussing ideas of how to use the technology in classes. There are ways to avoid such pitfalls, however, and this month’s Learning Unleashed! column discusses some techniques … learned from experience.
To start the new calendar year with a trends and expectations story from a school librarian's point of view, we turned to library media activist, writer, conference presenter, and school library "presence" Pam Nutt. We asked Pam to query her colleagues and herself to find out, well, what's on their minds! What's affecting them and their profession, particularly--but not exclusively--in the area of technology. Read this feature to see what she told us.
The Neo is a portable, lightweight, and inexpensive computer "companion" that looks like a keyboard with a small screen attached.
Shaw discusses his 3-day workshop for teachers, which is designed for technology training and model effective teaching. The lack of time available for teachers to experiment with technology and to develop ideas is one of the biggest problem they seem to have about technology training, so he designed his workshop with a mix of direct instruction activities and unstructured time in order to give them their flexible, free time.
A comprehensive, integrated suite of CD- and DVD-burning tools.
You've learned the basic functions of your hand-held computer (or PDA—Personal Digital Assistant)—and now you're wondering what more you can do with it, or how you can improve its function.
In "Learning Unleashed!" Trevor Shaw is chronicling the progress of a multi-faceted technology initiative at the Dwight-Englewood School, a private K-12 day school in Bergen County, New Jersey. This issue's column focuses on introducing the school's board and staff to the concepts involved, and 30 of the staff to new tablet computers.
Go! Temp is a science tool that provides students with the opportunity to collect, examine, and calculate data using a sensor probe. The program allows data to be saved, displayed, graphed, analyzed, and recalled.
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