Missouri State Teachers Association

Study Buddy from Hamilton Electronics

This product from Hamilton Electronics is a cool tool for kids!  It is a new twist on flash cards that would really benefit the auditory learners in your classroom.  Retailing for $69.75, the kit includes a voice recording device, a unit stand, and 36 re-usable flash cards.  The cards look much like the pages of a photo album.  (Remember the clear plastic that sticks to white card stock?)  You can insert and remove pictures, symbols, words, etc. related to a lesson or unit of study.

     The Study Buddy takes five minutes or less to learn to operate.  I give it a wholehearted thumbs up!

Photo Animation and Computer Puppetry

     I hate to admit it, but I spent multiple hours yesterday test driving CrazyTalk5 software.  It rocks!  This product from REALLUSION allows you to animate photos/clip art (any image really) with relative ease.  The "getting started" instructions and embedded tutorials permitted me to animate a picture of myself in about 20 minutes.  I've not yet finessed the process, but I could see someone with attention to detail and a lot of time (i.e. kids) generating some really impressive work.

     The educator in me sees students using this software to bring story characters to life - especially characters they've developed through writing exercises.  I just wish I knew more about movie-making software, how to export these characters into other programs, etc.  I've got a LOT to learn.

     I give this software two thumbs up.  So does my dog, Ziggy.  I animated a digital picture of her, and her little ears perked up when I sat her in front of the computer to view it.  Much fun!

Tote & Go Laptop for Preschoolers

     Do preschoolers have the attention span necessary to play with a computer?  If so, this one may be perfect for them.  It includes 30 programs that teach young ones language, math, games, and music.  It looks much like any other laptop - including its own mouse and mouse pad.  And the price is right at $20.  I'll admit it.  If I had a child, I would probably purchase one!

Devices Enable Cheating

     Technology is creating new ways for students to cheat on quizzes and exams.  No longer are crib notes and answers written on shirt sleeves necessary for deceptive children.  Phone text messages and multi-media players are now banned in many public schools and institutions of higher learning.  I agree these devices should not be allowed in classrooms during assessments, but they may prove useful for study purposes.  You may remember my post about Grammar Girl.  Her podcasts would have been approved for use by my students!

     Another streamlined device I spotted today might be a cheater's dream.  Check out this pen-sized document scanner.  A clever student may discover a way to forward copies of a quiz or test to a good friend (or paying customer), should they be taking the same assessment at a later date. . .

An Offer From 'The Clicker Guys'

     I've given The Clicker Guys a thumbs up before.  (See post from January 9, 2007.)  It's time to give them kudos again.  This is a great offer:

HERE IS A GREAT WAY FOR YOU TO GET OUR SYSTEM VERY INEXPENSIVELY!!!

eInstruction has purchased FSCreations and their product ExamView.  With this acquisition, the integration of content and engagement has been made complete.   Your instructors can now provide very high level, quality questions for your students, tied to the Missouri Standards, to learning objectives and to depth of knowledge (Bloom’s), with the click of a button.  This service is a $3.50 per student annual cost, (minimum cost of $995.00 per building).   We are so sure of your satisfaction with this product, that if you will try it for one year, we will give you a $2,000.00 eInstruction Infrared 32 pad CPS system free.  In order to get the free system, at least one of your instructors needs to sit through a 90 minute webinar.   This promotion is a win/win situation for the schools, the instructors and the students.   

The promotion ends March 31st so give us a call and we will try to answer any and all questions you may have.

Thank you!

“The Clicker Guys”    

Lyle and Larry

Lyle   316-650-2720 or 877-254-2531 toll free cell number

Larry 316-992-0600

Tech Trends in Education

     Are you ready for the next wave of educational technology?  A report from New Media Consortium and EDUCAUSE pinpoints six trends to watch over the next five years:

• user-created content;
• social networking;
• mobile phones;
• virtual worlds
• new scholarship and emerging forms of publication; and
• massively multiplayer educational gaming.

     There seems to be a "love-hate" relationship between education and a number of the items mentioned above - specifically, social networking and mobile phones.  Recent media reports show growing concern about cell phone use during instructional time.  In fact, I've written about the issue ("Students May be Fined for Ringing Cell Phones"  September 13, 2006).  And although I've attended networking opportunities at conventions and seminars, who knew a parallel would be drawn between them and My Space?

     The good news is that some teachers and administrators are embracing technology that seems second nature to kids today.  If they can harness the energy spent on gaming and make it relevant to curriculum, there's no telling what students may achieve!

Microsoft Tools for Educators

     Technology-savvy teachers welcome the opportunity to develop their own educational programs, but time and cost are prohibitive.  Microsoft hopes to rectify the matter with a software environment called "Grava."

January 30, 2007—Microsoft is developing a new suite of tools that will allow developers and publishers of educational software, as well as educators themselves, to create their own instructional programs easily and intuitively, the company says. Users would control these programs on their computer screens, using a media player that Microsoft expects will ship with all Windows-based computers in the near future. The entire software environment is code-named "Grava."

The Grava development tools, which Microsoft previewed at the British Education and Training Technology Conference in mid-January, are meant to stand alone as separate applications. A Grava SDK (Software Developer Kit) tool is designed for publishers and developers of educational software, while a different authoring tool will give those with less programming experience--such as many educators--the ability to create their own media-rich content to be viewed with the Grava player, Microsoft says.

Click here to read the rest of this article from eSchool News.

Video Games 101

According to this article in PC Magazine, professor David Williamson Shaffer of the University of Wisconsin at Madison is recommending that schools implement the use of video games in US classrooms.  His argument is that it helps prepare students for future employment by immersing them in handling different types of technology.  He has agreements with schools in Madison and Chicago to test his theories.

What do you think? 
Do kids get enough access to technology at home?
Should schools be buying an X-Box for use in classrooms?
Do the gains in fine motor skills balance out the mind numbing content of some games?

The Clicker Guys

     It isn't often I leave a business meeting having had fun, but that was certainly the case yesterday.  "The Clicker Guys" (okay, just one of the two) visited MSTA to demonstrate a classroom performance system which puts a remote device in the hands of each student.  Instructors use a hand held chalkboard to guide students through questions via software displayed by an LCD projector.

     This is Q & A kicked up a notch, folks!  When a question is asked or presented on screen,  students log in answers on their remote device.  The display indicates when all students have responded, then reveals the right answer and the percentage of students who answered correctly/incorrectly.  (Think America's Funniest Home Videos - "Lock in your choice now. . .")

     Additionally, the software creates hard copy tests, generates reports about individual student performance, and links material to state standards (per teacher input).  The software is helpful without the clicker set, and you may download it free from www.eInstruction.com.  It is definitely worth checking out!

For more information, call toll free 877-254-2531.

Flight Simulator - Education Style!

     I can't believe it!  A classroom management simulator has been designed for teachers in training.  This virtual class of difficult students marries computer technology with role playing.  It may be a decent tool for those preparing to be educators.  Who wouldn't want practice in discipline or crisis management?  Of course, the skeptic in me sees evil purposes for this technology down the road. . . veteran teachers asked to prove their worth for performance-based evaluation. . . Can you imagine a due process hearing for a teacher (cited as incompetent) including an on-the-spot journey into this Neverland?  Yikes!