Tips for improving your personal learning network How to make 1:1 strategies really pay off VOLUME 30 NUMBER 7
techlearning.com
IDEAS AND TOOLS FOR ED TECH LEADERS
Latest Gear Announced at BETT and FETC Product Guide: Best Web Filters
FEBRUARY 2010
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Tablets Sony Dash
Lenovo U1
Fujitsu LifeBook T900
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FEATURES
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FEBRUARY 2010 | VOL. 30 NO. 7
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PRODUCTS
SCHOOL CIO: Making 1:1 Work Despite their avid loyalties to different hardware devices, these school administrators concur on one-to-one strategy: successful advocacy and implementation of one-to-one programs must focus on educational vision and goals, and educators must frame the issues and solve the problems.
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Put to the Test: T&L editors take some new products for a test drive. 24 Texthelp Fluency Tutor 24 Aspen Open Learning 25 Google Squared 25 Epson Brightlink
By Pam Derringer
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Taking Control You’d be hard-pressed to find a school or district today that doesn’t apply some level of Internet filtering to protect its PCs. For this month’s roundup, we asked districts to tell us why their Web-filtering solution is the best fit for their needs. By Ellen Ullman
40 What’s New
A-List Education • Aven • Chief Manufacturing’s new mount • Crestron MP-AMP30 • eBeam software upgrade • ELMO Doc-Tor • Vernier Mini Gas Chromatograph • HP SchoolCloud • K2 Logistics • My Virtual Tutor—Reading • SAFARI Montage new video titles • SMART Notebook Express • Texas Instruments DLP Pico technology smartphone • and more
DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS 8 Editor’s Desk Time To Go Global
10 News & Trends • Next Big Thing: Time for Tablets • More Teachers Digitally Inclined • Online-Learning Study • Web Tools for Enhancing • • • •
Collaboration Education Apps for Smartphones 8 Free and Easy Ways to Begin Educating Innovatively Sites We Like Back-Office Business
20 How It’s Done: Blended PD Combining online and offline lessons is the key to successful professional development in Texas.
50 They said it: The PLN Spirograph T&L blogger Jennifer Wagner discusses how a Personal Learning Network (PLN) can grow like a Spirograph using various Web 2.0 tools for networking. Tech & Learning (ISSN-1053-6728) (USPS 695-590) is published monthly by NewBay Media, LLC 810 Seventh Ave., 27th Floor, New York, NY 10019 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tech & Learning, PO Box 8746, Lowell, MA 01853 Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Copyright ©2010 NewBay Media, LLC All Rights Reserved.
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FEBRUARY 2010
[email protected] Professional development, funding, and free stuff: Check out our Web offerings from teachers, administrators, and tech coordinators.
VISIT THE MOST-READ STORIES ON
TECHLEARNING.COM 100 Web Tools to Enhance Collaboration (Part 1) Explore these free Web 2.0 tools from T&L blogger Ozge Karaoglu.
Online-Learning Study Looks at Research Read the results of this online learning report, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning, from the U.S. Department of Education.
Exploring the Picasa Interface Picasa is a software download from Google that helps you organize, edit, and share your photos. Visit techlearning.com for other free tutorials, courtesy of Atomic Learning.
The PLN Spirograph T&L blogger Jen Wagner discusses how a Personal Learning Network (PLN) can grow like a Spirograph using various Web 2.0 tools for networking.
Put to the Test: Math Solutions
ondemand Take a look at the following resources from our partner sites:
RESOURCES Industry Leadership Showcase Sponsored by Tech & Learning Partners
Awards of Excellence Winners Product Gallery
FEATURED eBOOK
T&L reviewers took Supporting English Language Learners in Math Class out for a test-drive. Visit www.techlearning.com to read a new review each week.
What We’re Learning From TechnologyTransformed Schools
14 Ways K-12 Librarians Can Teach Social Media
Sponsored by Project RED
By Joyce Valenza
For librarians, and for most other professionals, the game has changed. There is no textbook for new practice, and it is absolutely true that some of us are a little more retooled than others. Nevertheless, there are at least 14 retooled learning strategies that teacher-librarians should be sharing with classroom teachers and learners.
8 Free and Easy Ways to Begin Educating Innovatively By Lisa Nielsen
There is a lot at stake if educators don’t believe their in-the-past reality. The big disconnect comes because today’s digital native students know that if it’s designed right, it doesn’t require a manual, training, or a lot of money.
Follow us on TWITTER (techlearning) and FACEBOOK (Tech&Learning Magazine)
ARCHIVED WEBINARS Forensics: Identifying, Investigating, and Prosecuting Online Misconduct in Your School Sponsored by Lightspeed Systems
Engaging Students in Video Production and Moviemaking in the Classroom Sponsored by Sony Check techlearning.com for updates.
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editor’s desk
FEBRUARY 2010 | VOL. 30 NO. 7 Publisher: Allison Knapp
[email protected]; (510) 868-5074; Fax: (650) 238-0263 EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Kevin Hogan
[email protected] TIME TO GO GLOBAL Over 30,000 visitors and 600 vendors converged upon The Olympia Exhibition Centre in the Kensington neighborhood of London last month for BETT (British Education and Training Technology), the largest education technology conference in the world. For four days, educators from around the planet shared best practices in seminars, strolled through demos of the latest and greatest ed tech product releases, and networked.
Managing Editor: Christine Weiser
[email protected] Editorial Interns: Amir Hardy, Clea Mahoney Senior Art Director: Nicole Cobban
[email protected] Art Director: Annmarie LaScala Contributing Editors: Jeffrey Branzburg, Judy Salpeter, Gwen Solomon Custom Editorial Director: Gwen Solomon
[email protected] ADVISORS David Warlick, Ryan Bretag, Patrick Higgins, David Andrade, Dean Shareski, Scott Meech, Kim Cofino, Darren Draper, Terry Freedman, Cheryl Oakes, Bob Sprankle, Lisa Thumann, Jen Wagner, Lisa Nielsen TECHLEARNING.COM
Never heard of BETT? You must be from “The States,” as the British say. While there were many U.S.-based vendors hawking their wares, there was otherwise a complete absence of American contribution or influence. Call it the World Cup effect—delegates from Africa, the Gulf States, Asia, and Europe were all active and enthused participants, but the Yanks were nowhere to be seen.
Web Production: Minnick Web Services Assistant Web Editor: Diana Restifo ADVERTISING SALES East Coast Sales Manager: Caliann Mitoulis
[email protected]; (215) 370-5813 MARKETING AND EVENTS Marketing Manager: Jared Stearns
[email protected] Director of Events: Diana Milbert Production Manager: Fred Vega
[email protected] This shouldn’t be the case. As a first-time attendee, I was overwhelmed with new ideas. Did you know the Danish government has dictated that pupils now have full access to the Internet during their final school exams? But I also felt a need to express that schools and districts here in the U.S. have innovative ideas that would benefit school systems on other continents as well.
CIRCULATION
For our part, Tech & Learning is going to concentrate on expanding its international coverage. Starting in March, look for our World Report coverage in the News&Trends section. And be sure to go online and read the insightful writings of our international advisors, including Terry Freedman from the UK, Dean Shareski from Canada, Kim Cofino in Malaysia, and our newest contributor Ozge Karaoglu in Istanbul, Turkey. We all have a lot to learn from each other.
For general editorial correspondence:
[email protected] Group Circulation Director: Denise Robbins
[email protected] Circulation Director: Anne Drobish
[email protected] REPRINTS AND PERMISSIONS Wright’s Reprints: (877) 652-5295 EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING OFFICES 810 Seventh Ave., 27th Floor, New York, NY 10019 Phone: (212) 378-0400; Fax: (650) 238-0263
NEWBAY MEDIA LLC—CORPORATE President & CEO: Steve Palm Chief Financial Officer: Paul Mastronardi NEWBAY MEDIA K-12 EDUCATION GROUP Vice President, Group Publishing Director: Adam Goldstein Publisher: Allison Knapp Editorial Director: Kevin Hogan Editorial/Creative Director: Anthony Savona Web Editor: Rob Granger Web Production Specialist: Ashley Vermillion SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION $29.95 per year in the U.S. $59.90 for two years. $39.95 in Canada and Mexico. $69.95 in all other countries. To subscribe: (888) 266-5828 or www.techlearning.com
Kevin Hogan Editorial Director
www.techlearning.com
N THE WEB
www.techlearning.com
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newstrends
by T&L editors
nextbigthing Sony’s Dash
Time for Tablets If the buzz at last month’s CES and FETC technology trade shows was any indication, tablet PCs, aka eReaders on steroids, are about to challenge netbooks to be the ultimate one-to-one solution in future classrooms. As of press time, the Apple tablet was still a rumor. But most other manufacturers showed off new gear including: Microsoft and HP announced a “Slate PC,” which includes a big touch screen and sleek design and runs Windows 7. Sony’s 7-inch Dash tablet is a $199 “personal Internet viewer.” It includes more than 1,000 free apps and a 7-inch LCD touch screen.
Lenovo’s U1
Lenovo’s U1 touch-screen tablet runs Android and clips into a keyboard to become a netbook. Fujitsu’s LifeBook T900 Multi-Touch Convertible Tablet PC sports a 13.3-inch display, weighs 4.5 pounds, and includes optional dual digitizer with support for gestures including zoom, rotate, and flicks.
For more details and release updates, go to techlearning.com.
Fujitsu’s LifeBook T900
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newstrends More teachers digitally inclined
76% 80% 72%
of K-12 educators say they use digital media (up from 69% in 2008). of K-12 teachers who use digital media in the classroom are frequent or regular users. of K-12 teachers increasingly stream or download content from the Internet (up from 65% in 2008).
” report, “Digitally Inclined, SOURCE: National research iates LLC for PBS. compiled by Grunwald Assoc
T&L ASKS READERS If you could wish for one thing this year, which of these would top the list? 24.36%
More professional development
18.38%
More buy-in (admin, parents, students)
37.61%
More money for technology
ONLINE-LEARNING STUDY LOOKS AT RESEARCH Online learning is one of the fastest-growing trends in educational uses of technology, according to the report “Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies,” recently released by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development (www. ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ ppss/reports.html). The research literature (1996 to July 2008) found more than 1,000 empirical studies of online learning. Most available studies suggest the following: ■ Blended and purely online learning conditions implemented within a single study generally result in similar student-learning outcomes. ■ Elements such as video and online quizzes do not appear to influence the amount that students learn in online classes. ■ Online learning can be enhanced by giving learners control of their interactions with media and prompting learner reflection. ■ Providing guidance for learning for groups of students appears less successful than using such mechanisms with individual learners.
19.66%
More appreciation
See more polls at techlearning.com.
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newstrends Web Tools for Enhancing Collaboration by Ozge Karaoglu
Collaborate is one of the most often used terms in education, and there is no better way to collaborate than with 2.0 Web tools. Here are some favorites: ■ DABBLEBOARD is a whiteboard that enables you to visualize, explore, and collaborate. Just draw as you would on a whiteboard and you can easily share your ideas. ■ COSKETCH is another collaborative whiteboard program, and you don’t
have to register or install anything. It works in all browsers, it’s real-time, and you can get an embed code for your drawing after you finish. ■ STIXY lets you create an online bulletin board on which to collaborate
with family, friends, and colleagues. You can share pictures, files, reminders, and notes using widgets whose sizes and colors you can change—and it’s free. ■ GROU.PS lets you create your own social network. You can create your forum and your mailing list; share documents, files, and your agenda to organize events; have your own YouTube; and share links, bookmarks, and photos. You can have real-time chat, and you can let the users have subgroups. Free. ■ NING is the one of the best sites for creating and joining new social networks that interest us. ■ IMAGINATIONCUBED is a multiuser drawing tool. You can use a pen, stamps, shapes, lines, or type.
Sites We Like: learn.genetics. utah.edu/content/ tech/cloning/ clickandclone/ Practice the steps of cloning in this interactive animation. The
■ If you are using Twitter, you may want to try GROUPTWEET. It lets you turn your Twitter account into a group communication tool where everyone in the group uses direct messaging. When a member gets a DM, GroupTweet turns it into a new tweet that all followers in the group can see. ■ WALLWISHER is an online noticeboard maker. Use this tool to make announcements and keep notes. You can use links, pictures, music, video, and pages. You don’t have to register. ■ PAGEFLAKES is a social personalized homepage that you can customize
by using “flakes” of all your Web favorites. You can add Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, photos, music, videos, calendar, to-do list, message board, and RSS feed. ■ WETOKU is an interview tool that automatically records interviews to play them back. You can embed it and share it with others. ■ SPRINGNOTE is an online notebook for collaboration. You can write down your ideas, create to-do lists, schedule, and work together on projects. It also has an iPhone application. ■ MEBEAM is a place where you can create your own chat room. You just type the name of the room and tell people to meet you there.
breeds, various types of tools, and specific procedures are outlined in this colorful site.
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Read Ozge Karaoglu’s full list on the T&L Advisor blog at techlearning.com.
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FREE AND EASY WAYS TO BEGIN EDUCATING INNOVATIVELY
The following tools are all free and easy to use. This means there’s no cost, nothing to download, no CDs, no manuals, and no training. Additionally, for students there is no email required, no registration, and no log in. STUDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM: POLL EVERYWHERE Poll Everywhere allows teachers to collect up to 32 responses per poll. Students can respond either by texting their answer to 99503, tweeting their answer to @poll, navigating to poll4.com on a smartphone, or simply
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clicking on their answer on the teacher’s online space i.e. blog, wiki, website. WRITING-LEVEL TOOLS: READINGLEVEL CHECK IN GOOGLE DOCS Google Docs provides three indicators of the reading level of the document you’re creating. They calculate the Flesch Reading Ease, the FleschKincaid Grade Level, and the Automatic Readability Index. READING-LEVEL TOOLS: LEXILE FIND A BOOK This free tool allows users to type in any book and find the reading level of that book, or type in their reading level
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and interest and build a custom reading list for that subject. INTERACTIVE-WHITEBOARD ALTERNATIVE: PROJECTOR ONLY Use a laptop and projector to mimic the benefits of an interactive whiteboard.
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VIDEO/AUDIO CONFERENCING: TINYCHAT Tinychat is a free service that provides text-, audio-, and video-chat rooms. Users don’t need special software to join in, don’t need and email, and do not need to register. The teacher selects the url, provides it to students who can type it in and instantly enter the room. ONLINE BULLETIN BOARD: WALLWISHER Wallwisher allows you to leave virtual sticky notes in one place on the Web. Participants don’t need to register or join to participate. Unlike physical sticky notes, on Wallwisher, you can embed hyperlinks, pictures, and video.
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6 We hear a lot about iPhone apps, but there are plenty of apps for Palm phones that are useful in education: BASICS: ■ Dictionary ■ Thesaurus ■ Docs to Go (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) ■ Calculators ■ Teacher and student organizers WEB OS RESOURCES (PALM PRE AND PIXI): ■ Precentral: single best resource for Palm Pre and Pixi and WebOS ■ Homebrew apps for WebOS: more than 300, including conversion calculators, organizing tools, and periodic table ■ World Atlas ■ World Factbook (information about countries) ■ Classtracker (student grade and assignment tracker) ■ Scientific Calculator
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Education Apps for Smartphones
SCREEN-CAPTURE RECORDING: SCREENJELLY ScreenJelly is a free tool that enables you to record your screen activity with your voice, so you can spread it instantly by sharing a url, tweeting, or sharing on Facebook. You begin recording with one click of a mouse. TALKING AVATARS: VOKI Voki is a terrific tool that enables students to share a message using an animated avatar that talks created using either their writing or their own voice recorded right from their laptop or phone. Students design their avatar’s appearance, add their voice, and can pop it into any web2.0 compatible site
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8 ■ Stopwatch/timer ■ Word of the Day: great resource for helping students learn new words and strengthen vocabulary ■ Periodic table ■ Unit Conversions
— David Andrande
—Lisa Nielsen, The Innovative Educator http://TheInnovativeEducator.blogspot.com
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newstrends
BACK-OFFICE BUSINESS: HOW SCHOOLS GET IT DONE Wireless overhaul yields improved reliability, simplicity
Ohio schools add wind energy, save thousands a year
PROBLEM: Harrisonburg City Public Schools, located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, used Netgear and Apple wireless access points, but maintaining wireless coverage was a challenge. SOLUTION: The school chose Aerohive wireless solutions and divided the wireless LAN into separate networks. One provides secure faculty access to the student-management system; another is for a library cataloging system that enables wireless scanning to check books in and out; and a third is for guest access.
PROBLEM: Perkins Local Schools in Sandusky, Ohio, contended with an outdated and inefficient infrastructure. Along with improving it, the district wanted to reduce its dependence on traditional energy sources. SOLUTION: Perkins turned to energy-services provider Honeywell to better understand the renewable landscape. The company helped the district analyze several options by using its Renewable Energy Scorecard. The district then worked from a financial forecast based on tax implications, rebates, subsidies, and other incentives for renewables, such as solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal. The resulting project is expected to generate operational and maintenance savings of around $56,000 a year without a loss of maintenance personnel.
New England schools improve literacy while kids have fun PROBLEM: How to build strong foundational reading skills in nearly 1,700 schools and learningresource centers across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. SOLUTION: These schools selected the Lexia Reading program, which offers more than 900 activities for reading-skills development. Margaret Adams, director of Balanced Literacy and Title I at Malden Public Schools in Massachusetts, particularly likes the small-group instruction and Response to Intervention. Pamela Rosenberg of the Bridgeport (CT) Public Schools said they’ve been so pleased with the results, the schools expanded their program to include students in grades one through three district-wide.
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California educators honored for communication excellence PROBLEM: How to merge four north Sacramento area school districts into a new district of 27,000 students in 54 schools, covering 120 square miles. SOLUTION: The administrators created a communication model that included measurable results, face-toface communication, and a vision for expanding ways to communicate. They showed parents and communities the benefits of their vision for the future of the schools and for their children’s education. This effort led the Twin Rivers Unified School District to be named the 2010 recipient of the Leadership Through Communication Award from the AASA.
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newstrends How It’s Done
Blended PD Working in Texas Four years ago, the La Joya (TX) Independent School District was given a direct order from its new Board of Education members: improve the early childhood (pre-K and kindergarten) programs. At the time the district’s 95 pre-K and 110 kindergarten classrooms were overcrowded, pre-K was half-day, and there was no professional development (PD) in place. To make matters more challenging, 97 percent of the students had limited English proficiency. “We had to come up with a PD solution—fast,” says Isaias Rodriguez, pre-K Early Start grant director. His answer? A blended offering of face-to-face mentoring and online courses. The courses were developed by professionallearning firm Teachscape and the Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas, Houston. Rodriguez started the training with 19 pre-K teachers. Twice a month, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., they attended classes at one of the district’s computer labs. The mentor projected the online courses and guided the teachers while they worked independently, viewing, conducting research, and writing. Since Teachscape is Web-based, the teachers had access to the courses at school
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Isaias Rodriguez makes sure his teachers are trained to reach every learner.
and at home. Mentors were able to look at everyone’s accounts, post personally to each teacher, and check on that teacher’s progress. The courses, ranging from classroom management to phonological awareness to written expression, included videos of teachers in action. In addition, the mentors visited classrooms and worked with teachers to implement the strategies they’d learned in class. Often the mentors posed questions in class that the teachers then worked on throughout
Online PD Options Atomic Learning www.atomiclearning.com Custom Guide www.customguide.com Knowledge Delivery Systems www.kdsi.org LearnKey www.learnkey.com PBS Teacherline www.pbs.org/teacherline s PD 360 www.schoolimprovement.com Pearson www.mypearsontraining.com Solution Tree www.solution-tree.com
the month. The teachers posted their thoughts online and chatted with each other. “This ongoing collaboration provided a strong foundation for teachers across the district,” says Rodriguez. “My first year here, I put in about 100 hours of PD,” says Carolina Elizondo, who has taught pre-K at La Joya since 2007. “To see a video of someone doing what you’re doing helps so much. You can watch it and think about how you’ll modify it so it works for your kids.” Now in its fourth year of delivering strong early-childhood PD, the district has invited first-grade educators, bringing the total number of instructors to 229. Rodriguez is thrilled that his district places so much emphasis on PD, and early results indicate that the approach is working. Students’ scores increased dramatically on the 2007-2008 district assessments, and letter and vocabulary recognition have risen. “Students’ skills are much more developed by the time they take their first assessment, in kindergarten,” he says. “We are seeing a lot of growth in these areas.”
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www.techlearning.com/section/30thanniversary
As part of our 30th anniversary celebrations, Tech & Learning will be compiling a compendium of the most important people in the creation and advancement of the use of technology in education. Our first 30 honorees will be plucked from the past—the founding fathers and mothers whose inventions, declarations, and theories set the table for where we are today. Here’s a sampling of the kinds of innovators we’ll be profiling: ■ ALBERT BANDURA did pioneering research on social learning theory early in his five-decade career at Stanford Univeristy. His current research focuses on the influential role of people's beliefs in their ability to exercise control over their lives in their self-development and self-renewal throughout their life course. ■ CRAIG R. BARRETT retired last year from Intel Corp. as CEO and chairman of the board after a 35-year career, but his passion continues to be inspiring future generations of learners. ■ BENJAMIN S. BLOOM and co-workers at Chicago University developed a six-step stairway to learning that helped classify educational objectives and the theory of mastery learning. ■ ROBERT MILLS GAGNÉ began to develop his “conditions of learning” as a research manager at the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense following World War II. Throughout his career, the educational psychologist greatly added to the knowledge of instructional design.
Watch for the first in this profile series in our March issue, and visit online weekly to see who will be added to the list. Did we miss someone? Take our online reader poll to tell us who you want to see on this list.
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PRODUCTREVIEWS
Put to the Test T&L editors take some new products for a test drive PRODUCT: TEXTHELP SYSTEMS FLUENCY TUTOR www.texthelp.comRetail price: Starting at $2,245 per school, first year; $745, each year after. Discounts available for multi-year purchase. Fluency Tutor is an online software solution for students developing, and teachers assessing, oral reading fluency. The product incorporates passages that align to MetaMetrics Lexile Framework for Reading and includes tools for practicing, assessing, and measuring fluency. Students listen to passages being read aloud with textto-speech voices and practice their own reading. When ready, they record assessments for teachers to listen to and mark. Several graphical reports are available to show students’ progress. PROS: The software allows teachers to select exercises of the right difficulty for each pupil and to record his or her progress.
Teachers can evaluate the fluency errors made, words correct per minute, and level of prosody (expression of reading) for every student. The system is also available to teachers and students at home. CONS: To be truly effective, the product requires complete buy-in from all reading teachers. A school must also have enough computers available for students to practice and take assessments. OVERALL EVALUATION: Every school should have a program like this Fluency Tutor to help students learn to read. This one is as good as, or better than, most I have seen. —Joe Huber
PRODUCT: ASPEN LEARNING OPENCLASSROOM SERVERS www.aspenlearning.comRetail price: OCS-Class, $1,200; OCS-School, $3,500; OCS-Cloud, $2/student/year The OpenClassroom Server (OCS) places the teacher in control of an easily managed local Web 2.0 environment. The OCS lets the teacher and students carry out research, communication, collaboration, publication, and other network-based functions through an intuitive interface and provides classroom-level management and control. The OCS can be connected to a network that is also connected to the Internet, which allows students to search the OCS and the Internet simultaneously. PROS: Retrieving the cached data is very fast. Three models offer a price range for every use. The teacher can select what information can be stored on the OCS. Extra security is provided for wikis, blogs, and forums on the Class OCS-School and OCS-Class models since both provide local storage. Audio/video content that has been downloaded to the server can be more quickly accessed from the OCS server. This not only saves time but also external bandwidth.
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CONS: The cloud model does not have the same speed and security. OVERALL EVALUATION: Overall evaluation: The OCS-Class and OCS-School provide a speedy, safe, and secure learning environment, while the OCS-Cloud offers the benefits of being managed and hosted by the company. —Joe Huber
W W W.T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M
PRODUCT: GOOGLE SQUARED www.google.com/squaredPrice: free Google Squared works just like the regular Google Search: Type in a search term and you are presented with results. What is different is how the results are presented and what you can do with the data. Google Squared presents the results in table form. Results are organized horizontally by several pieces of information (or what Google calls attributes.) All the results in each of the columns come from different places on the Web. You can find the source of the information for each result and attribute by clicking the link in the square. (Remind students that it’s always a good idea to check where information is coming from.) PROS: You can designate which attributes you want displayed. There are suggestions for attributes, or you can type in your own. If you don’t like or don’t need one of the search results, press the X and it goes away. Your search results are customized for your needs or what your students need. CONS: This product is still a baby, so there will be mistakes and search results
that just don’t fit until the product matures. OVERALL EVALUATION: Google Squared changes the way students find information on the Web, and the ability to customize the search makes it a good tool for research and developing information literacy. —Steven W. Anderson
PRODUCT: EPSON BRIGHTLINK 450WI www.epson.com/brightlinkRetail price: less than $2,000 Epson’s BrightLink 450Wi is an intelligent projector that allows educators to turn any standard whiteboard or smooth wall into an interactive-learning area. This enables educators to easily integrate interactive capabilities and eliminates the need to purchase and install dedicated interactive whiteboards. The ultra-short-throw Epson BrightLink 450Wi interactive projector comes with two digital infrared pens and wall-mount hardware for easy installation. PROS: The BrightLink 450Wi has all the functionality of an interactive whiteboard without the cost or trouble of mounting an IWB. The projector can be permanently mounted as close as 2.8 inches to the wall. It is easy to set up, and the controls are well defined. Because of the USB plug-and-play, there is no need to use a VGA cable to project when using a Windows PC or Mac. The BrightLink 450Wi projects in native wide-screen aspect ratio as well as 4:3 aspect ratio. The built-in microphone input for voice amplification is good for narrating presentations. CONS: It would be nice if this projector included auto keystone adjustment, as found in other Epson projectors (users can adjust keystone manually). The built-in speakers may not amplify enough for all locations. Users must use the pen to
manipulate objects, versus the finger-touch technology found in some IWBs. OVERALL EVALUATION: In addition to providing the functionality of an IWB, the BrightLink 450Wi projects an image larger than that of most IWBs. The variety of inputs and the clarity of the controls make the product an excellent choice for any school looking for an ultra-short-throw projector with interactive functionality. —Joe Huber
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from denisbul A DV E R TO R I A L
21st Century Educators A Professional Development Plan to Help Your Teachers Learn the Skills Phase 1 of 4: Tech Training & How-To Support Students need 21st century skills to succeed and compete in today’s global workplace. In order for teachers to help their students learn these skills, they need a solid understanding of the skills themselves and the ability to integrate them into their classrooms. The four phases of a professional development solution for 21st century teachers are to provide tech training and how-to support, understand gaps in the training, develop skills, and analyze progress. This series of guides will address the four phases. According to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the professional development needed for teachers: ■ Highlights ways teachers can seize opportunities for integrating 21st century skills, tools and teaching strategies into their classroom practice—and help
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them identify what activities they can replace/de-emphasize. ■ Balances direct instruction with project-oriented teaching methods. ■ Illustrates how a deeper understanding of subject matter can actually enhance problem-solving, critical thinking, and other 21st century skills. Juggling new techniques and new technologies as well as addressing standards and aligning instruction with assessments is no simple task. Tech directors, staff developers, and others
charged with helping teachers gain these skills can start by providing handson assistance and support. How can you make it happen? Start by breaking it down into the essentials below. HELP TEACHERS: ■ Decide on a focus or a curriculum area to promote learning 21st century skills. ■ Think about how they want to use technology to enhance student learning of curriculum and 21st century skills.
A DV E R TO R I A L
■ Create a record of what they discover as they employ technology. ■ Determine what worked, what didn’t and why. ■ Find the right resources to help them improve their skills. VISIT THEIR CLASSROOM: ■ Record what you see. ■ Share what you found (without making value judgments). ■ Help them think about it. ■ Provide the resources to help them do it differently. DEMONSTRATE: ■ Ask for a topic they need to cover. ■ Point them to resources they can use to learn on demand and repeat as needed. ■ Make sure everything works. ■ Provide step-by-step instructions. ■ Observe the lesson and provide constructive feedback. ■ Repeat until the teacher is comfortable. Even reluctant teachers begin to understand the value of using technology to promote learning 21st century skills when they see how it motivates students and provides an effective vehicle for delivering instruction. Start simply; if a lesson is aligned to standards, addresses assessment parameters, and demonstrates that it is a great way to present the topic and teach or reinforce 21st century skills, teachers will sign on for the next one. If the teacher can access the right
resources—ones that allow them to learn how to use the technology they need and review whenever they want in small easy steps to learn—they’ll be prepared, comfortable, and eager to move forward. WHAT ARE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS? The world is changing and with it, the meaning of work and what students need to know and be able to do to succeed in the future are changing too. According to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the abilities students will need are comprised of four areas: core subjects and 21st century themes; learning and innovation skills; informa-
tion, media, and technology skills, and life and career skills. To start with, students must acquire both traditional subject learning and understanding of global awareness, financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy; civic literacy; health literacy, and environmental literacy. 21st century skills also include learning and innovation skills such as creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, and communication and collaboration. They include information, media, and technology skills such as information literacy, media literacy, and technology literacy. Students must also acquire life and career skills that include flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social and cross-cultural skills, productivity and accountability, and leadership and responsibility. In order to understand how these skills relate to what they should be doing in their classrooms, teachers can access resources whenever they want that will help them acquire the skills that they need. For example, Atomic Learning provides online professional development on-demand, 21st century skills training, and other technology integration resources.
LEARN MORE Visit http://al.atomiclearning.com/ tech_training for technology training tutorials and more information.
The challenge for schools today is to develop 21st century-ready students, and the solution is to start with the teachers.
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Strategies for K-12 Technology Leaders
Strategies for K-12 Leaders
Making
1:1
WORK
Whether involving laptops or netbooks, one-to-one strategy has to be led by educators by Pam Derringer In Maine, they do one-to-one with laptops. But in California’s Saugus Union School District, they prefer netbooks. Despite their avid loyalties to different hardware devices, these school administrators, on opposite coasts, concur on one-to-one strategy: successful advocacy and implementation of one-to-one programs must focus on educational vision and goals, and educators must frame the issues and solve the problems. “One-to-one is not a tech project,” says Jeff Mao, technology director for the Maine Department of Education. “IT staffs focus on speed, availability, and tech support. That’s why one-to-one should be run by the academic com-
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munity, developing solutions that will help achieve educational goals” instead of by IT staffs, he says, who might incorrectly conclude that a request is too difficult or not worth the effort. In 2002, Maine became the first state to implement a statewide one-toone program, buying an Apple MacBook laptop for every middleschool student (seventh and eighth grades) at a cost of $40 million for the first four years and $13 million a year thereafter. The motivation for Maine’s program, which was spearheaded by then governor Angus King, was to attract business and spur economic development through the creation of a tech-literate workforce. The state’s one-to-one passed a criti-
cal milestone last fall, when 55 percent of local districts agreed to pick up the tab to expand the program to their high schools, despite the erosion of local tax bases during the current economic downturn. Maine’s oneto-one remains the nation’s only statewide program currently funded; Pennsylvania cut all funds for a newer, similar program last summer. Started in middle school to prevent
from denisbul
www.schoolcio.com Strategies for K-12 Leaders
experimentation that could jeopardize college admissions, Maine’s laptop program has demonstrated that it helps teachers prepare lessons and boosts student learning, especially, Mao says, when the laptops are used for writing or collaborative, interactive learning and not simply as word processors (which has sometimes been the case). For example, one middle school used MacBooks for a class river expedition, analyzing water quality, collecting other data, interviewing experts, and making a movie. Another middle school used them to study greenhouse gases; the online research expanded into field trips, interviews, and political lobbying on behalf of the environment. Alice Barr, instructional-technology integrator at Yarmouth (ME) High School, says that one-to-one has already been expanded to her award-winning school (which Newsweek ranked fifth in New England), one grade at a time, starting with the freshmen who had used MacBooks as eighth graders in 2002-2003. A relatively affluent, professional community, Yarmouth has funded the MacBook purchases through a technology line item in the local budget every year. The laptops have changed the way tional potential and concern about the Yarmouth High students study and computers’ disrupting classroom instruclearn; kids collaborate in video chattion. According to Klein, Saugus Union’s study groups at night, becoming so director of information services and techclose-knit that, Barr recalls, one student nology, laptops require constantly bemoaned the loss of an AP history recharging batteries; replacing the units, group at the end of the school year. The which are easily damaged; solving operbiggest difference she’s seen with one- ating-system problems; and maintaining for K-12 Leadersa complex support infrastructure. to-one is that studentsStrategies have more confidence and are more willing to tackle difficult problems and brainstorm solutions with their classmates. Meanwhile, in the 11,000-student Saugus Union School District, northeast of Los Angeles, Jim Klein had been watching Maine’s one-to-one experiment from the get-go with a mixture of excitement about its educa-
“Laptops are a logistical nightmare in the classroom,” he says. “The reality is that implementation is very challenging. But you’re never going to hear that from a one-to-one district.” Nevertheless, recognizing the potential of portable devices to make education more relevant and student driven, Klein successfully made the case for the district to spend Title 2D NCLB funds to buy 1,700 Asus EEE netbooks, one for every fourth grader, in January 2009. The netbooks, which run on a Saugus-customized version of Ubuntu Linux software, cost about $300 apiece, substantially less than laptops.
Strategies for K-12 Leaders
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A DV E R TO R I A L
Sierra Sands Keeps Students Safe on the Web and on YouTube with Lightspeed The technology department at the Sierra Sands School District in southern California knows that its job is about more than keeping the computers working—it’s about making the network a valuable tool for education. “The students are used to technology; it’s what they relate to. If we want to keep them engaged, we have to match the things they do at home, and the things they enjoy. That is technology,” shares Donnie Morrison, Director of Technology for the Sierra Sands School District. Smartboards, web access, online videos and 1:1 initiatives all play into the district’s vision for technology—but it is critical that it is done with safety in mind. And Donnie and his technology team are working with administrators and teachers to find the right balance: “We have to make sure we’re protecting the kids, but also giving them access to valuable resources,” Donnie recognizes. CHALLENGE Donnie began searching for a replacement to his previous content filter, which offered very little reporting. With eleven schools in the district, one of the main
goals Donnie had as he began his search was the ability to send administrators reports about what was happening at their individual schools. With Lightspeed, Donnie has the powerful web filter and reporting engine he needs—and a lower price tag. “Lightspeed gives us comprehensive reports, and lets us create custom reports. In my opinion, it has more features, and is still more costeffective, than other options.” SOLUTION The Sierra Sands Acceptable Use Policy prohibits users from activities like harassing other students and accessing inappropriate sites. Lightspeed Web Access Manager provides the filtering, monitoring, and reporting to ensure that those policies are enforced. “I review reports like blocked content, search engine queries, and suspicious search engine queries every morning,” Donnie says. “I’m able to look at everything and see if there are any issues I need to look into further. And I pass along reports to the principals so they can see what’s happening at their individual sites as well as the entire district.” “The reports are just awesome,” Donnie compliments. “We can see everything that’s going on on the network and determine if there are any areas of concern, with what the kids are doing or just with network traffic in general.” A new feature Donnie is excited about is the Educational Video Library, which allows teachers to share approved YouTube videos with students—without the concerns of inappropriate content, peripheral links, or comments. “We get a lot of requests for teachers to be able to share good educational videos from
Allow YouTube to be used in your district while keeping the internet safe. Schedule an online demonstration: www.lightspeedsystems.com/demo
YouTube, but allowing that in the past has really been quite a hassle,” Donnie recalls. “The Educational Video Library allows us to easily review and approve a video and put it out there for access. CONCLUSION As Sierra Sands prepares its students for success in the 21st century by increasing the role technology plays in education, it relies on Lightspeed Web Access Manager to help ensure that those endeavors don’t compromise student safety, regulatory compliance, or Acceptable Use Policy adherence. “If I have a question about anything, I can go in and run a report and see what’s going on. Having access to that information ties to acceptable use as well as student safety and legal issues,” Donnie concludes.
About Lightspeed Web Access Manager • Ensure safe and appropriate web browsing with customizable filtering • Lightspeed Web Access Manager ensures that users’ web browsing is in line with Acceptable Use Policies and CIPA mandates—while they are on the network or when utilizing school computers off the network. • An education-specific database, as well as customizable allow/ block lists and filtering profiles, provide the flexibility to meet any district’s unique requirements. • Innovative features, like the Educational Video Library for safe access to approved YouTube videos, help to ensure a balance between learning and safety in Web 2.0 environments.
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( continued from page 30 )
Saugus Union having concluded that writing is the key to learning, the firstsemester pilot targeted writing specifically and English in general. The district was blown away by the year-end test results. After only one semester, Englishlanguage arts and writing scores had risen by record amounts, up 24 percent and 37 percent, respectively, from the previous year. Writing scores were double the state average, says Klein. “We know that the higher scores were the result of the laptop program,” he says, adding that lower scores came
Despite their loyalties to different hardware devices, school administrators concur that successful implementation of one-to-one programs must focus on educational vision and goals, and educators must frame the issues and solve the problems. from the few classes where the netbooks were not used to their potential. Buoyed by that success, Saugus expects to buy another 1,400 netbooks in January 2010 for the present fifth graders, who had them last year, again Strategies Leaders turning to federal NCLB grantsfor forK-12 funding. Saugus will expand netbook use throughout the curriculum this year and switch from Asus to Dell Mini 10v’s, which have larger screens and keyboards. Ultimately, the goal is to expand their use to the sixth grade as well. The netbooks have been popular with teachers and parents alike; hundreds of parents have bought the Fourth graders at the Saugus Union School District.
Strategies for K-12 Leaders
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www.schoolcio.com Strategies for K-12 Leaders
devices voluntarily so their children could take them home. “The netbooks have exceeded our expectations,” adds fourth-grade teacher Eric Greenfield. “To see kids sharing information, working collaboratively, and sharing ideas has been very exciting.” The netbook purchases, however, are coming at a sensitive time, says Klein, as teacher layoffs loom in the fall and the economy is adversely affecting the community as a whole. But the district’s difficult fiscal situation may make it easier for it to require parents to pay for the netbooks, particularly because the price is so reasonable and they can be used for all three years. A parentpay model may be introduced as early as the fall, he adds. As for Klein’s laptop criticisms, Maine’s Mao doesn’t deny that schools can struggle with these problems, but he says that Maine had planned well to overcome them.
Maine solved the battery problem by changing the bid specifications to require batteries that last the entire school day; schools also installed chargers in libraries and student lockers. In addition, Mao says, Maine has a great support contract with Apple and has even worked with the company to make hardware design changes to accommodate tougher student use. Maine also created an online dispatching system and its own repair depot, serviced by its own statewide transportation network, to ensure repairs in 24 hours. By running the repair depot itself, adds Mao, the state can see trends in what causes problems.
“There are tons of minutiae in the infrastructure,” he says. “The key is figuring out solutions to deal with them—and creating a support system that works for each school, regardless of its skill set.” In addition, the state found a workable middle ground, standardizing all schools on a stable, locked-down software “image” (the operating system and applications) to minimize IT management problems yet allowing individual schools to add their own favorite software on top with a local installer. Mao says that adopting one-toone will ultimately result in a cost shift from paper to digital and wireless text and multimedia content. And when these digital publishers seek students to test products of the future, he says, Maine will have the platform to give them traction and help the market grow.
Strategies for K-12 Leaders
Strategies for K-12 Leaders
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PRODUCTGUIDE
TAKING CONTROL You’d be hard-pressed to find a school or district today that doesn’t apply some level of Internet filtering to protect its PCs. Running the IT department is enough of a challenge without exposing your PCs to computer viruses and malware—not to mention allowing students to waste time, resources, and brain cells on inappropriate content. For this year’s roundup, we asked districts to tell us why their Web-filtering solution is the best fit for their needs. By Ellen Ullman
CALHOUN COUNTY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
KLEIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT KLEIN, TEXAS 44,700 STUDENTS 33,000 COMPUTERS
PORT LAVACA, TX 4,100 STUDENTS 1,800 COMPUTERS LIGHTSPEED, WWW.LIGHTSPEEDSYSTEMS.COM TOTAL TRAFFIC CONTROL (WHICH INCLUDES WEB ACCESS MANAGER) IS $10 PER WORKSTATION PER YEAR. WEB ACCESS MANAGER IS $4 PER WORKSTATION PER YEAR.
WHAT DO YOU USE?
DEEPNINES, WWW.DEEPNINES.COM PRICING STARTS AT $2,500
WHY DID YOUR DISTRICT WANT A WEBFILTERING PRODUCT?
“We wanted more than a basic URL filter; we wanted to detect and block all proxy sites, since proxies were the largest threat around any filter,” says Marcus Martinez, technology coordinator. He wanted a product that blocked proxy sites and did a deep-packet inspection.
The district had to comply with CIPA regulations. Because of its large and growing one-to-one program, it needed a product that would filter laptops that were off-site.
HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE ONE YOU HAVE?
Martinez liked that iTrust offered deep-packet inspecting and live-monitoring features. “We have a console that shows all traffic going in and out of the district. We can see the top talkers, who’s using the most bandwidth, and so on.” DeepNines also offered a real-time alarm viewer, so Martinez can see if someone is trying to bypass the filter or get to an unauthorized site. He also appreciates the company’s “topnotch tech support and speedy response time.”
“At the time we were looking, Lightspeed was the only content filter that allowed us to do offsite filtering,” says Karen Fuller, chief technology officer. “It had a client that could be loaded onto systems instead of through proxy.”
The device does it automatically, says Travis Smart, systems technician. “If it misses anything, I can add it manually or go online with DeepNines and let them know.”
“If a site is brought to our attention, we will categorize it and send it to the company and ask them to block it. We also maintain our own blacklist. It’s a very easy process.”
Martinez wanted an appliance with everything bundled in.
“It seemed to be the more efficient method. Instead of waiting for the company to decide, we evaluate and open or close access. If it’s a gray area, we run it by a team of principals and curriculum specialists to make the call.”
According to Smart, “It’s done wonders for us. It allows us to do some traffic shaping, which we didn’t have and the district needed.”
“It allowed us to do off-site content filtering and to manage the content that’s coming into our district. We can decide which categories to open, and it lets us apply different levels of access. Soon we will have a high school policy and a K-8 policy.”
IS IT EASY TO ADD NEW WEB SITES TO IT? WHY DID YOU CHOOSE A SPECIFIC APPROACH?
HOW DID IT RESOLVE YOUR DISTRICT’S CONCERNS?
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PRODUCTGUIDE
HAMILTONWENTWORTH DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
CHRIST COMMUNITY SCHOOL CONROE, TEXAS 200 STUDENTS 50 COMPUTERS
HAMILTON, ONTARIO 50,000 STUDENTS 12,000 COMPUTERS
CONTENTWATCH, WWW.CONTENTWATCH.COM PRICING IS BASED ON NUMBER OF SEATS, WITH DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR LARGER INSTALLATIONS.
WHAT DO YOU USE?
NETSWEEPER, WWW.NETSWEEPER.COM PRICING IS ON A PER-WORKSTATION BASIS AND DEPENDS ON VOLUME.
WHY DID YOUR DISTRICT WANT A WEBFILTERING PRODUCT?
Although there are no federal laws regarding Internet filtering in Canada, access to Internet content became a concern for the district as Internet usage grew. About eight years ago, a steering committee determined that the district should manage access to inappropriate material.
The private school wanted to make sure that its student lab was protected and that kids stayed safe while surfing, says John Vollmer, IT administrator. “Also, we wanted to protect our teachers’ computers from unsavory sites.”
HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE ONE YOU HAVE?
“We had an RFP process and evaluated several vendors,” says Michael Hiltz, manager of computer services. “We wanted a cost-effective method to do what we needed. Netsweeper had an easy-to-understand solution and a quick process for updating sites, and it was affordable. It let us customize at the school level.”
“We evaluated several products. ContentProtect’s reputation was good, the company was reliable, and it gave us the control we needed.”
IS IT EASY TO ADD NEW WEB SITES TO IT?
Yes. An IT person can change profiles and configurations for the entire organization, and a teacher administrator at the school can make changes to allow sites to be used as needed. “We have communications set up between all users and administrators, so people can petition us to free up a site for a particular period of time.”
“Yes. We can very easily restrict categories or sites by using the online content manager. The company also maintains its own databases.”
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE A SPECIFIC APPROACH?
Hiltz wanted to practice due diligence and manage technology resources appropriately. This method made financial sense.
Vollmer’s district did not need an appliance; software was fine.
HOW DID IT RESOLVE YOUR DISTRICT’S CONCERNS?
“Netsweeper has been in place for about eight years, and we continue to use it,” says Hiltz. His district questions the idea of filtering in general, but he says that Netsweeper has been very successful, affordable, and easy to operate and administer. “We haven’t had any significant concerns raised or critical circumstances occur since we’ve had it in place.”
“It’s been really helpful in keeping our students safe from harmful Web sites and our computers running better—avoiding all the bad sites that install third-party programs without you knowing it. In turn, that’s helped the IT department keep hardware maintenance to a minimum.”
Filtering Astaro Web Security www.astaro.com Bloxx TVT-Range of Web-filtering appliances www.bloxx.com Centipede Networks WebFilter Pro centipedenetworks.com
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ChildWebGuardian version 4.3 www.childwebguardian.com
McAfee SmartFilter www.mcafee.com/us
CIPAFilter Content Filter www.cipafilter.com
M86 Security (formerly Marshal8e6) www.m86security.com
CYBERsitter version 10 www.cybersitter.com
Net Nanny 6.0 and Net Nanny for Mac 2.0 www.netnanny.com
Fortinet Web filtering www.fortinet.com
Pearl Software Echo•Filters Hosted Service www.pearlsw.com
Iprism Web Filter www.stbernard.com
Websense Web Filter www.websense.com
from denisbul
WHATSNEW
For more of the latest product releases, visit us online at Techlearning.com.
Online & Software
A-LIST EDUCATION (WWW.ALISTEDUCATION.COM)
A-List Education works to improve SAT and test preparation for students. Its new program consists of training initiatives that equip teachers with the resources necessary to manage their own, in-house SAT preparation courses. Teachers can then build on their relationships with students and provide them with SAT programs that are tailored to their needs. Price: free Category: tutoring
CONTINUITY OF LEARNING (WWW.BRAINHONEY.COM)
Agilix Labs’ BrainHoney and Florida Virtual School (FLVS) released a new online learning solution called Continuity of Learning. The new solution prepares high schools for emergency situations by supplementing classroom instruction with comprehensive online curriculum and learning tools that are available to students year-round. If disaster strikes, schools can close their doors and students can make an instant transition to online learning. Price: Contact company for pricing. Category: Online learning
EBEAM SOFTWARE (WWW.LUIDIA.COM)
eBeam software for the eBeam interactive whiteboard now allows users to send a wide variety of interactive-whiteboardgenerated content directly to their Amazon Kindles and Kindle DXs. Students can use this feature to review class lessons, and parents can see what children have studied in class. Price: Contact company for pricing. Category: presentation software
FOCUS ON INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND DEVELOPMENT (WWW.CURRICULUMADVANTAGE.COM)
The Web-based Focus on Individual Needs and Development (FIND) automatically links assessment results to targeted activities in the Classworks K-12 instructional software. It provides educators with a multifaceted approach
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to gathering student data. It also offers a comprehensive item bank that gives educators the flexibility to design their own tests. Price: Contact company for pricing. Category: assessment
GINGER SOFTWARE (WWW.GINGERSOFTWARE.COM)
Ginger Software, a program for spelling and grammar correction, now works with Internet Explorer. In addition, the new version of Ginger is more accessible, providing customizable interface settings and progress reporting to track mistakes and illustrate student progress. Students can change display attributes such as background color and font style to complement their abilities and preferences. Price: Subscriptions start at $145 for three workstations, with volume and multiple-year subscription discounts available. Category: language arts, assistive tech
GRADECAM ONLINE (WWW.GRADECAM.COM)
The new GradeCam Online gives districts a tool for teachers to conduct assessments and to collect usable information in time to affect the learning in progress. When a paper-based test is scanned by a document or web camera, GradeCam Online compresses the image and sends it to a server for analysis by its proprietary image recognition code. Item-by-item results are displayed immediately and stored for generating real-time reports, and any reports needed in the future. GradeCam Online also integrates with all electronic grade books. Price: Available at $1.50 per student per year. Category: assessment
HP SCHOOLCLOUD (WWW.HP.COM)
HP SchoolCloud provides students and teachers 24/7, anywhere access to all their school applications and data. It also allows IT professionals to manage their resources more efficiently by maintaining applications and data on servers rather than on individual computers. HP SchoolCloud solution combines infrastructure; software; and on-site, instructor-led professional development for teachers. It is a scalable solution that lets schools manage from 200 students up to 200,000 students all from a central location. Price: Contact company for pricing. Category: data management
W W W.T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M
INSPIRATION 9
KODU FOR THE PC
Inspiration 9 is an enhanced and updated version of the original software. New features include the Presentation Manager, which automatically creates bulleted slides and graphics from a student’s diagram, mind map, or outline. Inspiration 9 also features a new Map View, which allows students to create and think in mind maps. Price: single license upgrades $29.95; regular single copies $69; 5-computer license packs $310; 10-packs $550; 20-packs $895 Category: concept mapping
Microsoft released a technical preview of Kodu for the PC, an online game creation technology that enables children to design, build, and play their own games. The core of the Kodu project is the programming user interface. The language is simple and entirely icon-based. Programs are composed of pages, which are broken down into rules, which are further divided into conditions and actions. Price: Contact company for pricing. Category: gaming software
(WWW.INSPIRATION.COM)
K2 LOGISTICS
(WWW.MICROSOFT.COM/KODU)
(WWW.K2LOGISTICS.COM)
MY VIRTUAL TUTOR-READING
K2 Assessments has developed customized software, Assessment Management System (AMS), that includes a comprehensive reminder system, shipment tracking, and follow-up checklists. K2’s AMS makes it possible to track an entire district or state without the hassle of plugging in a separate number for each shipment. Price: Contact company for pricing. Category: data management
My Virtual Tutor-Reading is an interactive game made exclusively for Nintendo DS. The program concentrates on five reading areas: phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. The game is available in pre-K, K-1st, and 1st-2nd versions, all based on age-appropriate curriculum and books. Price: $29.99 Category: reading
(WWW.MYVIRTUALTUTORGAME.COM)
from denisbul
WHATSNEW
ONLINE APPLIED SMART BOARD COURSE SPARK (WWW.BLOSSOMLEARNING.COM)
(HTTP://SPARK.IROBOT.COM/)
The Online Applied SMART Board Course is the first in a series of online applied training courses being developed by a group of former teachers and AV presentation professionals. The course, hosted by avatar “Mrs. Blossom,” comes with built-in LMS administrative facilities that allow school districts to facilitate purchases, allocate courses to teachers, and track individual teacher progress toward completion. The course is priced low enough to allow individual teachers to purchase it on their own as well as administrators to purchase it for their entire school district. Price: $69.95 Category: professional development
SPARK (Starter Programs for the Advancement of Robotics Knowledge) provides robotrelated resources to help build STEM curricula. Through SPARK, educators, parents, and registered members can access a comprehensive library of educational resources including robot-related tools, activities, events and camps, and development platforms. Price: Contact company for pricing. Category: STEM
SAFARI MONTAGE VIDEO TITLES (WWW.SAFARIMONTAGE.COM)
SAFARI Montage has expanded the number of video titles for its grades K-8 and 9-12 customers to 2,500 videos and 13,700 images. The additions to the K-8 Core Content package significantly bolster grades 7 and 8 content in science, career guidance in STEM occupations, foreign language instruction, math, art and music, social studies, and health. The programs include Bill Nye: The Science Guy; National Geographic’s Guns, Germs, and Steel; Biography’s Barack Obama biography; and the BBC’s Real Chinese. The new content additions bring the total number of videos in the SAFARI Montage system core package to more than 7,000 and the number of images to 20,000. Price: Contact company for pricing. Category: video on demand
SMART NOTEBOOK EXPRESS (WWW.SMARTTECH.COM)
The beta version of SMART Notebook Express software is a lightweight Web-based application that lets anyone, anywhere download, edit, and share files created in SMART Notebook software. SMART Notebook Express enables educators who do not have SMART Notebook software installed on their computers to access and customize SMART Notebook content for their teaching needs. SMART Notebook Express incorporates popular features of SMART Notebook software, including the textediting tool, the pen tool, single-object selection, move and delete, basic Adobe Flash support, and the option of adding a page. Price: free Category: presentation
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TEL.A.VISION (TELAVISION.TV)
TEL.A.VISION has relaunched its curriculum with a focus on special-education and at-risk students. Schools can now purchase a yearly subscription for each special-education student that includes group accounts for all other classrooms at no additional charge. This new site-license program covers use by all students, teachers, and administrators at a school. The site license includes a curriculum guide, lesson plans, and online media so that each lesson can be taught with a computer and a projector and/or an interactive whiteboard. Price: Contact company for pricing. Category: special education, video production
UBOOST VERSION 2.0 (WWW.UBOOST.COM)
Used in tandem with schooldistrict learning-management systems, uBoost helps educators reward positive student behavior with points and performance-based honor badges. Points can be used for charitable causes or can be redeemed for merchandise or gift cards. uBoost Version 2.0 includes new parental-notification features. uBoost sends daily email notification to parents regarding the points their children receive, as well as the accomplishments and behaviors for which they have been rewarded. Price: Contact company for pricing. Category: behavior monitoring
WINDOWS 7 TRAINING (WWW.CUSTOMGUIDE.COM)
CustomGuide announces the release of training for Windows 7. The training is suitable for users from a broad range of experience: those new to computers, users making the move from an earlier version of Windows, or even advanced users wanting to learn tricks and best practices. Price: Contact company for pricing. Category: professional development
Hardware/AV
NewTek Inc. (www.newtek.com) has launched TriCaster TCXD300, a portable live production product that includes HD and SD live multi-camera switching, full HD streaming, live HD virtual sets, and HD editing. The product uses virtual cameras to smoothly zoom and pan within live virtual sets without adjusting the cameras.
W W W.T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M
Casio America (www.casio.com) has announced it is releasing a line of GREEN SLIM high-brightness data projectors. Casio has created a Mercury-free hybrid light source capable of generating high brightness by combining a laser, a fluorescent element, and an LED. Casio has achieved high output of green light, which has been considered difficult with conventional semiconductor light sources, by converting blue laser light into green light, using the fluorescent element. The high-brightness light of 2,000 or more lumens was then attained by projecting blue laser light with the fluorescent element, and light emitted by a red LED through a DLP chip onto the screen.
from denisbul
WHATSNEW
Five pocket-sized microscopes by Aven (www.aveninc.com) provide internal light for bright, clear examination of small objects. A clear acrylic base lets ambient light reach examined objects. Aven’s flip-open illuminated model, with an angled viewing tube, has 40x magnification and a measuring range of up to 4 mm. Three other battery-operated illuminated pocket scopes have 20x, 30x, and 50x magnification, respectively. The product line also includes a pen-sized 25x scope with a pocket clip and a metric-measurement glass reticle.
Chief Manufacturing’s (www.chiefmfg.com) new mount is designed to attach an interactive whiteboard over an existing chalkboard. This allows installers to use the wall space while preventing costly removal of the chalkboard. The mount offers flexible positioning with vertical, lateral, and depth adjustments. Plus, it mounts to the wall without damaging existing boards and is compatible with most boards.
The Crestron MP-AMP30 (www.crestron.com) audio amplifier is used when audio from source equipment is directly connected to and switched by the video projector. The MP-AMP30 amplifier drives the audio signal from these sources directly to external speakers. Ideal as a stand-alone amplifier or for complementing a Crestron MPC line of controllers and wall plates, the compact and surface-mountable MP-AMP30 can be installed anywhere it’s needed. Class D circuitry delivers 15 watts per channel to drive one or two pairs of 8 ohm speakers or a single pair of 4 ohm speakers, supporting stereo speakers at the front of a room or mono versions in the ceiling.
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W W W.T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M
NEC Display Solutions of America (www.necdisplay. com) announced the addition of two new shortthrow projectors, the NP510WS and the NP610S, to its NP Short Throw Series. The wide-format NP510WS and standard-aspect NP610S employ ecofriendly features that lengthen the life of the projector, saving money and energy. The projectors utilize eco-mode technology to extend lamp life up to 5,000 hours and lower power consumption and noise level (29dB) for nearly silent operation.
ELMO USA Corporation (www.elmousa.com) released the Doc-Tor, a bundled presentation system featuring ELMO’s TT-02RX “Teacher’s Tool” document camera and a projector in the company’s new line of CRP-22/CRP-26 LCD projectors. The Doc-Tor system includes a choice of ELMO’s CRP-22 (2,200 lumens) or its CRP-26 (2,600 lumens) LCD projector. Both models feature 16x digital zoom and XGA (1,024 x 768) true color pixel resolution. ELMO CRP projectors include wired LAN network capability, multilingual menus, closed captioning, and auto functions such as input search, vertical keystone correction, and PC adjustment.
from denisbul
WHATSNEW
Ergotron’s TeachWell Mobile Digital Platform (www. ergotron.com) consolidates a teacher’s laptop or tablet PC, portable document camera/visualizer, DVD player, wireless extenders, and more into a single compact classroom technology hub.
Analyzing compounds in general chemistry and organic chemistry is now easier with Vernier Software & Technology’s new Mini Gas Chromatograph—the Mini GC (www.vernier.com/gc-mini). At half the size of a shoebox, Vernier’s Mini GC takes up a small footprint on the lab bench and is light enough to be easily moved from lab to lab. The Mini GC is designed to separate a mixture and identify the components of an unknown compound. It allows students to detect alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, aromatic hydrocarbons, carboxylic acids, chlorinated hydrocarbons, esters, and nitriles.
Texas Instruments DLP Pico technology (www.Igexpo.com) announced the first smartphone in the United States to feature an attachable pico-projector accessory. The LG eXpo smartphone, featuring a DLP Pico projector, attaches to the back of the phone to project images of up to 60 inches. This product allows users to share pictures and videos and even make presentations to small groups.
from denisbul
WHATSNEW
CBT/SMARTdesks (www.smartdesks.com) has introduced the new Pi£ classroom laptop and computer tables for collaboration groups. Featuring a circular design, the modular tables allow for any collaboration arrangement, while offering flipIT systems to discretely lock away laptops and LCD screens when not in use. The flipIT Laptop Safe is a lockable charging station. When open, the laptop can be freely positioned for use. When closed, it is locked away and the top surface can be used as a regular study table.
InFocus (www.infocus.com) introduced the IN2100 (top) and the IN3100 (bottom) series for entry-level priced projectors. Increased zoom capabilities, true-to-life colors, and 3000-3500 lumens offer a crisp image under just about any lighting condition. The IN2100 comes standard with a long-life lamp that should last most schools many years with typical usage. Two computer and assignable audio inputs offer convenience for multiple presenters, while security features and an available networking option offer easier management of projector assets.
AD INDEX COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE
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3LCD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
ISTE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
American Education Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
KDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23
Atomic Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27
Lexia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
AVerMedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Lightspeed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
AVID. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Lumens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Azden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Meru Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
CoSN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
NetSupport School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
CUE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
On Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
eInstruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
School Wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Epson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Tech Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Follett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Text Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Hitachi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
University of Maryland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
HP DLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Weekly Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
For more information about the advertisers in this issue, please visit www.techlearning.com and click on the Advertiser Index.
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from denisbul
THEY SAID IT
The PLN Spirograph by Jennifer Wagner Our Personal Learning Network (PLN) at times reminds me of a Spirograph. It first starts out very simply. First you add a few friends on Twitter, you mark a few blogs so you can come back to read posts, and you may join a Ning. Then you start adding more, perhaps comments to a blog (or even your own blog), you create a Delicious account, and you add your name to a list somewhere. Eventually you journey into Facebook and Diigo and Evernote and Flickr. Each time, you are taking others along as you go. And suddenly, something that was very simple when you started out is now overlapping with people from all over the world. That is now called your Personal Learning Network. At times it is a beautiful thing. At other times it may be chaotic, crazy, and seemingly unmanageable. So how do you make this thing manageable, workable, and productive? Glad you asked! Here are my thoughts: Stretch yourself by 10 percent. Invite more people to be your friends on Twitter, join a Ning and comment on a forum, participate in a project, try a new option in your classroom. Don’t hesitate to share an idea that you think everyone already knows about. Not everyone is online 365/24/7, and ideas get missed, overlooked, or not seen for a variety of reasons. So go ahead and share; I can promise you that someone will say, “Wow, I had never seen that before, and thank you for sharing.”
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In total contradiction to #1, it is also wise to occasionally weed through your PLN. It is okay to stop following someone; it is okay to remove names from your blogroll; it is okay to trim your Delicious feed. Wander through your Twitter friends to see who their Twitter friends are and who their twitter friends are. This is not stalking; instead, your Twitter friends have given silent recommendations of people they think are worth listening to. Next time you are at a conference, walk up to a name you recognize, introduce yourself, and then join in the conversation or start a new conversation. Don’t keep your PLN at virtual arm’s length.
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You don’t have conquer everything. At times, on Twitter, on Delicious/Diigo, blog posts come pouring forth like a waterfall and you simply cannot grasp everything that has been shared. That is okay. If it proven to be education-
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ally sound, it will come around again. One nice thing about waiting is, you let the others conquer and you can read how they did so. Join in a conversation, but backtrack a bit in case you are joining midstream, to catch up with what has already been said. Also, follow a chat. The #edchat conversation on Twitter is something I just don’t have time to join yet. But because they use the hashtag (#edchat—http://twitter.com/search?q=%23edchat), I can search that tag and go back and read the conversation when I have time. Walk away. Do something other than tech every so often. Have a conversation that does not include the words Web 2.0, Twitter, PLN, Google, Flickr, 2.0, tech, etc. (Just FYI, it is okay to turn off your phone sometimes!) Be yourself, and find one name that sticks. Don’t be TechGal47 on Diigo, JenW49 on Twitter, and Hoping4Snow on Flickr. Find a way to merge yourself into one name that people will know. Remember, just like the lines in a Spirograph, at times your PLN will seem distant and far away, conversations will dwindle, and you may post something that gets ignored. Don’t give up. The conversations will return, your comments will be noticed, and your PLN will seem very closeand without a moment’s notice, it may all seem far away again. That is fine. It is normal, and it’s part of being in a PLN of people with lives, families, papers to grade, etc.
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At times it is a beautiful thing. At other times it may be chaotic. So how do you make your PLN manageable, workable, and productive? And always remember that as with a Spirograph, with the single twist of movement the conversations, the contributors, the possibilities may change. Always it’s something new, something different, something crazy, and something beautiful. All the overlaps contribute to make you better at what you do best: sharing the possibilities of edtech with others. So take a spin—and enjoy your PLN!
from denisbul
