December 1, 2007
My K12 21st Century Christmas List
Christmas shoppers are out in droves—that’s a good thing right? Here’s my Christmas list for school. These are things I’m not likely to purchase on my own, but would like to see added to the school resources. I’m not hyperlinking, as I’d like for readers to make recommendations!
1 Terabyte external hard drive
I have a 4year-old Maxtor 200GB and a 2 year-old Seagate 350GB Hard drive, so why would I want this? I don’t know, but isn’t bigger better? I also saw some portable 200gb hard drives today that look no bigger than my ipod. Cool. But we need to store videos made at school no less.
Increased memory
My school desktop, school laptop, and my school studio computer are used frequently for editing. As we play with video, I know it will make higher demands memory-wise.
Pinnacle or Adobe Premiere Editing Software
I don’t know which is better, but I want to play with the green-screen capability. It needs to be user friendly, easy, and fun. (I don’t think I ask for too much, do you?) Oh did I mention I want it to be portable (you know, anywhere, anytime?)
USB Microphones
Kim Cofino recently asked on Twitter for recommendations, and at the time I did not really pay attention as I didn’t see the need. But as we finish the first school Voice Thread project and begin to play with podcasting, it has become abundantly clear. We need sturdier and better quality mics for recording.
Wireless remote for use w/ LCD Projectors
I want to be able to use my remote from anywhere in the room. Been presenting for years and can’t believe I have not invested in one yet.
MP3 Players for student check-out
I’d like to invest in some audiobooks and allow students to check them out.
3 more handy camcorders
I want to be able to check these out to teachers for those home-made class videos, PSAs, or whatever idea strikes them. Right now we have two ideas floating around but only 1 camcorder! One short video planned is the lost and found puppet show where all the coats turn into puppets and are looking for their owners. The other is a Christmas commercial for the yearbook, and the kids have made a short skit and song (new words to the tune of “Santa, Baby.”) Our curriculum coordinator wants to document engaged students for showing how to have an effective classroom, and so the one we have is in high demand! Yippee.
Classroom digital cameras
I would like to see at least a camera shared b/w a team of teachers so that innovative ideas and classroom activities can be shown throughout the building. Parents LOVE to see photos of what is happening at school, and these can be displayed in the class, in the halls, on our tvs, websites, and more. These need to EASY to use, and inexpensive enough that we don’t mind putting them in our students’ hands.
A student response system
Okay, so I left a school that has “smart classrooms” and the library was a “smart library.” I had a mounted Promethean board, my television fed into my projector so I could switch b/w interactive white board and television or video, I had FrontRow Surround Sound system installed, and I could literally whisper and still be heard, I had the ActivSlate so I could manipulate the board from anywhere in the room, and I had the cute little egg shaped hand-helds so I could get immediate feedback or poll my students on any given task. (It was a very technology-rich school and district, but gadgets do not make for the perfect job—and that’s another blog post for another day!) I’d really like to have another set of gadgets that allow me to make interactive lessons.
Do you have ideas for additions?? Can you make brand specific suggestions? Help me add to my Merry Christmas K12 list!!
Attribution:
Image: ‘Merry Christmas…‘
www.flickr.com/photos/66179962@N00/314569010
Filed by Cathy Nelson at 6:06 pm under 21st century Tagged 2.0, 21st Century Learning, Digital Tools, Goals
8 Comments
December 1st, 2007 at 7:44 pm
I personally like the JoinIn Turning Point student response system. Easy to use…another toolbar in PowerPoint.
December 1st, 2007 at 10:42 pm
Curious – I have read about libraries checking out mp3 players, and have even considered possible application with Special Ed, but our school does not allow students to have them – so that kind of limits the use/checking them out idea. Then there is always the cost factor, too.
So do you plan to use them with audio books, or how? Paula
December 1st, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Paula,
I have given a lot of thought to having mp3 players available to check out. Last year I had roughly 30 PlayAways to check out. Kids were not overly impressed with them–and I think it was because the did not look or act like an mp3 player. Don’t get me wrong, some did enjoy them, and a lot of teachers did check them out w/ speakers for an audio “read aloud” for their class. I even made an mp3 chapter by chapter of The Report Card for school use (it wasn’t available for purchase–and I did one book to see how hard it would be to do…lot of time commitment). But the playaways just did not fly off the shelves. Students had to pay $1.00 for their own earbuds, and that could have had something to do with it. But I think it was more like the overall appearance of the player. I think if it had been an actual mp3 player that looked cool like what they see in stores, they would have been more popular.
I talked with my principal at CMS about mp3 players, explaining that all could hold subscribed podcasts (like ones two teachers at my school are making, one I’m making that is just school news type stuff), other educational ones (like Grammar Girl) and one audiobook of their choice from our collection, and then they will be more popular. It might also encourage students to explore podcasting as a vehicle of learning and personal self expression….
My principal is very much in favor of this. As a part of our PBIS program (rewards for appropriate school behavior) we have drawn names for two ipods this school year. I am even dabbling with offering students the ability to come and get an audiobook for a set amount of time if they already have their own ipod or mp3 player. Still have reservations though, b/c I haven’t fully explored copyright here. But I honestly feel we MUST meet the kids in today’s world where they are at, and they are so ready for audiobooks in their newest format–mp3.
Who knows, maybe Playaways are more appropriate for middle school. But I want to meet the needs of todays students. I read just today that teaching keyboarding is now considered a waste of time b/c the computers we’ll use in less than 10 years will probably have no keyboard, but instead touch screens. WOW. How do we prepare for that?
–
Cathy
December 2nd, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Cathy,
Wonderful list – wish I had enough technical knowledge to contribute to it!
My list will have to a bit less concrete:
1. Bottom-up PD with flex time for personal growth
2. An atmosphere of collaboration on all levels, from administrators/teachers to teacher/student to student/student
3. Less emphasis on “protecting” and more on “educating for safety”
diane
December 2nd, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Cathy – my wish would be for a terabyte hard drive for my laptop … which really is a wish since there is no such animal. But I sure would love that much space (even 500gb would be really nice). Having one computer that I can put everything on (And back-up somewhere) is just REALLY convenient – I do that now but even my 160gb drive is pushed to the limit unless I constantly dump video projects.
December 2nd, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Brian–yes a terabyte internal would be nice, and I think I saw that too. But it would mean opening my laptop–not sure I am skilled enough. My 20year old son wants one too for a computer he is rebuilding. It has all opensource everything on it, and he’s quite pleased. I want an external since I never know what computer I am going to be working on…but now that I think about it this might be the perfect Christmas gift for Mom too, since she loves her digital camera. She got a projector last year so she could show her pix at family get togethers. Im worried that she is filling up the harddrive with pix.
December 2nd, 2007 at 11:59 pm
Catherine,
If you have $125.00 go to amazon.com and look for a Flip Video Camcorder: 60-Minutes by Pure Digital (ASIN: B000ONFQ2K) . It may be just what is needed for your teachers and students.
Frank
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:08 am
Hi Cathy,
love your wish list – got me thinking too.
Jeannette Davies from Wollongong (Australia)has some terrific ideas on using mp3 players with students. Read more @
http://www.ceo.woll.catholic.edu.au/home/audio/
Cheers,
KerryG