New innovation articles collected for and by Lesley University Technology in Education graduate students

Friday, June 4, 2010

one laptop per child

Thursday, June 3, 2010

One laptop per child
Name: Suzanne Saba
Name of Article: One Laptop Per Child Project Works With Marvell to Produce a $100 Tablet
Author: Nick Bilton
Source: New York Times
Date: Wednesday, June 2, 2010
link: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/olpc-partners-with-marvell-to-launch-100-tablet/
Description:
The One Laptop Per Child Project is about providing computers to ALL children in ALL parts of the world, including third world countries. The computers will be built in partnership with Marvell in order to keep the cost to produce these laptops at approximately $100 each.
Comment:
This article peaked my interest to get a better understanding of the One Laptop Per Child Project. I read their mission statement and found that I had 2 completely different reactions. The first was that this seems on the exterior to be a great idea - to allow all children in all areas of our planet the opportunity to be able to access a world of information at their fingertips, since these computers were going to be given to the students complete with free software.But then would we be saddened that the teachers may not receive the proper training or support to implement these computers into their curriculum.
Wouldn't all children benefit in their education by being able to communicate with each other, teach and learn about each other? Not to mention the benefit the children from 3rd world countries would get by researching ideas for planting better crops, purifying water, building structures which could keep them from the harsh environmental factors they endure on a daily Basis...but, then again, I have to wonder what is the value of such a device when these children are striving to simply survive. And if these laptops will not be seen as a benefit by all children, then where will they be disposed?
The educational benefits are high, but will these computers be seen as valuable to someone who may not be able to read. There will need to be teachers involved, possibly Peace Corps volunteers, who can justify the use of these computers to the children.

Office 2010

Kevin Watanabe
Article Title: As Certain as Taxes: New Version of Office
Source: New York Times
Date Published: June 2, 2010
Click Here For Link:

Description: In this article the author talks about the new version of Microsoft Office which is scheduled to be released on June 15, 2010. The article speaks to the new features and options that Office 2010 offers. Also, the article catalogs many of the new features that Microsoft is trying to implement to combat the free online applications such as Google Docs. Microsoft Office users will now be able to save, edit and share documents online. Much like Google Docs, users can now have simultaneous users working on the same document at the same time as long as each user possess the Office 2010 software on his/her PC.

Comments: The best news for educators about the new Office 2010 is that Microsoft will be selling the software to schools for $100! If you know anything about the cost of the Office software you would know that this is a huge advantage for educators and schools. Many of these versions can be sold for over five hundred dollars. Also, there are many uses for the online saving and editing for group projects in class. For me, students are already familiar with applications like Microsoft Word, Power Point and Excel so the cooperative feature will be a great addition of the new software. If I were to get Office 2010 at school, I would be most excited use the simultaneous editing feature but other than that it doesn’t sound like things are much different than Office 2007.

Google's Liquid Galaxy

Name: Dave Maas
Name of Video Article: Immersed in Google Earth
Source:CNN.com
Date Published: March 12th 2010
Link to video
Description: Google has a new shoot off of their already popular Google Earth called Liquid Galaxy. This video shows a demonstration at the Google Headquarters in December of 2009. This is a 3D immersible experience that lets you fly across the world and travel anywhere your heart desires and feel like your actually there.

Comment: I think this would be a great resource to use with any geography content. It is hard for students to comprehend oceans or mountains if they have never seen one before. I think this could be a fun way for foreign language classes to take a virtual field trip to different countries that speak the language they are learning. I think that students who study the 50 states could have an amazing experience traveling to those places. Many student struggle with learning the differences between a city, county, state, country, continent. I think this could be a great tool to teach that content in a way that the students would feel like they are there instead of just the view on their laptop screen that Google Earth gives us right now.
Name: Tamara Anglin
Source: Gizmodo.com
Link: http://http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/06/awesome-lego-printer-uses-felt-tipped-pens-tiny-workers/

Description:
The lego printer is an actual printer device built by a 29 year old computer programmer. The programmer works for Squirrelfantasy, a member of the B3ta forums. The printer uses felt tip pens but produces incredibly clear and precise print. The printer is connected to an Apple Mac compete with Mac OS X drivers.

Comments:
This computer is not sold in stores, but would be great to show to students of any grade level to get them interested in building or engineering. Most kids don't really need much motivation to play with Legos, however in my experience boys tend to be more apt to play with building structures like Legos where girls are not. This would be a great way to show students part of an endless possibility of what the world of building or engineering holds!

Tunebug Vibe

Susie Keppers

Name: "The New Tunebug"
Source: inc.com, Sarah Kessler, May 1, 2010
Link: http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100501/the-new-tunebug-vibe.html

http://www.hemagazine.com/Tunebug_Vibe_Review

http://cnettv.cnet.com/tunebug-vibe-shake/9742-1_53-50081839.html

Description: The Tunebug Vibe is a cool new gadget that is used as a portable speaker. By simply plugging it into the headphone jack of your ipod, MP3 player, or other device it can project great sound, just as traditional speakers would. It is very light and can fit in the palm of your hand, so it would be great to use on the go, or when you don't have an outlet nearby. The battery can last five hours and can be recharged with a USB cable.

Comments: This would be great for any school because you could play music from any location and you wouldn't have to worry about an electrical source. Students could use the Tunebug Vibe to listen as their written work is projected from their computer (louder than the traditional computer speaker). All in all, it would simply be great to have amplified music anywhere!

Kno Dual-Screen Tablet

Name: Julie Higgins

Article: Kno dual-screen tablet appears at D8, we go hands-on

Source: endgadget.com, Joshua Topolsky

Date: June 2, 2010

Link: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/kno-dual-screen-tablet-appears-at-d8-we-go-hands-on/

Description: The Kno dual-screen tablet has many capabilities. It has two 14 inch screens that lay side by side just like a text book. It's battery life is 8 hours and it has 16 GB of storage. The Kno dual-screen tablet allows students to read text, watch videos, highlight information, and take notes. This product also allows both pen and touch support for its users.

Comment: The Kno dual-screen tablet is designed to be used by older students. This product is interactive and very engaging as it lets students read text, watch videos, highlight information, and take notes.. Because this product is so engaging it could have a positive impact on students' achievement scores. I think younger students would also find this product to be very engaging. I believe this product will become more widely used as more software becomes available and the cost becomes less.

All Hands on the Convertible PC Deck!

Title: Intel Convertible Classmate PC Hands On: You Know, For Kids
Source: Gizmodo
Date: April 26, 2010
Link: http://gizmodo.com/5524841/intel-convertible-classmate-pc-hands-on-you-know-for-kids
Descripton: The topic of this article is Intel's refreshed Covertible Classmate PC, and the likelyhood that it may be the new choice for schools to supply students with. It has a longer battery life and a bigger hard drive than some of the previous versions of this PC, with some better features that make it more "kid-friendly", such as the water-resistant screen, keyboard, and touchpad, a handle for easier carrying, better shock protection, and a rugged exterior which Intel claims can withstand a "desk-height" drop. The price is still a bit high at $499, but one can imagine that they will have something better and brighter in the near future with a slightly smaller price tag.
Comments: Our school district has opted to provide all teachers with a similar netbook for planning and instruction use for the 2010-2011 school year. I can only hope that the choice is made to purchase even more at some point so that we can have more to use with students in the classroom. The features that impressed me the most were the handle and the shock protection/rugged exterior which will help it remain in the classroom longer. It doesn't matter how careful you are, accidents always happen and it is nice to see a company taking that into consideration when designing for potential classroom use. Whether for word-processing, research, blogging, or any other classroom activity, this PC seems to fit the bill for what many teachers are looking for: portable, sturdy, and above all classroom friendly.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

QR Codes For 21st Century Footnotes

Name: Andrea Gee
Article: Jules Verne Book Comes With QR Codes For 21st Century Footnotes
Source: Gizmodo.com by Kat Hannaford
Date: June 2, 2010
Link: http://gizmodo.com/5553398/jules-verne-book-comes-with-qr-codes-for-21st-century-footnotes

Description: QR codes in classic novels! It is the 21st century version of cliff notes. When you see a QR in a text, an app recognizes it and takes you to a related website for more in-depth information. QR codes are “Quick Response” barcodes that you just scan with a camera phone (equipped with the correct software) and it will launch your browser to the web link.
Comments: The idea of having “barcodes” to link us the information about the text we are reading seems sort of contrived. I think it interferes with the reader’s ability to understand since most of our knowledge is scaffolded by background knowledge. Can you imagine what kids could do with these in and out of the classroom? Who needs to think about what they're reading anymore when they can just point and click and be linked to an explanation or information on the topic.


Development of a Low-cost Tablet Computer

Name: Stephanie Higley

Title: OLPC XO-3 Dream Tablet May Come True After All

Author: Brian Barrett

Source: gizmodo.com

Link: http://gizmodo.com/5549053/olpc-xo+3-dream-tablet-buoyed-by-marvell

Description:

The XO-3 is a simple tablet computer that is in the development stages. What makes this computer special is the purpose that it is being created for. The OLPC Foundation (One Laptop Per Child) is working with Marvell (a leader in integrated silicon solutions) to develop a low-cost laptop that can be used by kids all over the world. This included children in developing countries that have limited access to power. For that reason the amount of power needed to run the machine is the biggest concern. Right now this computer will only take one watt to run. That means that it could be powered by the body using a hand crank in countries where electricity is not an option. At this point Marvell is thinking that these will only cost between $75 to $99. The OLPC believes that this will allow all students to have access to a modern education.

Comments:

I think that this is such an interesting idea. At this price it would be very reasonable for every student around to world to have a computer at their fingertips. Not to mention all of our students here in the United States. This could be a great option for schools to look into to provide our students with up to date technology during a time of tight budgets!

Transistor merges man and machine

Beverly Pala
Name of article: Transistor merges man and machine
The Source: MSNBC under Technology and Science
Date Published: June 2, 2010
Link:http://http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37478927/ns/technology_and_science-innovation/
Description: This article talks about how man and machine can be linked more intimately than ever before. The article talks about nanotechnology being used with one human cell. The human cell provides the fuel for the transitor used in a cell membrane.
Comments: The potential use in education is how technology plays an important part in our world today. To show students this type of technology in science would be awesome. I think of all the new things that are available today and it is truly a miracle compare to when I was a child many years ago.