Posts

Showing posts from May, 2011

Lost or Stolen Smartphone? Three Actions to Take After It Happens

Image
Article first published as Lost or Stolen Smartphone? Three Actions to Take After It Happens on Blogcritics. Image by _rockinfree via Flickr Losing a cell phone or getting one stolen from you is always a tough predicament to be in, yet more and more people are finding themselves in exactly that position. And with mobile devices costing upwards of hundreds of dollars to purchase, replacing a lost or stolen device can easily become an unfortunate financial burden. Furthermore, the reality of having your data now in the hands of someone else may actually prove to be the bigger problem. Two weeks ago, I thought I fell victim to losing my beloved Droid X (happy spoiler alert: the device was found earlier this week). Here are a few actions I took with the hope that you won't have to take them yourself some day.   So should your phone get lost or stolen...

Teacher Computer and Laptop Discounts Available For Apple, Dell, and HP

Image
Image by najeebkhan2009 via Flickr Teacher discounts can be found in various places, ranging from online book stores and office supply stores  to cell phone bills . One of the questions I get asked often as a Technology Integration Specialist is the availability of discounts on computers, so I thought I'd share a few resources and provide a quick summary of what is available. I'll continue to update this post as other opportunities arise, so feel free to leave a comment if you know of a particular program not mentioned here.

Software Update Review: TurningPoint Anywhere 2008

Image
We have close to over a dozen of clicker sets that we spread throughout the building and group when there are specific initiatives such as the recently run (PSAE Test Prep Clicker activities by members of our math department). One of the nicest things about using Turning Point Response Systems is the ease of use of their Poll Anywhere program, Turning Point Anywhere (TPA).  TPA received a major update recently, so I'll provide a quick review of the anytime, anywhere polling offering.

Software Review: AverMedia Flash App with SMART Notebook

Image
This year, we have deployed close over 75 document cameras to our classrooms, and we have been pleased thus far with the product (CP-155) chosen from AverMedia . As several of our classrooms become outfitted with SMART Boards, we find more teachers delivering lessons from the bundled software, in this case, the increasingly polished SMART Notebook 10. AverMedia has released an application that allows for integration of their document cameras with many of these software programs through a clever use of a flash file.

Best New and Notable iPad Apps for April 2011

Image
Article first published as Best New and Notable iPad Apps for April 2011 on Blogcritics. We're almost a week into May, but let us not forget the abundance of apps and app updates that showered us in April. The Best New and Notable feature gets you caught up with the what was most talked about last month in the iTunes App Store.

SMART Notebook 10.7 Review and Testing of the New 800 Series Features

Image
Although the software has been released for a few months, we are just getting a few new boards installed and I have had a chance to explore more of the new features found in SMART Notebook 10.7. So, here are some observations from the update as well as how the new features integrate nicely with the 800 series board.

Hardware Review: Lenovo L420 and E420 - Is Bigger Better for 1:1?

Image
With 1:1 netbook/laptop initiatives continuing to generate momentum, albeit with the iPad 1:1 stealing a bit of the thunder , we continue to explore options of using laptop carts to allow computer access to our students outside of a traditional computer lab. Although we have been pleased with our Acer Aspire Ones and Lenovo X100, we have also been considering the idea of larger laptops instead of the diminutive netbooks. Since these computers will stay in the building, portability becomes less of a selling point, and when performance and durability can be improved as a result of downsizing, laptops such as the Lenovo E420 and L420 become viable candidates. A closer look at each respective model follows after the jump.