Technology & Learning - January 2009 - (Page 18)

PRODUCTREVIEWS PRODUCT: TYPE TO LEARN 4 www.sunburst.com Retail price: $79.95 standalone; Web version: $999.95 plus annual maintenance fee of $99.95 DESCRIPTION: Type to Learn 4, Sunburst’s recently revised and updated research-based typing program for students in K-12, offers multimedia-rich keyboarding lessons and games that teach the right keyboard fingering. HOW TO USE IN THE CLASSROOM: TTL4 has over 100 leveled lessons and activities and aligns instructional content with the NETS standards. TTL4 tailors its lessons to individual students by using results of a pretest to determine a user’s learning goals. PROS: TTL4 features robust formative assessment and teacher management options. It offers optional Spanish language support. Runs on Mac and Windows. A Web-based version is sold separately. CONS: The program invites all students to join a secret society called Agents of Information, which some high school students might find hokey. OVERALL IMPRESSION: Although TTL4 has more robust management options than our currently installed Type to Learn product, I see no compelling reason to upgrade from the standalone version of Type to Learn 3 to the standalone version of Type to Learn 4. However, providing students with a Web-based option to practice skills from any computer connected to the Internet would be a huge advantage, because it would allow students to practice outside school. PRODUCT: PURE DIGITAL FLIP MINO VIDEO CAMERA www.theflip.com Retail price: $179.00 DESCRIPTION: Digital video camera HOW TO USE IN THE CLASSROOM: Record science and observe results in slow motion. Use it in P.E. to analyze athletic performance. Pair it with animations software to produce videos in a language arts class. PROS: Small and lightweight. No real instruction needed for setup or use. Any teacher could record a lesson and post in on a Web page as a media file. The image quality is excellent and the display is viewable in all but bright sunlight. The software also allows the user to add music to any video and publish video to the Web. You can even go to the Flip Web site and design the “skin” of your Flip Mino to be in school colors with your school logo on it. CONS: The digital zoom is ineffective at distances over 50 yards (images are not as crisp as one would like). OVERALL IMPRESSION: This camera has many features that make it very educator friendly: It is basically pointand-shoot with little or no instruction; any frame in a movie can be converted to a still photo, and the built-in software is both Mac and PC compatible. 1,500 SCHOOL DISTRICTS CAN’T BE WRONG. Experience Only Weidenhammer, an education management software leader, could develop a suite as complete, yet affordable, as alio. It’s a comprehensive, fully integrated library of Financial Management, Payroll, and Human Resources software applications. And it’s so intuitive that it is remarkably easy, and inexpensive, to install, train, and use. alio Meets state requirements Is powered by Oracle™ Technology Operates on Windows™, Linux, and Unix platformss Is web-based and client server capable Weidenhammer has been delivering innovative solutions for education since 1978 and has nearly 1,500 school districts as clients. 18 | TECH & LEARNING http://www.sunburst.com http://www.theflip.com http://www.hammer.net http://www.hammer.net

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Technology & Learning - January 2009

Technology & Learning - January 2009 Contents Editor’s Desk News & Trends Put to the Test VS Revo Group Mimio Studio 6 Software NewTek TriCaster Type to Learn 4 Pure Digital Flip Mino Video Camera Get Better With Your Tech The Future is in Your Hand Write On! A Guide to Buying Printers January 2009 What’s New What They Said

Technology & Learning - January 2009

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