Why software and hardware technology is essencial for modern classes?
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Four years ago, we asked members of the Education World Tech Team to tell us about the hardware and software they considered essential to their teaching and/or professional lives outside the classroom. The responses were published in the article Learn to Accessorize: Hardware and Software Essentials. Recently, we wondered how many of the technology tools our experts identified in 2003 were essential in todays classrooms, and how many new tools our experts had added to the list. So once again, we asked our Tech Team: What hardware and/or software do you consider essential -- or invaluable -- for todays educator? This is what they said:
APPLE WORKS!
Weve all seen significant changes over the past four years, even in the rural corners of Northern California," Wally Fuller told us, but Im staying with the Macintosh platform; Apples commitment to innovation and education support is peerless. Since the majority of what I do is classroom oriented, Ill stay with what I know from experience.
Hardware and Accessories for the classroom teacher
Apple laptop computer with built-in camera and wireless connectivity (portability); SuperDrive(CD/DVD playing and recording); digital camera (publishing); thumb drive (quick storage and information transfer); printer (hard copies); projector (presentation).
Essential or Invaluable Software
Apples pre-installed software package provides the essentials for any classroom teacher (iLife and iWork). Beyond that I would add a grading program and mind mapping software (Inspiration)."
As I reread the Tech Team article from October 2003, I was interested to note the tech tools that have become classic, everyday tools for many of us, as well as the ones that have been replaced by newer, more powerful technologies," added Mary Kreul.
One tool that we still use quite often in the classroom is a 1 GB flash drive. We have a large bank of non-networked iMacs in our room, so students use the flash drive to move files between computers and to the computers that are connected to printers. Files also can be saved and then copied to the school server, so students can do their work on the networked computers in the PC computer lab. That procedure, although time consuming, works well when keypal letters have to be e-mailed from the teacher's ePals account, when students are contributing individual slides to a class PowerPoint presentation, and for backing up student work in assignment specific files.
I use my iPod shuffle to download podcasts to listen to while working or taking walks. Through podcasts downloaded from iTunes, I was able to virtually attend several sessions of last summer's NECC (National Educational Computing Conference) in Atlanta without leaving home.
We watch educational DVDs through our classroom computer, so a large screen monitor or other projection system is a necessity. However, our school still has VHS tapes that coordinate with the curriculum, so a dual system for playing DVDs and VHS tapes is needed.
In the past, Ive purchased versions of AppleWorks or Office for basic word processing and other professional and personal needs. Although those two software packages are still on my computer, I often use NeoOffice, which is a free, open source version of Open Office. The price is right and the software looks and acts much like traditional software packages.
Digital cameras -- both still and video -- still are a must for personal and educational use. Today, digital cameras are packed with memory and have become much easier to use. Photoshop Elements is an inexpensive photo editing tool, but many computers and Web sites now come with free editing tools, such as iPhoto on Macs, or Google's Picasa.
Print Shop by Software MacKiev is still my top pick for creating cards, signs, and banners, but now you and your students also can make newsletters, labels, booklets, business cards, gift tags, name tags, calendars
APPLE WORKS!
Weve all seen significant changes over the past four years, even in the rural corners of Northern California," Wally Fuller told us, but Im staying with the Macintosh platform; Apples commitment to innovation and education support is peerless. Since the majority of what I do is classroom oriented, Ill stay with what I know from experience.
Hardware and Accessories for the classroom teacher
Apple laptop computer with built-in camera and wireless connectivity (portability); SuperDrive(CD/DVD playing and recording); digital camera (publishing); thumb drive (quick storage and information transfer); printer (hard copies); projector (presentation).
Essential or Invaluable Software
Apples pre-installed software package provides the essentials for any classroom teacher (iLife and iWork). Beyond that I would add a grading program and mind mapping software (Inspiration)."
As I reread the Tech Team article from October 2003, I was interested to note the tech tools that have become classic, everyday tools for many of us, as well as the ones that have been replaced by newer, more powerful technologies," added Mary Kreul.
One tool that we still use quite often in the classroom is a 1 GB flash drive. We have a large bank of non-networked iMacs in our room, so students use the flash drive to move files between computers and to the computers that are connected to printers. Files also can be saved and then copied to the school server, so students can do their work on the networked computers in the PC computer lab. That procedure, although time consuming, works well when keypal letters have to be e-mailed from the teacher's ePals account, when students are contributing individual slides to a class PowerPoint presentation, and for backing up student work in assignment specific files.
I use my iPod shuffle to download podcasts to listen to while working or taking walks. Through podcasts downloaded from iTunes, I was able to virtually attend several sessions of last summer's NECC (National Educational Computing Conference) in Atlanta without leaving home.
We watch educational DVDs through our classroom computer, so a large screen monitor or other projection system is a necessity. However, our school still has VHS tapes that coordinate with the curriculum, so a dual system for playing DVDs and VHS tapes is needed.
In the past, Ive purchased versions of AppleWorks or Office for basic word processing and other professional and personal needs. Although those two software packages are still on my computer, I often use NeoOffice, which is a free, open source version of Open Office. The price is right and the software looks and acts much like traditional software packages.
Digital cameras -- both still and video -- still are a must for personal and educational use. Today, digital cameras are packed with memory and have become much easier to use. Photoshop Elements is an inexpensive photo editing tool, but many computers and Web sites now come with free editing tools, such as iPhoto on Macs, or Google's Picasa.
Print Shop by Software MacKiev is still my top pick for creating cards, signs, and banners, but now you and your students also can make newsletters, labels, booklets, business cards, gift tags, name tags, calendars
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