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If you could have any technology in your classroom what would it be? Probeware...what's your favorite and why? What about Smartboards/Promethium Boards? clickers? IPads, Touches? What? I'm responsible for spending some leftover grant money and am sending in my wishlist soon...has to be technology and should be usable in K-8 classrooms. I'll use it primarily in science methods, but my students will be taking it to "real" classrooms of K-8 kiddos!

When I was still teaching eighth grade, I found the scope cam (like a document camera, only it could be placed on the eyepiece of a microscope or be held in the hand to magnify anything) to have a multitude of uses. I have one that I use in my science methods classes, too, Wendy. It is wonderful to be able to share the best of the best technology with our preservice teachers!

I think that it is fabulous that you are able to obtain some of the technology that we should be using with our classes for preservice teachers. I fear that so many go out to the classrooms with little or no knowledge of new technology because of financial restrictions on the districts. I remember going out without Smartboard training, never saw an ELMO, and only as much knowledge of probeware as I could obtain on my own. If we are to bring technology into the classroom, along with some of the new ideas, our pre-service teachers need the knowledge. One of my teachers used a camera that could be used with microscope input, as well as PC and projection like an ELMO. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, being able to see microscopic features and animals is one of the most value in my opinion. I love the iPad, but I think the ability to share the experience in the classroom is so useful.

Wendy said, "I'm responsible for spending some leftover grant money and am sending in my wishlist soon...has to be technology and should be usable in K-8 classrooms." Hey, Wendy, we would love to know what you decided to purchase with your grant money. Please share. Carolyn

As a middle school teacher I found the clickers to greatly enhance my instruction. Students were very engaged and accountable for the lesson. I also was able to assign ID's so I could use their answers as formative assessments and track their improvements.

While perusing my Tech and Learning magazine, I found this opportunity to be a Smartpen Ambassador. Livescribe is seeking to find 4,000 K – 12 educators with a Livescribe smartpen, one dot-paper notebook, online training, an idea book and monthly newsletter. The grant form took me about 10 minutes to complete and I found out last week my grant was accepted. The deliverable is to create a pencast sharing how I used the Livescribe smartpen with my students. http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&EntryId=3042 for a brief overview of the information tp://www.livescribelite.com/ for more information on the grant itself.

Thanks for the link, Sandy. The program was already full by the time I got to it, but it sounds exciting. I hope you will share how you use it (and exactly what it is). Carolyn

As a Technology Coordinator at an elementary school I always have a long wishlist! I try to bring in items that will target different learning modalities to not just hit one type of learner. Some of our teachers have iPads and I would love to get more of them for the students. The apps that are available are awesome and help to engage the students. Last week some astronomers came to school and the presenter shared several apps on her iPad. It helped to solidify what the students were learning in class and complemented the hands-on telescope activities that were being conducted. Whatever you choose, think of technology as a complement not a replacement to the learning activities that you are already doing.

I definitely vote for a smart board - there are great things you can do with a smart board, even in Kindergarten. Other "must haves" would be elmos and projectors so you can project 3 dimensional objects onto the board. But first and foremost, definitely spend money on science materials and equipment! Happy spending!

A resource my middle school has just begun to use is the donorschoose.org website. This site is designed for teachers to post their wish list of any materials they would like to use in their classroom. Potential contributors go to the site, read through the projects and pick the one(s) they would like to help fund. Several of our teachers posted their projects online and were able to have the funded quickly. The website has tutorials as well as walking you through the process from start to finish. I would love to hear if any others have used the site and the types of projects you were able to get funded.

Sandy, Thank you for your post on Livescribe. Last summer I had a hearing impaired student in one of my classes. She used the system to record while taking notes in my class. When she got how she could re-listen to lectures with audio enhancing software. I was so impressed. Chemistry is a symbol intensive subject that is hard to type. Being about to review line by line explained examples could benefit all students. I am also thinking of ways I might use this to differentiate instruction.

I am only a student teacher, but I have learned how to use a Smart Board. It is a wonderful tool that you should consider. One of the benefits of having a Smart Board is that you have access to Smart Exchange. Smart Exchange allows teachers to share lessons that have been created to use on a Smart Board.

My new technology love of the week is the Hitachi Interactive Ultrashort Throw Projector 2500L, Model IPJAW250N. This projector makes any surface into an interactive whiteboard through a special pen that actually fits your hand and allows you to write without having that clunky feeling. The projector comes with Starboard software that is easy to learn and offers a variety of useful tools and internet access from the board. It’s my understanding the bulbs in this new family of projectors last longer than its predecessors and significantly cheaper to replace when the time comes. The thing I noticed right off was how bright the “screen” was. The words projected were very clear and pictures looked so real you thought you were actually there. When I was looking for the projector, I used the following website http://troxweb.teamtroxell.com/www/product.htm?User=&Sessn=&ls1=7&ls2=59 to make my comparisons. Students want to be in class because they want to learn with technology that interests them.

I teach biology and I would love to use a document camera to display manipulatives and such. Can anyone recommend a reliable but inexpensive model that I could look into purchasing for my classroom?

I teach biology and I would love to use a document camera to display manipulatives and such. Can anyone recommend a reliable but inexpensive model that I could look into purchasing for my classroom?

I have used a variety of the document cameras and personally like the Aver cameras the best. The 300AFPLUS and M50 are both excellent cameras, but are not necessarily inexpensive. I think they are about in the middle of the pack in terms of price. I like their portability as well as clarity of projection on the screen. The 300 model allows me to use a microscope adapter, while the M50 has recordable features to capture students when they are sharing work. I bought both of these myself, and still use them extensively. I’ve had the 300 for 5 years and now carry it with me when I teach at the college. The 50 is in my middle school classroom and I use it daily, this is the 2nd year I have had this one. They are durable, have a strong and stable base, so they don’t tip over very easily. Adjusting the focus is simple, there is a remote for both, so there are no buttons or knobs that break. They also have a relatively small footprint on my presentation station, which is a big plus for me.

An inexpensive document camera is the IPEVO point 2 view camera. It does not come with a light or have the ability to save images, but it is only $69.00 Teachers in my school like it. You can get it at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002UBPBTC/ref=oh_o01_s00_i00_details

The interactive pads are great. I got to use one last semester and really enjoyed it. It makes it possible for the teacher to remain moble around the classroom so you can monitor while you teach.

iPads have a wonderful array of application that could be used in science classrooms, especially for space units. I have access to some in my school and I have a promethean board in my classroom, does anyone know of a way I can display the iPad apps on the promethean board - for example, can the iPad be hooked up to it? or does anyone know good space unit apps for computers

Tenna, thank you for posting about your use of an interactive pad and how you use it as you move through your classroom. I am curious which model you have and more specifically how you used it as you moved through your room. Kathleen, I agree, the iPad has wonderful space applications for students. I have not actually hooked mine up to my interactive board. I vaguely remember when I first purchased my iPad the salesman telling me there was a special cable I could purchase that would allow me to project whatever was on my screen so students could see on the screen or interactive board. I have access to both a Smart Board and Starboard. So far, I have not found a way to make them interact with each other. Hopefully as iPads become more prominent in our classrooms, this will become an option.

The school that I teach at actually has quite a bit of technology in the classrooms. We have three mobile labs and two computer labs. About half of the classrooms have Promethean boards with clickers. I find that the clickers are an EXCELLENT way to engage students and ensure 100% participation. My wish list would definitely include a mobile lab filled with laptops in my classroom or perhaps an iPad for all my students.

I love electronic balances!! Every grade and every subject can use electronic balances. They are so much easier to use than triple beam balances. They are expensive, good ones cost $200 each, but they are worth it.