The Wireless TabCam Streams, Records, Presents, and Shares

TabCam, a wireless streaming camera, works with iPads, Android tablets, and computers and can present live video with annotations, highlighting, and more without “being tethered to the camera.” The device captures lessons, which can be used for future reference and for use with substitute teachers and students who were not present for the lesson. The advantage of having a wireless device that has a battery life of eight hours can’t be underestimated in a mobile classroom. Take a look at the videos, which describe using TabCam for flipped and blended instruction. The price on the Touchboard site is listed at $527.99. Kathy Hagar, a Director of Technology on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, tells us that she purchased several at a price of about $515 each and that her teachers love them. If interested, do a query on the AVer site.

Differences Between e-Readers and Tablets

The CNET Community, in its Tablets Forum, offers a comparison between e-readers and tablets—information that parents of your students may find helpful this holiday season. Advice is given in answer to a question from a parent of an eight-year-old who wants to know what is the best mobile device for her child. Answers include visiting an electronics store to have a salesperson demo different products, finding products that fit the interest and age level of the child, going with tablets because they have more functionality, and thinking about going to the library for traditional books if all that is needed is a book reader. Some CNET members suggest that if parents already have an iPhone, for example, that purchasing an iPad or iPod Touch is a good idea.

Parents should also keep in mind that schools are successfully putting digital devices to work in classrooms with younger children. Tablets have more flexibility for learning activities and, dressed in a sturdy case, they usually can endure time in backpacks and accidental drops. Of course, checking with school personnel about devices that children can bring to school and use in the classroom is always wise advice.

iPads Dominate School Market

According to the Education Week article, “Educators Weigh iPad’s Dominance of Tablet Market”, iPads claim nearly 94% of the school market in tablets. Keith Bockwoldt, Director of Technology, Township High School District 214 in Illinois, tells of a flood of visitors to his district who are anxious to learn about the 1-1 iPad initiative. Although, Bockwoldt says his focus is on transforming learning, not on the device used, those who observe the Township program go away “sold” on the power of iPads.  With the expense of iPads, some schools are looking to less costly devices such as Google Chromebook, Microsoft Surface, and the new Google Play. But, David T. Vinca of eSpark Learning says, “It’s our belief that the most engaging education experiences for students are being created for the iPad.”

While the market today is dominated by the iPad, with the fast-moving pace of technology, who knows what types of devices will be in our classrooms of the future?

Fun Gumdrop Cases for Mobile Devices

Rugged protection in gumdrop colors -- Gumdrop’s Drop Tech Series cases provides virtually indestructible protection for mobile devices such as iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and other devices and tablets. The cases feature dual material construction and reinforced rubber corners for shock absorption. Replaceable screen covers are included, as is access to ports and controls. There’s even a Designer Series, which includes Gumdrops in blue with pink, orange with blue, purple with pink, and yellow with blue. Of course, the cases also come in basic black. Then, there’s Army Green, red, etc . . . . The cases have been put to use in schools, by fire departments—even on fire engines, by medic units, and with children with disabilities. Volume discounts are available for schools. 

According to our six-year-old quality testers:

Zoe: “I have a pink and blue one, which is really pretty. My mom says if I drop it, it won’t break, but I’m not supposed to drop it.”

Lebby: “Mine is black. I use my iPad all the time because I make movies and read books with Raz-Kids. The Gumdrop is really safe for my iPad, and that is very important.”

Sketchlot: A Free Whiteboard Website

With the free Web tool Sketchlot, you can create your “sketch” and share it with your students. They can then mark it up and send it back to you.  Suggested for teachers and students ages 8-18, Sketchlot is a Web application, not an app, and requires no installation or plugins. It works on computers, smart phones, and tablets. You can sign up your students with class codes. Examples of use include creating math questions, science diagrams, and text through Sketchlot.

How to Transform Our Classrooms

We educators have ideas about how education might be improved, but achieving our dreams for our schools, especially considering the cutbacks in budgets, seems impossible. Technology is surely changing our schools, but are we able to guide what is happening or are we simply struggling to keep up? THE Journal offers the White Paper, The Trifecta for Transforming Education, which offers an approach to change that “addresses the complexities of both technology and Curriculum. “ It also tackles myths such as: “Tablets are the ultimate PC today,” “Consumerization transforms everything easily,” and “Education and learning is primarily done at home.” You can download this free 8-page paper on the THE Journal site.

Beginning a 1:1 iPad Program

It takes good planning and organization to make an iPad 1:1 program successful. That’s what The Westside School in Seattle did for more than a year before rolling out its new program in its middle school. Even then, school leaders worked to integrate the devices into the curriculum slowly over two months. An outline of the phase-in is available from the Edutopia blog for 08/15/12. The phase-in included time without using technology, but instead helping students discover why technology is important in our world; sessions during which students and parents/guardians learned about proper use of the iPads and signed AUPs; classroom lessons that did not make use of technology during which time there were tech classes to learn about the use of iPads; the handing out and gradual integration of iPads for classroom use; allowing students to take the devices home; sponsoring events in support of the program, and finally, allowing students to use the devices as needed for learning.

Will Use of Tablet Devices Cause Head and Neck Pain?

How are your students using tablet devices such as iPads and the Motorola Xoom in the classroom? Do they have them flat on their desks, in their laps, or propped up at an angle on their laps or desks? Answers could mean a difference in whether students develop head or neck pain. Harvard researchers found that “participants heads and necks were in more flexed positions while using the tablets than those typical of desktop or notebook computer users.” It is known that those who have poor posture when sitting with the neck and head slumped forward, especially for long periods of time, may find themselves with head and neck pain. According to the researchers, the best way to use a tablet computer is to put it on a desk or table and use the tablet’s case to prop it up at the highest angle (73 degrees for the iPad, for example). In addition to placement of the tablet, researchers recommended that “users vary their postures every 15 minutes.” The group plans future studies involving wrist position when using touchscreens.

Video Competition

Win a Kindle Fire and have your students’ videos featured on Facebook by creating a 30-second video featuring the Discovery/CDW-R Sweepstakes. All you have to do is use a digital camera, phone or camcorder to advertise the sweepstakes. Videos are to be uploaded to a YouTube account and cannot contain any copyrighted or trademarked material. See the rules for the competition.

Need a Web Filtering and Reporting System for Tablets?

M86 Security has just released (December 2011) a Web filtering and reporting suite that schools can use with mobile tablets using Android or iOS operating systems. Called the M86 WFR 4.2, the software provides a safe learning environment for the use of tablets in schools. Be on the lookout for information on this product on the M86 Security site. If you want to learn more now, contact Jan Wiedrick-Kozlowski at Activa Public Relations.