a few new things....about me.....about education technology....and a moment of rememberance

First, check out http://www.rrstar.com/news/gtkm/x536401353/PJ-Way and Get To Know Me (Thank you Rockford Register Star!). Oh yeah...and follow me on twitter @pj_froggy

Next here is something I am investigating:
Once again I think about the impact of technology on todays students. Todays elementary, grade, middle and high school students seem to learn through so many different methods. My daughters 2nd  grade class has a SMART board and this tool is invaluable and I wish this was around when I was in school. It makes the class so much more engaging and interactive. Once again this is going to play a part in my future research paper/case study. The SMART Slate is a solution that offers even greater possibilities. There is a whole line of SMART products that present value for a variety of environments and conditions. The Senteo interactive response system is another such product.
The SMART Slate tool is my current interest. The opportunity to provide wireless instruction to the class while having the flexibility to support individuals with specific challenges with class material. When one student struggles with an area of a topic it is often a class teaching opportunity. There are many times when I must limit individual support to move back to the instructors pc so I may provide overhead instruction for all. The concerns of my investigation (other than cost) is the demand for additional software and integration with existing applications. The Ink Aware program allows the user to capture written interaction and is compatible with MS Office products. I will post more on all the information I find as my knowledge grows. For now however, I see the benefits and understand the needs, so now I need to investigate if this is the best solution considering restraining factors (ie budget, maintenance, software, etc, etc.)

If anyone reading this has input, knowledge or an opinion, please comment!
http://smarttech.com/us/Solutions/Higher+Education+Solutions

_______________________________________________________________________

On a personal note: today I my 7 year old Australian Shephard, Sydney, passed away of unknown causes. This blog is probably a little therapy for me today. I miss you Syd.