Tech4Teaching Blog

• Playing with Addictomatic - created a tabletpc buzz site http://tinyurl.com/6ajlf4 via http://www.diigo.com/~brasst #
• Plan to be in 3 classes plus my own today - shared science lab notebooks& wikis for service learning - new tri - no more studyhall!!! #
• Anyone planning to attend the TIES Conference in Minneapolis next month? http://tchlrn.ties.k12.mn.us/ties2008/main/details.asp #

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• @incslinger 500th? What do I win? (j/k) Think you can get another 143 to follow me? LOL #
• Watching Wizard of Oz time #100+ much more fun through my daughters’ eyes! #
• Looking for virtual tours and virtual fieldtrips for a German teacher - any suggestions? Good v-trips to cities in Germany? #

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• Free Technology for Teachers: 20+ Educational Alternatives to YouTube http://tinyurl.com/64cyf5 via http://www.diigo.com/~brasst #
• One Laptop per Child is launching its second Give One/Get One (G1G1) program on Nov 17, 2008. http://tinyurl.com/5ty58r #
• Blog post - Questions for Intel about their new tablet… http://tech4teaching.org/wpblog/?p=245 in prep for meeting with Intel reps Friday #
• The Joy of Tech comic… laughter is the best tech support. http://tinyurl.com/6rspwl via http://www.diigo.com/~brasst #
• @ehelfant Thanks for the tweet! I’m working on something similar for parents to share tablet pilot progress. #

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I first discovered Worldmapper a few years ago when it was first being developed. I noticed a discussion about it on Twitter today and thought it worth revisiting.

If you haven’t tried Worldmapper yet, it’s a great tool for visualizing world statistics.

Here’s an example…  Talk about a great way to visualize consumerism!

Worldmapper: The world as you’ve never seen it before via kwout

From the site:

Most imports of toys (US$ net) are to the United States, followed by the United Kingdom. Toys are fun but not necessities. Thus toy imports give an indication of disposable incomes.

Worldmapper: The world as you’ve never seen it before via kwout

More toys are exported (US$ net) from Eastern Asia than from any other region. The value of net exports depends on a combination of how much is exported, how much is imported, and the prices paid.

In terms of earnings from toy exports, there is considerable variation between Eastern Asian territories. Net exports earnings per person from Hong Kong are more than 10 times greater than those from Taiwan, and almost 100 times greater than those from China.

Toys, including sports equipment, make up 1% of worldwide exports when measured in US dollars.

A little over a week ago, I found out about Intel’s upcoming Classmate tablet pc. I found the effort exciting, so I emailed for more info. A few emails and phone calls later, it looks like I’ll get to meet with an Intel rep and try the prototype Friday. I haven’t been able to find any other educators who’ve been hands-on with this machine, so I’m really hyped!

If we’re going to look seriously at this machine for 1-1 w/middle school kids, I’ve got some questions:

1. Operating system - Will it run Vista, Windows 7, or Tablet XP? I’ve read online that it currently runs XP home or Ubuntu. For a fully functional tablet, tablet features need to be supported. XP doesn’t have Tablet functionality integrated unless you upgrade to the Windows XP Tablet Edition operating system or install 3rd party applications.
2. Inking - Will it allow inking in tablet applications - OneNote, Snipping, MS Office, drawing applications, etc.? Will it come with inkable apps?
3. Power - How long will the battery last? Is 4+ hours a possibility? What’s the charger like?  Lots of manufacturers fall short here with a first model, especially for machines used heavily by kids.
4. Life Span - How many years of use can we expect from the hardware? Is it a 2-3+ year machine, or are we looking at annual replacement (not very green)?
5. Warranty - How long is the warranty? What will the support model be for repair (ship/mail)? Will we (or students) be able to do simple repairs?
6. Availability - I know the machine is set to be manufactured early this winter. When will it begin shipping?
7. RAM - Will 1GB be enough for classroom multimedia use, especially if the machine runs Vista?
8. VGA Video out - Can this be connected to external monitors/projectors? Will VGA ports be part of the production model?  I’m a little nervous about this one because other Classmates lack this feature.
9. Testing - When/how will production models be tested with their desired consumers - kids?
10. Imaging/configuration - What processes will be supported for mass deployment and imaging?  Classmates don’t have CD/DVD drives.  Is Ethernet supported for imaging?  What sorts of processes will be possible for mass imaging?

Other general questions:  Screen durability (What happens when it’s dropped?)  Will remote management applications work with them (Dyknow, Synchroneyes, iTalc)?  Plan for stylus replacement (lost/broken)?

Anything else you’d add?