June 2009

Interactive Whiteboard Research

Submitted by Robin Brandenburg on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 16:56
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In very general terms, there are two types of Interactive Whiteboards (IWB) - physical boards and online boards. This article focuses on physical boards. IWB is a broad name for a device that, when used with a computer and some type of large video display, makes the surface of the display become touch sensitive in some manner and allows it to be used to control the computer. In the United States SmartBoards (sold by Smart Technologies Inc.) are the most well known manufacturers of IWB's.

Studies "Prove" Tech Learning Works Best!

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 14:02
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Here's another shift that only adds to my last three posts about tipping points in the instructional materials industry. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has announced the results of a new massive meta-study here. The gist of it is that online learning works better than face-to-face instruction.

FLASH: Ed Tech Bill signed by TX Gov. Perry

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Sat, 06/20/2009 - 12:04
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In an earlier post, I mentioned that HB 4294 would, for the first time EVER, allow Texas state textbook funds to be used to purchase technology and equipment. At that point, I said that if it got signed, it would change the industry forever.

Obama, Schwarzenegger, and more: Hello, Tipping Point!

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Thu, 06/18/2009 - 21:28
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Earlier in this blog, I described how just a couple of bills in Texas (Open-Source Textbooks and Technology) could change the face of the instructional materials industry.

Art of the Letter

Submitted by Alissa Jones on Thu, 06/18/2009 - 13:27
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The alphabet only has 26 forms, yet each shape can be interpreted in so many ways. Here are several examples of the letter A in serif and san-serif faces.
image showing lots A shapes
They all vary in x-height, weight, contrast of line and aperture size. Some possess a delicate sense, while others are heavy and solid. But still with all these variations, we can recognize the letterform. The Latin alphabet was developed by the Romans, but typographers today still find new ways to represent it.

Marketing at its best?

Submitted by Marli Mesibov on Wed, 06/17/2009 - 11:52
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I've seen a lot of marketing ploys, but this one takes the cake.  At the risk of overanalyzing, let me point out that this advertisement for Internet Explorer 8 reads so much like spam that I almost closed the window without reading it.  What stopped me?  The fact that it looked so much like an entertaining bit of spam.  And so I read on, as Microsoft hoped I would.  Will I stop using Firefox in order to search for the $10,000?  No, but kudos to Microsoft for the effort.

Simplexity

Submitted by Marli Mesibov on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 16:10
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Last night I watched the film Up, in 3-D. I had heard it was "worth seeing in 3-D" particularly because of the animation. I had also heard that this was not a typical Disney/Pixar film; in fact, it left many people in tears. So, a little hesitant, I went to see what all the fuss was about.

Eight Layout Solutions

Submitted by Marli Mesibov on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 15:09
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As a group dedicated to problem solving in creative ways, I was pleased to see an article recently on "layout solutions." This article from Smashing Magazine was passed along to me by Nate, one of our developers. In his words, "This post has some fantastic suggestions on improving web design!" I felt it deserved to be passed along. :)

Educational Apps: Math, Preschool-12th Grade

Submitted by Robin Brandenburg on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 16:05
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Currently, there are 35,000+ apps designed for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Applications range from business to game and entertainment to educational. Approximately 2,920 are categorized as educational. However, with 20 different categories there are certain to be apps that cross multiple areas. Some are free and others can be purchased. Many offer a “lite” version that is free and an expanded version that can be purchased. The number of sites that include app reviews are too numerous to count.

There are Several Apps for That!

Submitted by Robin Brandenburg on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 21:57
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This entry includes milestone dates, statistics, and resources about iPhones and their applications. The iPhone phenomenon, which has occurred in less than two years, is astounding and the number of applications developed and downloaded since opening of the App Store is amazing.