Hello fellow ed-techies!
I am graduating in only a few short weeks, congrats to everyone who is graduating with me (especially the 5th year ed-techies!) and I am seriously considering purchasing an ereader (nook or kindle) or an ipad and need some advice as to which would be the best purchase and make the most sense. I guess now is an excellent time to map out the pros and cons of each piece of hardware to help make my purchasing decision easier.
Price:
The ipad is obviously the priciest of the 3 options-looking at more than 500 dollars, and that is a hefty price tag. The nook is the low price of 140 dollars, while the kindle is 150 dollars. Based off of price alone, the nook would win, but if price was the only consideration, I would spend 10 dollars on a book instead. There are much more pressing factors to consider when making a hardware purchase.
Color:
As far as I know, only the nook and the ipad have color, the kindle does not. If I were to use this piece of hardware as a simple ereader for novels and reference books, color would not be a deciding factor, but if I were to bring it in the classroom for children, color is a must have feature.
Size:
I believe the ipad is the largest out of all 3 of the options, and the kindle and nook are about the same size. While size is not an incredibly important factor, considering the ipad is still incredibly portable, I may want a smaller device for traveling purposes.
Options:
Okay, here is where the ipad really outshines the other two. The ipad is so far larger and more costly than the other two, but provides the most options for customization. The applications available (which include nook and kindle apps) as well as games, productivity tools, and my personal favorite- fitness applications, make this closer to a computer replacement than a simple ereader. The question is, do I need all of the extras? I plan on teaching, in some capacity, in september and the Ipad will be a great learning tool for my students. Looking at it from that perspective, I would be investing in my future students.
Should I wait until something "better" comes out? As technology professionals, we have a constant thought in our minds before purchasing new hardware... "When is the next big thing going to hit and my 500 dollar investment becomes a fancy paper weight?" It wouldn't be as devastating if I only spent 150 and something new came out the next month, but 500 dollars and up is a bigger commitment.
The more I write about this decision, the more I believe an ipad be an excellent addition to my "tech-team", which ironically enough, is comprised of mac products alone. (macbook pro, iphone, ipod)I still have some thinking to do before making a purchase this large, and will keep you all posted!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Week 12: Two articles
Hello everyone! Happy Wednesday... just 2 short work days away from a break.... well at least for me. I found this weeks materials to be particularly interesting, I do enjoy playing the occasional online or offline computer games... I was a huge fan of the Sims in high school (no, I did not purposely antagonize my Sims... though I know many that did).
The first article that I chose to read was titled Welcome To Our Virtual Worlds, and it was fascinating. I know, from my field experience, that computer games are being heavily used to promote learning. Just today I helped the gifted and talented coordinator find "federal budget simulators" for her 5th grade students. I wish I was in that class when I was their age because the games I found were completely amazing! Instead of reading the information in a boring textbook, riddled with words only geniuses would understand, have the students learn through a simulation. The games that were described in the article can have the student's progress tracked by the teacher, which makes for easy grading and assessing. The teacher will be able to monitor what the students are actually doing and make sure they are completing what they are required to. Overall, I think it's a great idea to implement simulation type games into the classroom. They can completely enrich a teacher's lesson plan, engage even the toughest students, and provide an enjoyable alternative to reading a text book. If appropriate, I would definitely try using these computer games within my own lesson plan.
The second article I read was titled students as designers and creators of educational computer games: who else? discussed not only students using computer games to compliment the curriculum and traditional classroom activities, but getting the opportunity to create their own! Students know what they like and know what they want out of a computer game. Given the tools needed, they will be able to come up with a concept and create their own minigames! Mini-games were also discussed in this article at length. Instead of having to save a game in progress and stop a student in their tracks because the period is over, why not create smaller games that can be completed within an allotted time period? I would definitely like to use a minigame over a full length game because you are able to complete the activity in one session and you can move onto the next quicker. Also, you would be able to concentrate the information better... i.e make it more focused. Instead of having a game that covers the entire civil war, have a game that covers on incident of the war... making the students more familiar with that one piece. I enjoyed this article greatly!
21st century skills are being emphasized in schools across the country, and computer games are just another example of software companies targeting the educational market. Schools should give students access to simulation games, mini-games, and full-length games as well to compliment (not-replace) the current curriculum. We would be reaching a different type of learner, which is always a plus in the classroom.
The first article that I chose to read was titled Welcome To Our Virtual Worlds, and it was fascinating. I know, from my field experience, that computer games are being heavily used to promote learning. Just today I helped the gifted and talented coordinator find "federal budget simulators" for her 5th grade students. I wish I was in that class when I was their age because the games I found were completely amazing! Instead of reading the information in a boring textbook, riddled with words only geniuses would understand, have the students learn through a simulation. The games that were described in the article can have the student's progress tracked by the teacher, which makes for easy grading and assessing. The teacher will be able to monitor what the students are actually doing and make sure they are completing what they are required to. Overall, I think it's a great idea to implement simulation type games into the classroom. They can completely enrich a teacher's lesson plan, engage even the toughest students, and provide an enjoyable alternative to reading a text book. If appropriate, I would definitely try using these computer games within my own lesson plan.
The second article I read was titled students as designers and creators of educational computer games: who else? discussed not only students using computer games to compliment the curriculum and traditional classroom activities, but getting the opportunity to create their own! Students know what they like and know what they want out of a computer game. Given the tools needed, they will be able to come up with a concept and create their own minigames! Mini-games were also discussed in this article at length. Instead of having to save a game in progress and stop a student in their tracks because the period is over, why not create smaller games that can be completed within an allotted time period? I would definitely like to use a minigame over a full length game because you are able to complete the activity in one session and you can move onto the next quicker. Also, you would be able to concentrate the information better... i.e make it more focused. Instead of having a game that covers the entire civil war, have a game that covers on incident of the war... making the students more familiar with that one piece. I enjoyed this article greatly!
21st century skills are being emphasized in schools across the country, and computer games are just another example of software companies targeting the educational market. Schools should give students access to simulation games, mini-games, and full-length games as well to compliment (not-replace) the current curriculum. We would be reaching a different type of learner, which is always a plus in the classroom.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)