CTAP7's Staff has a vast knowledge of classroom technology, contact us if you want know all the options
before you spend your limited funds.
Jon Corippo Brian Curwick
The DLP® Projector Rewards program is available to K-12 school districts in the United States who receive a DLP® Projector Rewards Welcome Kit, register, and purchase DLP® projectors after being enrolled in the DLP® Projector Rewards program. The DLP® Projector Rewards program turns your school district’s purchases into valuable rewards for your schools. As a DLP® Projector Rewards participant, your school district can earn points for purchases of projectors powered by DLP® technology from Texas Instruments. Your school district can use awarded points to redeem for a selection of rewards that give back to your students and faculty.
DLP Projector Configurator (all brands)
LCD projectors and LCD TVs
Price on both projectors and TVs continue to fall, presenting new opportunities for technology integration.
The computer can be shared whole class in high interest activities that reinforce content standards.
CTAP7 has bundled and custom workshops which include integration training and all the necessary hardware.
The Projection Calculator -
An interactive tool to figure throw distance, screen size and luminosity - BEFORE you buy
Click here:
Great pricing on cables and mounts - AMAZING PRICES! Can you beat them? Let us know!
Forget the name, they have great prices on electronics (like LCD TVs)
Projectors
Currently, CTAP7 is recommending projectors have a minimum of 1800 lumens with the ideal being 2000 lumens or greater. Many brands meet this specification for about $700. Filter cleanability (some projectors do not require a filter), lamp cost and ease of use are other key factors. Budget $300 to $1000 to mount a projector, including conduit and labor. LCD projectors don’t usually have good enough speakers for a classroom setting, so budget that in as well.
Lamp life is typically 2-4000 hours, some being much less and others will last longer.
Excellent brands of projectors we have experience with:
EPSON • Mitsubishi • NEC • Toshiba • Hitachi
Projector Tip:
Have a plan regarding cleaning projector filters. Most projectors have a cleanable filter, but if it goes uncleaned - you may lose the $300 lightbulb.
Another option:
Several brands have no filter, so there's nothing to clog. In the long run, it could be a much better option.
LCD TVs
42” LCD TVs are now readily available in the $700 to $900 range (50" have been seen at Walmart for $1200) and have several distinct advantages over projectors:
Longer life (60,000 hours)
Integrated speakers (usually quite good)
Ease of mounting (mounts are as cheap as $50, wiring just requires an extension cord and VGA cable) and ease of use (it’s just a TV).
The one drawback is screen size – typically 42” is the best price available.
Look at Geeks.com, TigerDirect.com or PCConnection.com for aggressive pricing.
The CTAP7 squad thanks Larry from Hilmar for his pioneering work in this area.
Cable Camp 3.0 - How to hook up all those cables!!
Bluetooth / RF Tablets:
Write on the screen! Move around the room!
While interactive whiteboards add a visual, tactile element to any classroom that is beneficial, a wireless Bluetooth tablet adds another dimension: Proximity. Teachers and students can participate in the learning from anywhere in the classroom, even with multiple boards. All listed below work on Mac or PC, some even with Linux.
There's Several Great Brands of Hardware:
Smart Airliner: www.smarttech.com about $399 includes Smart Notebook software
Interwrite Schoolpad www.interwritelearning.com about $499 includes Interwrite Workspace software
Promethean Activslate www.prometheanworld.com/us/server/show/nav.2212 about $1000, if you need the Promethean base station
QOMO tablets: http://www.cvtech.net/QIT30.html about $350, RF tablet, somewhat easier to hook up, includes RMEASITEACH software
Wacom Graphire Bluetooth Tablet www.wacom.com/graphire/6x8_bt.cfm about $200, also requires a Bluetooth adapter, no screen annotation software included
I want to write on the screen! How do I do that?
Get FREE Screen Annotation Software:
PC
http://www.linktivity.com/presenter.html The easiest, and it's ridiculously easy to use- guaranteed success!
http://tuxpaint.org/ For the K-3 crowd, very easy, great maps - good for lab use as a KidPix replacement
Mac
ScribbleScreen is a presentation tool allowing you to write directly onto the screen, drawing the attention of the audience to items which can be in windows from completely separate applications, high-light items as you speak about them, sketch a quick diagram or type some text.
Download Scribblescreen version 1.4.1 here... (168 Kb download)
Other choices...
http://flyingmeat.com/flysketch/ Screen annotation and an art tool - excellent and free
http://homepage.mac.com/fahrenba/programs/magicPen/magicPen.html Screen Annotation software, it just writes on the screen, nothing else =)
Firefox
www.firedoodle.com Screen annotation right in the Firefox browser, save them to the web
VISUAL LEARNING RESOURCES for use with tablets and interactive whiteboards
Resources:
Smart airliner: http://technology.usd259.org/resources/whiteboards/smart.htm#Airliner
Whiteboard Tools http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/teacher/maths/whiteboard_tools/
Interwrite tools: http://technology.usd259.org/resources/whiteboards/iw-lessons/InterwriteActivities.htm
Lessons for many brands of whiteboards: http://www.waukesha.k12.wi.us/WIT/SmartBoard/specificapps.htm
Doc Cameras / Visual Presenters
Just like overheads, but no transparencies! An easy way to begin integration for any teacher, we've literally had teachers using these
successfully on the same day as their training session. Besides not needed to make copies or transparencies, teachers can make still
shots (for multi period teaching), use their doc cam as a web cam (check out Edzone.k12hsn.org or UStream.tv for examples) and these
models typically sell for under $600.
Lumens DC-155 (Troxell)
http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.332339/it.A/id.105/.f
Qomo QP 10 (california Vision Technology)
http://www.qomo.com/usa/qp10.htm
Elmo TT02
http://www.elmousa.com/presentation/TT02/index.htm
Also available as the Smart Document Camera (IVS Technologies)
http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Products/SMART+Document+Camera/default.htm
Coming soon! Laptops Under $400
OLPC - the $188 wonder
Intel Classmate - new version, bigger screen and web cam
Refurbished Dells - K12computers.com
Asus EEE - only 900 mhz, 4 GB drive
Everex Cloudbook - 1.2 Ghz, 30 gb drive
Coming Soon! Clickers and Personal Response Systems
Smart Senteo
Turning Point
Interwrite PRS
The Indigo
Alphasmart
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