Big Screen

If you’re tired of squinting at a projected image that gets washed out by overhead or sunlight, NEC’s MultiSyncV652 screen measures 65-inches (diagonally), displays super-bright images in full 1,920 by 1,080 HD resolution. The display is has a pair of 10-watt speakers built in and can even accommodate a single board PC built-in. The screen costs $5,000.

 

 

Mixing the Pad

The latest in sound mixers for an auditorium are Mackie’s DL 806 and 1608. They both use the electronics of any iPad to control either 8 or 16 amplified inputs. Just slide the pad in and it shows levels allowing pinpoint control. The mixers cost $800 and $1,000.

Small, Cheap and Powerful

If you’re looking for small but powerful all-in-one computers for outfitting a lab, classroom or public space, Lenovo’s ThinkCentre Edge 62Z fits the bill with an 18.5-inch display, Core i3 processors and a slew of USB 3.0 ports. The best part is that the system starts at $550, is a power miser when in use but consumes almost no power when it’s asleep.

Doing the Math

Good things may come in threes, but TI has a pair of winners for math and science classrooms. The TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition color calculator is for teachers and schools that prefer a traditional standalone device while the TI-Nspire and CAS iPad apps are for those who have built a curriculum around Apple’s tablet.

To start, the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition picks up where the monochrome Plus Silver Edition leaves off. The 7.7-ounce case is lighter than the monochrome model, looks the same and is available in black, purple and blue. Like its earlier cousins, the Plus C comes with a slide-on cover.

It has an identical button layout and uses the same key sequences, so moving from to the other is a snap. In other words, the Plus C look like a clone of the Plus model that can work your library of math files, all of its accessories as well as the Vernier digital sensors, but there’s one important step forward: it has a bright and rich 2.8-inch color screen. The 140 dot-per-inch display can show 16-bit color in vivid 320 by 240 resolution.

It may not be impressive compared to a notebook or tablet display, but it is brilliant and able to show everything from simple arithmetic to complex integration and just about any graph you can think of. The numerals and graph lines appear so bright that they just about jump off of the screen, particularly when compared to the older monochrome displays.

Inside is the same 15MHz Zilog Z80 processor as the TI-84 Plus family as well as 3.5MB of Flash ROM. The calculator has 21KB of RAM available for work and apps, which should be more than enough for most work.

It’s all powered by an 800 milliamp-hour rechargeable battery pack rather than the Plus’s four disposable AAA batteries. It can be recharged with a micro-USB cable and should be able to run for several days of on and off use on a charge. The cable doubles as a way to communicate between calculators and it comes with a plug-in charger and cables.

The Plus C’s operating system is just as impressive with an integrated polynomial root finder as well as optional apps for solving inequalities. So much more than a calculator, the Plus C can solve and graph all kinds of equations. On the downside, its keypad has become so complicated that it can take students and teachers a long time to get the basics down and never truly master it. The multi-color markings help, but it can be rough going.

It’s an excellent way to show off equations with images that can easily be downloaded into the TI-84’s memory. To my thinking, there’s no better way to make the shape of an absolute value function more memorable than to overlay it on top of a V-shaped roof.

However good the TI-84 Plus C is, it is limited by the 2.8-inch screen and its $150 price tag, about $20 more than the monochrome version. If that’s too much, TI is giving some of them away. You need to be a US citizen and register on the company’s Facebook page before April 21.

The TI Nspire Apps for the iPad are not limited by the calculators constraints, but have their own pros and cons. There’re two programs available: one emulates the Nspire line of calculators and button sequence and the other uses TI’s CAS system. They cost $30 each, but there are no volume discounts for outfitting a district at a time at this time.

The software is downloadable from the iTunes App store and like the standalone calculator, the app can work with images and use existing .tns documents from a hardware calculator. Because the Nspire iPad app works with the entire screen, it provides an incredible view of math, from simple equations all the way to complex statistical distributions. You can use the iPad’s email client and WiFi to distribute tests or park homework and worksheet files online in a Dropbox account.

The software comes into its own when connected to a projector, but you’ll need Apple’s $50 adapter or use Apple TV to do this. There’s nothing like punching in sine, cosine and tangent curves to visually illustrate the relationship between them.

As cramped as the hardware calculator’s keypad is, the software equivalent is spacious, well laid out and takes advantage of the pad’s display space. In addition to a central numeric pad, to the right are the major operators and to the left are trig functions as well as a slew of powers, variables and calculus operations. It should only take a few lessons before everyone is familiar with its design and many will pick it up right away.

In addition to directly inputting an equation to be graphed, you can start with raw data in spreadsheet form, perfect for use in a science lab or to explore real world statistics. The app has six different graphing styles and you can choose from a palette of 15 colors for the axes, lines and backgrounds.

It’s easy to change equation variables to show everything from translations to the effect of changing the sign of a function. At any time you can zoom in and out to see visually key in on details.

The app includes several lessons, including an animated skateboarder rolling through a parabola that shows the relationship between potential and kinetic energy. Not only can you change the shape of the track, but the amount of friction and gravity can be adjusted. More are downloadable on TI’s Web site.

It does statistics as well and can work with normal, Student T test, Chi Square, binomial and Poisson distributions. There are ten standard testing functions built-in.

As good as the app is, it’s not perfect. It only works on second- and third generation iPads and there’s no Android software at this point, a major problem because Android systems are much less expensive than iPads. On several occasions using the Nspire app, the iPad Mini ran out of memory to do additional things. Plus, the system doesn’t work with Vernier’s digital sensors.

The biggest disappointment is that because it is part of a tablet, it can’t be used on any standardized tests at this point in time. That will likely change, but it means that anything that is taught with it needs to be relearned with a standalone calculator when it comes time to take the ACT, SAT and AP tests.

While there’s no shortage of free iPad graphing calculators, this one is so comprehensive that it is worth the money, particularly for schools that have distributed iPads to the entire student body.

 

A

TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition

Price: $150

 

+ Impressive screen

+ Continues with TI-84 layout

+ Rechargeable battery and AC adapter

+ Impressive built-in apps

 

- Expensive

- Cramped keypad

 

 A

TI-Nspire Apps for iPad and TI-Nspire CAS App for iPad

Price: $30 each

 

http://education.ti.com/en/us/products/apps/ti-nspire-cas-app-for-ipad

 

+ Works well with iPad

+ Can use entire iPad screen

+ Uses familiar layout

+ Graphing flexibility

+ Inexpensive

 

- Need a classroom of pads

- Doesn’t work with first generation iPad

- Not approved for tests

- Doesn’t work with Vernier sensors

 

Teaching with the Web

The vast array of educational resources that the Web offers can help teach everything from foreign languages and technology to the goings on at the White House. For those schools short on computers or cash can tap into the Web with one of Netgear’s NeoTV systems. They range from $50 to $130 and differ in how deeply into the Web they can reach.

Regardless of which of the four NeoTV Streaming Players you choose, the devices are all black and small enough to hide behind or attach to a monitor or projector. While the $50 base (NTV300) NeoTV model can tap into about online 100 channels with full HD resolution and surround-sound via a WiFi connection, the $60 Pro (NTV300S) adds an Ethernet port and the bonus of WiDi for wirelessly showing what’s on your laptop. The $70 Max model (NTV300SL) also has a USB port for a USB memory key and its remote control has a mini-keyboard. 

The latest model, the $130 NeoTV Prime (GTV100), brings GoogleTV to the classroom as well as an HDMI-in port to connect a DVD player or cable TV box. It can also grab items from a local server with the unit’s mini-keyboard on the back of its remote control. All four devices have downloadable iOS and Android apps that let your tablet take control of the streaming video.

Compared to the $60 Roku HD, even the least expensive NeoTV device can present full 1,920 by 1,080 HD video rather than 720p video, although the typical classroom projector is of a much lower resolution. On the other hand, the Roku device can work with older TVs and projectors because it can transfer audio and video over composite video ports rather than HDMI.

I looked at the NeoTV Max model and, like the others, it provides access to expected YouTube and Hulu, but there are several dozen channels available that range from movies and games to genuine educational resources. The best part is that all of the channels are free, except those, like Hulu Plus, that require a subscription.

Setting up the NeoTV Max is quick and easy. Just plug it in, connect it with your projector, TV or monitor and let it find and connect to your WiFi network on its own. If the signal isn’t strong enough, the Max model has a wired Ethernet connection.

The beauty of using HDMI to connect NeoTV with a screen is that audio and video flow over one cable, making it quicker to get started. When everything’s ready, pick a channel to watch with the remote control and get the class to sit back and watch. Be aware that it takes some practice to figure out the sequence to navigate around the screens, but it soon becomes second nature.

The NeoTV Max that I used worked with two different projectors as well as a LCD TV and a desktop monitor. My favorites for the classroom are videos from the TED conferences, PBS shows and videos from the White House, but there’s also a NASA channel that’s chock full of science related material. While there are channels in French, Italian, German and Spanish that can introduce language students to the actual cadences and accents of true native speakers, the Le Monde channel is stocked with short news reports that haven’t been updated since last June.

The best part about NeoTV is that the software and lineup are often frequently with new selections frequently added. While the Max model is good, I prefer the addition of GoogleTV on the Prime model. It transforms this platform into a teacher’s helper, but can’t work with things like the University of Colorado’s PHET simulations and other online teaching resources.

Overall, the audio and video quality is fair, not because the system’s graphics are wanting. It’s because many of the channels are lacking. More to the point, many of the videos that come from overseas have been converted and have odd artifacts.

Still it’s the cheapest and most effective way to put the Web into a classroom.

A-

Netgear NeoTV Max

Price: $70 

+ Inexpensive

+ Works with variety of projectors or TVs

+ Reasonable assortment of program channels

+ Remote control mini-keyboard

+ Small unit

+ Notebook WiDi connection

 

- Web browsing only with Prime model

 

 

 

 

A Touching Display

While you don’t need a touch screen to use Windows 8, having one makes the experience much easier, smoother and much more intuitive. While there’s no shortage of touch-screen notebooks on the market, there are only a handful of monitors for retrofitting a desktop or extending a notebook for this brave new computing world. Viewsonic’s TD2340 sets the pace with excellent HD sharpness, reasonable brightness and excellent touch response.

At 15.8- by 22.6- by 13.0-inches, the TD2340 takes up a lot of desktop space and has a wide frame that makes it look bigger than it actually is. The monitor has a sturdy and heavily weighted V-shaped base that has rubber surfaces to hold a notebook in place. The screen is as flexible as the one on the Dell 2340T touch screen but its design is simpler. It lets the screen tilt and rotate so that it can assume different profiles for a variety of uses.

In addition to setting the monitor up in the traditional vertical operation, the TD2340 can tilt 4-degrees forward. It can be set at any angle between vertical and horizontal, making it one of the most flexible monitors available. It is just as good for setting up as a vertical desktop screen or getting a bunch of kids to collaborate on a project around horizontal screen.

At any time, the screen can be raised or lowered by about three inches. On the downside, the TD2340 can’t swivel side to side. The entire screen can rotate between landscape and portrait modes, but the computer doesn’t automatically change the image’s orientation. It can, however, be wall mounted, but weighs over 20-pounds.

The beauty of the system is that even the slightest teacher or six-year old can move and adjust the screen’s angle. The mount’s action is smooth and sturdy and the screen doesn’t wobble as much as other touch-displays when tapped.

Its set up was quick and simple. With Windows 8, the monitor doesn’t require loading any software onto the Sony VAIO T13 or the Dell Inspiron 15Z that I used. The display worked well with Windows 8 and actually can streamline the use of the operating system. To use the screen with Windows 7, you’ll need to load software from the included CD.

With a ten-point capacitance multi-touch screen, the TD2340 responds instantly to the touch and worked well with several stylus pens. I used two and three finger gestures and reliably brought out the various menus from the screen’s edges. Using fingers turns out to be much easier to manipulate the University of Colorado’s PHET science simulations. It even worked remarkably well for sketching a function’s graph, drawing a map or finger painting.

It has built-in on-screen commands for adjusting the display with the ability to change its contrast, brightness, color and other items. Unfortunately, like other touch screens, the on-screen commands aren’t touch-enabled so you’ll need to use the awkward up and down arrows to select what you want.

Like any recent display, the TD2340 can work with inputs from VGA, DisplayPort, HDMI and audio. Happily, it comes with most of the cords needed, but not for a Display Port source. The system requires a USB connection to transfer the touch commands, but – unlike Dell’s 2340T – it can work with a USB 2.0 system.

There’s a two-port hub built into the monitor’s side. In fact, all the video connections are awkwardly placed on the bottom and side of the monitor, not its more accessible base.

It may lack a Web cam, but the TD2340 has integrated speakers that use SRS Premium Sound and actually sounds as good as many iPod docks. They get loud enough to allow the class listen, but they sound better when the display is vertically oriented than horizontally.

The 23-inch IPS display it is built around is no slouch either. It has scratch resistant glass, can show 1,920 by 1,080 resolution and has a 7ms response rate. Its brightness is rated at 250 candelas per square meter and the screen can show just about any resolution and refresh rate. On the downside, it managed to get to only 198 cd/m² in its Normal mode. The monitor’s color balance is surprisingly good with excellent rendering of flesh tones.

Thanks to efficient LED backlighting , when the TD2340 is being used, it consumes 22.4 watts, likely a fraction of the power used by the monitor it will replace. This adds up to an estimated $4.30 of electricity bills over the typical school year, making it a very economical monitor to use. On the downside, the right side of the screen heats up to about 110-degrres Fahrenheit.

Like many other monitors, the TD2340 comes with a three-year warranty, but at $600 it undercuts the Dell 2340T by $100. All in all, the TD2340 can not only get the most out of Windows 8 but is a great tool for turning a plain old PC into a touch computer that can liven up any lesson.

A

Viewsonic TD2340

Price: $600

+ Sharp HD screen with sensitive touch

+ Horizontal or vertical operation

+ Scratch-resistant glass

+ USB 3.0 with hub

+ Wall mount

 

- Big and heavy

- Expensive

 

 

Next ChromeBook

We know that Acer’s Chromebooks have been popular with schools, but its latest C710-2055 Chromebook will likely be a hit. At $280, it is a bargain compared to regular PC notebooks or even tablets, but comes with a 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 847 Processor, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive and Google's latest Chromebook software. The system is built around an 11.6-inch screen and weighs in at 3-pounds.

Instant HDMI

Lots of older desktops and notebooks don’t have HDMI ports while newer monitors and projectors are moving away from VGA connections. What’s a teacher to do? Cable Wholesale has a converter that turns a computer’s USB 3.0 port into a full HDMI connection, complete with sound. It tops out at 2 048 by 1,152 resolution, works with recent Macs or PCs but not 64-bit Windows XP systems The kit costs $70 and includes a USB cable but not the HDMI cable.

New Sensations

Vernier has a slew of new digital sensors that can expand the reaches of the company’s STEM gear and open new vistas of school lab work. The five new sensors are for monitoring radiation ($169), checking dissolved oxygen levels in water ($379), measuring ethanol concentration ($109), a pyranometer for measuring solar radiation ($199) and a goniometer for measuring the angles of limbs ($159). They will be available later this year.

Hear the Best

Throw away the ear bugs that come with most digital audio devices because they’re uncomfortable and sound terrible. Kicker’s Flow In-Ear Monitors are the in-ear equivalent of studio monitor speakers yet weigh only half an ounce. Capable of reproducing audio that matches the range of human hearing, Flow ear pieces are available in white, red and black and come with four different size silicone ear inserts. They cost $20.