Recommended+Devices

=Document Camera=

Description
A document camera can be used for many things in a classroom. In my particular classroom, it is used as a tool to keep the class on pace and engaged. Usually the work being done will be projected on the board using the document camera and digital projector. It works much better than an overhead projector because it is clearer and easier to write on and read from. It also can be very useful to share student work. All you have to do is take a student's work and put it under the document camera to share with the rest of the class. This sometimes helps students become more engaged because they feel less threatened about being in front of the class writing something on the board.

Key Features to Look For

 * Resolution - Higher resolution is better, but it is important to note that if the higher resolution does not match the resolution allowed by your digital projector, then it is pointless to go with the higher resolution.
 * Auto focus - Does it focus automatically when you zoom in and out or do you have to do it manually?
 * Adjustable arm or fixed arm - this depends on what you are using the document camera for. If you are only using it for documents, sometimes the fixed arm is better
 * Zoom - do you have to manually move the lens closer to the document or is there a zooming lens?

Accessories
A document camera does not have many essential accessories. One thing that you must have is a bulb, but these are built to last in some models up to 20,000 hours, which should be plenty for what we would use them for. The other accessory that might be important is the memory card, but this should only affect you if you will be storing a lot of pictures on the document camera and not transferring them to a computer.

Recommendation
The make and model I am specifically recommending is the Elmo TT-02rx Portable Document Camera. While there are many to choose from, Elmo is a very reputable company in terms of document cameras. While most people might think this is overpriced for our purposes, I think the Elmo is a good buy for the product your are getting. I have noticed that the Elmo is brighter when projected than some of the cheaper document cameras. Since the use for me is with documents only, I like the fixed arm so it is easier to focus straight down at the document instead of using a flex arm. Also, the Elmo comes with a 5.3x optical zoom lens, which is sufficient for the needs in the classroom. This is probably the cheapest Document Camera you will find made by Elmo, but for the purposes of what we will use it for, will work just fine. The resolution does not need to be the best because we are not projecting on big screens like done in big auditororiums.

Vendors
[|Vendor 1 $599.99 (Recommended)]

[|Vendor 2 $760.00]

[|Educational Vendor $759.99]

More Information
For more information about what to look for on Document Cameras, visit [|What to Look For in A Document Camera]

=Graphing Calculators=

Description
In a math class, graphing calculators are becoming more of a necessity. Not only can they be very helpful for student learning, they help at teaching many topics quicker and make them easier. Most schools are beginning to puchase graphing calculators for all of their math classes. In my class, a graphing calculator can have an huge impact with students. Since our studnets already rely on calculators, we might as well give them a better tool to use to help understand some basic Algebra concepts. Learning about slope and linear equations is only one example of a topic where graphing calculators can have a huge impact on students. They can be used for cooperative learning and also for inquiry based learning. They have many functions used everyday in a math class to ease the introduction of topics.

Key Features to Look For
In most cases, graphing calculators have pretty much the same features. There are a couple of features that you should be aware of when purchasing one.


 * User friendliness - Is it easy to use? Can you find the functions you want to use easily?
 * Memory - Does the graphing calculator have the ability to run programs and hold essential programs. Today, most students can utilize the many programs to solve algebraic problems, so the calculator should be able to support these.
 * Purpose of use - This is an important thing to consider. The higher math classes should consider the calculators with more functions, whereas, the lower basic math classes could stick with a basic calculator.

Accessories
The only accessory a graphing calculators comes with is batteries. All graphing calculators need betteries, so this is insignificant in the search for the appropriate calculator.

Recommendation
In this search, I was hoping to find something other than a Texas Instruments calculator to recommend, but unfortunately, the other calculators do not compare, or at least, do not have enough information out there to convince me I should change. The real question comes down to, which TI Graphing Calculator do I recommend. I'm going to break the rule and recommend two different ones for different classes. In mass, schools should purchase the TI-84 Graphing Calculator. This calculator is almost identical to the TI-83 Plus, but it is equipped with more memory and has a few extra functions. This calculator has passed the test of time and again and again proves to be more than sufficient for the needs of a student. The second recommendation I would make is for the upper level classes, more specifically, the Calculus classes. The TI-89 is a fantastic calculator for these classes because of the extra functions it can evaluate. Specific topics like derivatives and integrals are just a couple of topics the TI-89 would be beneficial for. The other reason why I would recommnend this calculator for these classes is becasue the calculator can be used in college and it would be to the benefit of many of these students to learn how to use it while in high school so they don't have to learn while in college.



Vendors
[|TI-84 Vendor 1 $129.99 (Recommended)]

[|TI-89 Vendor 1 $149.99 (Recommended)]

[|TI-84 Vendor 2 $137.99]

[|TI-89 Vendor 2 $153.99]

[|TI-84 Educational Vendor $133.99]

[|TI-89 Educational Vendor $171.99]

More Information
For more information on graphing calculators, visit this site: [|Graphing Calculator Reviews]