The difference between men and boys...

     ...is the price of their toys. I've got some pretty good "toys" in my classroom. Some of them are a little old, but they get the job done for my kids. Here's a list of the technology that lives in Room 176.

• 15 IBook G4s
• It's entirely possible that there are little hamsters running around in these laptops, but they are running OS Leopard, so they make things happen. Our biggest issue at the moment is batteries that don't hold a charge. I was able to get a hold of a bunch of extra plugs though, so kids can plug in at the back of the room when their battery fades (it gets a little crwoded back there though). Don't think for one minute that I am complaining about a 1:1 laptop classroom. I am digitally blessed.
• InFocus Digital Projector
• Last year it was on a rolling cart (not good for the old SMART Board), but thanks to our amazing Tech Coordinator, she's mounted in the ceiling, fixed forever.
• SMART Board
• Inherited from a teacher who had it mounted on on wheels, and hated the fact that kids kept bumping and disorienting the device. After some cajoling, I was able to persuade our custodians to mount it in the center of my whiteboard.
• I need some formal training with this device. I'm completely self taught, but I subscribe to a couple Whiteboard Blogs, and those people are truly gifted. There are wealth of resources out there that I have not even begun to explore.
• Ipevo Document Camera

• 21st Century Overhead Projector
• I'm sure there are better document cameras out there, but this one does everything I ask it to do. I use it constantly for Screencasts, and it's very easy for the kids to use. They loved taking pictures with it for our leaf identification unit.
• Ipod 4th Generation
• This was a special treat this year for some of our faculty. It only took me four days to crack the glass. It was resting quietly in my shirt pocket, then I bent over to tie my shoe in the parking lot and...crack. It still works, but it's not very pretty.
• After having this device for a couple months now, I want more of them. Having just one is not enough, but the camera has proven to be very useful, and their are some spelling apps that I use for some of my struggling spellers. Perhaps a separate post just on the Ipod is in order.
• MacBook
• Love my MacBook! Again, it gets the job done. There will always be something better out there, but as a public school teacher, I understand that the next big thing is not always a realistic option. I'm fine with that.

     That's the nuts and bolts of what I have in my room. Rumor has it there is an Ipad headed my way for next year. So now you know what I'm working with. Does this look like your classroom? What kind of "toys" do you have? Now it's time to start talking about how we use these little gems to benefit the learning in our classrooms. Best wishes to you and yours during this holiday season!