summer technology workshop day 2 gadgets and toys for the classroom tuesday, july 28, 2009 – 9:00...

Summer Technology Workshop

Day 2

Gadgets and Toys for the Classroom

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 – 9:00 -12:00 Loyola University

Gadgets and Toys for the Classroom

How in incorporate them in the classroom for learning

How to use them as a productivity tool

Voice Recorders

MIDI Keyboards

Portable PA Systems

Document & Barcode Scanners

CD & Label Printers

Are our “tools” becoming old?

Let’s Spice Things Up!

Gadgets

Usually small

Technological object Such as a device or appliance

Functions as designed Often thought of as a novelty

Often referred to as a “gizmo”

Two sides to every Gadget

Productivity

&

Pleasure

Gotta Have it!!

WHY DO I NEED IT??1.Revolutionize by

making “it” easier2.Offers opportunities for

other applications3.Looks cool4.Fun to play with

Fun & Useful

USB Fans, USB Lights, USB Coffee Warmer, etc.

MIDI Ant

Laser Pointers

iPods & MP3/MP4 players

Security & Spy Stuff

Wii, PSP, Playstations (Rock Band, Guitar Hero, etc.)

Slingbox, TV Tuner Cards

USB

Because it passes electricity (from the laptop’s battery or the desktop computer’s connection to the AC) Provide power to electrical devices:

Electric motors (fans, vacuum cleaners, brushes, etc)

LED lights Heating elements

Coffee Cup warmer Seat rest warmer

USB microphones and Headsets

MIDI

MIDI Ant / Insect / Bug When eyes light up, you know you’re sending

MIDI data

MIDI Keyboards / Controllers Depending on the controller’s features, you

can manipulate sounds in many ways Some have Proximity sensors

Gestures control the sound

Laser Pointers

Come in several colors Red, Orange, Green, Blue & Violet

Red is the least expensive laser color

Blue & Violet laser pointers can start at over $1,700.00

iPods, MP3 / MP4 Players

Began with Apple – Apple iPod is the STANDARD

Other companies tried to copy

Some say Microsoft came the closest with its “Zune”

Designed as a portable music player

Some models evolved into video players

Different iPod models & companies’ players can do different things

The iPod(1st Generation)

Came out October 23, 2001

Standard Controls: Play Skip / Fast Forward Back / Rewind Pause Volume Control

Jack for Headphones

The iPod(1st Generation)

Plays digital music that you download

Scrollwheel navigation

5GB internal HDD

2nd Gen – 20 GB

Contacts

Calendars

Games

iPod(3rd Generation)

April 8, 2003

Touch Sensitive controls

Sleeker design

Improved Display

Orange Backlighting

20GB HDD

iPod mini & iPod (4th Gen)

iPod Mini January6, 2004 - mini Anodized Aluminum Introduction of the Clickwheel

iPod (4th Gen) Thinner than predecesors Included the Clickwheel 20GB

iPod photo

October 26, 2004, also February 23, 2005 and June 28, 2005

Color LCD display

Display color photos

Clickwheel

iPod shuffle(1st Generation)

January 10, 2005

No Display

Made use of “Shuffle” Can be disabled

Simple design

Wearable

iPod Nano(1st Generation)

September 7, 2005

World’s 1st 4GB Flash player

Thinnest iPod to date

Bright color screen

Photo iPod

Screen scratches easily

iPod(5th Generation)

October 12, 2005

Aka: “The Video iPod”

A/V cables not bundled

Music Player 1st

Video 2nd

iPod Shuffle(2nd Generation)

September 12, 2006

Aka: The iPod Microscopic

Still screenless

Smallest in the world

Wearable

Easy to use

iPod Touch(1st & 2nd Generations)

Complete touch screen interface (except for the “home” buttonWireless built-inMulti-TouchAmbient Light SensorAccelerometerPlays music, videos, access internet & email though wi-fi8GB & 16 GB models (32 GB in 2nd Gen)

iPhone & iPhone 3G

iPhone

Debuted 2 years ago at the WWDC Conference

Revolutionized cell phone technology (AT&T Network)

Most phones are compared to the iPhone

Same features as the iPod Touch

Uses the 2G technology (EDGE=SLOW…very SLOW)

Included a decent built in camera

Included wi-fi and Bluetooth radios

iPhone 3G

iPhone 3G

Came out last year

Comes in 2 colors (plastic shell): White Black

Incorporated 3G (3G=faster network performance)

Proprietary headphone/mic jack replaced with standard

iPhone 3G S“S” is for Speed

iPhone 3G S

Improved Camera

Record video

Includes a compass

Install applications (as in previous iPhones)

Has a microphone for recording (as in previous iPhones)

Largest storage capacity (32GB) Others were 8GB & 16 GB

What can I do with these?

MUSIC Small form factor can replace bulky CD

players CON: You’ll need external speakers to hear the

audio Store collections & multiple albums of CD’s on

one device User created audio & songs can be synced

with the device View your library by song, composer, artist,

genre, album, etc. Group songs into playlists

Set a list of songs for a particular class, group, personal interest

What can I do with these?

VIDEO (for iPods that have this feature) All iPods that can playback video can be

connected to an external display and sound system

Carry home-made videos, downloaded videos, ripped DVD videos with you

Because it’s not linear based, you can easily move to specific points in a video quickly

With some “hacking” knowledge, you can put videos recorded from your home DVR on your iPod

What can I do with these?

iPhones & iPod Touch Applications & Apps Store

FREE and paid applications for almost any purpose

Once you pay for an application (including free) you can un-install the app at any time and re-download for free

Not tied down to specific iPhone or iPod touch Have same app on multiple devices (must be

synced with the same computer)

App Examples

Pandora Music player Pandora.com Music genome project

OmniTuner Chromatic tuner Shows pitch played on staff & fretboard Show frequency (numerical & waveform)

App Examples

Cowbell Plus Instant cowbell sound by touching or shaking Different instruments

Claves, cowbell, Crash Cymbal, Cymbal bell, drum sticks, egg/tube shakers, Gong, hand claps, Hi Hat Open/Closed/Stomp, Maracas, Ride Cymbal, Rim Shot/Tap, Sleigh Bells, Snare Drum, Tambourine, Triangle, Vibraslap & Woodblock

Can vary volume with force of shake or position on screen

Tap Tempo BPM Tap Tempo Calculator

Gives note values in milliseconds and equivalent in Hertz

App Examples

MiniPiano Instant piano for finding pitches

Recorder (native on iPhone - iPod Touch users need a mic) Record live sound (like a voice recorder Transfer to computer over network

Voice Memos (iPhone 3.0 software) Just like Recorder Includes a VU meter

Do you have any

QUESTIONS??

Portable PA Systems

Portable PA Systems

Save your voice

Depending on system, mics can be passed around room during student/teacher discussion

Can be connected to other devices with 1/8” audio jack

Some speakers can be tuned to reject feedback

Some systems can run off battery power as opposed to AC

Some work wirelessly over Bluetooth, IR, or standard RF

Portable PA Systems

FYI IR systems need a “line of sight” to work

IR systems work better in small to medium size rooms Sounds may cut out in rooms like gyms and

auditoriums

Bluetooth systems usually have a maximum range of 30’

RF devices may have interference from other RF signals

QUESTIONS??

Document Scanners

Document Scanners

Great for scanning music to show on an overhead

Scan documents to edit for music software Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Put scanned documents on website or include

in emails

Create presentations using scanned photos Great way to convert non-digital photos to

digital DIGITIZE

Document Cameras

DIFFERENT from a Document Scanner Integrates a video camera to capture images

Primarily used to show live video of any content Widely used in Science classes Very handy in demonstrations of “hands-on”

material

Some can output different formats VGA S-Video Composite

Document Cameras

Standalone cameras tend to stay powered until you turn them off

Depending on the amount of ambient lighting, some document camera systems have “lighting” built in

Alternative to consumer document cameras are consumer camcorders mounted on a tripod Most, if not all, camcorders have fill lighting

built in that can be turned on or off Fill lighting may need white-balance correction

ARE THERE ANY

QUESTIONS??

This concludes Day 2…

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t

hesitate to send me an email. My email address is:

emacaudio@mac.com

Thanks….see you tomorrow!!