Mag Cloud by hp - Meagan Laird

Mag Cloud is a new online magazine publishing and printing resource that can be utilized by anyone! All you have to do is upload your pdf and Mag Cloud-hp takes care of the rest (like printing, mailing, subscription management, etc.).
The cost is quite minimal when you think about it. You are not charged to publish the magazine on MagCloud, but it costs 20 cents per page to buy it plus shipping. The company advertises that you can actually make money by doing this! You set your issue price and all proceeds that go above the base price (20 cents/page) goes to you.
And you can also browse and purchase other magazines made by other people.

This would be beneficial for students to utilize for public relations or for a class project!

http://magcloud.com/

Lesson Planner-Meredith Gilbert

Lesson Planner from Echalk is a way to connect teachers and administration to ensure the best curriculum for students. Teachers can submit their lesson plans to principals and superintendents to get feedback and let them know whats going on in your classroom. It allows teachers to align their lesson plans to what will best benefit the students. It's an interesting thought but with everything that teachers are responsible for it would be interesting to see if this software could really work.

Digital Storytelling-Meredith Gilbert

A new technology that is popping up across the nation is digital storytelling. Teachers use this teaching method to teach historic events or teach about another specific topic. There are several different software varieties that you can use to create a digital story to show your class. In agriculture, it might be interesting to use this to introduce a topic or use as an interest approach. It could be something that you could use year after year as a simple introduction.

Hydrogon Vertical Hydroponics- Tara Z

Want to explore the world of hydroponics with your students? Want to baffle their minds that plants can grow without soil? Of course you do! There are several vertical hydroponics systems available from Octagon Hydroponics. These growing centers help save space in their design and would be ideal for learning about horticulture. There are several layouts available, some geared toward taller vegetables like tomatoes, others for low growing veggies like lettuce. The design includes nutrient delivery systems, including Ebb and Flow, NFT, and Drip and Mist systems. Students could conduct experiments on plant nutritional needs and which system delivers the best amount of nutrients to a plant. Plus, how cool would that be to go to your hydroponics station, pick your lettuce and tomato, find an unfortunate pig and have a BLT?

Virtual Pig Dissection- Tara Z

Presenting... the virtual pig dissection lab! This online tool allows students to see the inside organs of a fetal pig without the mess. It is a free online tool, compliments of Whitman College. This application could be used as an introduction to monogastric digestion or animal systems in general, letting students explore a virtual model before digging into a real one. Or, if you wish to save time and money, not to mention the smell, you could use this tool as a substitution for the real squeal. Also included on the website are study guides for each system of the body, from digestive to reproductive, how to sex the fetal pig, and other anatomical references. There are also quizzes included.

Nuvi 880- Katie Day

A navigation syaytem that has pre loaded maps, yea okay, but a navigation system that can tell you the weather or movies that are showing in the movie theater, now that is just crazy. There is now a new navigation system that will tell you all of this. This navigation system has oice-activated navigation, preloaded maps, hands-free calling and an FM transmitter — plus real-time local weather, traffic, movie times, gas prices, stock information, local news and events.

Pet Waste Disposal System- Katie Day

The pet waste disposal system was used to be a self sustaining system. This contraption would use rain water to clean, literally scrub the yard after the pet uses it as a toilet. To charge the system, you do not plug it into the wall. The contraption has solar panels on it so you do not have to plug it into the wall. This machine will cost you nothing, except for what you spend yo buy it.

Skype in the Classroom-Ashley Abrams

Tiny budget? Wanna take your students on a field trip but just can't afford it? Try using Skype as a virtual field trip. Skype is being used throughout the country. Even Oprah, Tyra and Dr. Phil are using Skype to communicate with people. It can be used in the classroom to have a guest speaker, millions of miles away. The speaker needs a webcam and microphone. The students can also be connected by camera and microphone or can communicate through typing. Skype is free and is becoming an important part of low budget programs.

Ohio Soybean Counsil is using Skype in an outreach program. High school students can interview a scientist while he works in his lab. The students get to see him at work without crowding or disrupting his lab.

Is Your Momma a Llama?-Ashley Abrams

Is your momma a llama? The only way to find out is to fork out $93 and buy your class a "DNA on a Chain" kit. By "swishing" their favorite sports drink around in their mouths, students will loose cheek cells. They will collect them and test them using this kit.

Dissecting Kit-Ashley Abrams

What dedicated ag ed student wouldn't want their own personal dissecting kit? For just $8.95 each, every student in your class could have the opportunity to dissect every dead squirrel they pass. This kit will allow students to discover digestive tracts in neighborhood cats, reproductive systems of their aborted piglets, and the chest cavity of their favorite roadkill pheasants.

"What's in the Soil" Kit-Ashley Abrams

The "What's in the Soil" kit is used to test patterns in the soil. As most of us will be teaching a unit on soil, this $114.25 kit is well worth the money. Students will be given the opportunity to apply what was learned in class. This kit includes:dextrose, nutrient broth, methylene blue stain, culture tubes, alcohol, droppers, measuring cups and the worksheets for 30 students. It also includes a teachers manual.

Seeding Machine - T. Fleischer

The 100EM Midi Low Drop Seed-Air-Matic allows rectangular plug trays to to be seeded up to 150% faster than it's predecessors by seeding rows the length of the tray rather than the width, providing high volume precision seeding to the grower. An on-board top dresser may be regulated to deliver a light or heavy covering of either vermiculite or dry plug mix as required. An optional watering bar is also available which gives thegrower the ability to accurately inject controlled doses into each cell at various stages of seeding. The different sizes of seed suction needles allows seed of all shapes and sizes to be sown (including Petunia, Marigold and Tomato). Seeding directly into flats or plug trays singly or in multiples can be carried out simply by replacing single needles with multiple needles (up to 4 per cell). Minimized seed bounce by placing seed directly into dibble cell tray. No droptubes!

Potting Machine - T. Fleischer

In-Line Potting machines provide nurseries the production efficiency and flexibility they need. Variable speed controls for the soil hopper and planting conveyors allow the pace of production to be set and maintained. Features like sealed bearings, self-tracking belts, direct-drive transmissions, and heavy-gauge steel construction provide a machine that is both durable and easy to maintain. A modular design also allows for customization to address specific requirements, such as the need to achieve higher production numbers or to meet space limitations.

Solar Power Oven- Katie Day

This oven is complied of two cardboard boxes and acrylic cover. When you assemble the oven you paint the out side of the box black and place foil on the inside of the block. The trapped rays create enough heat to bake casseroles and even pies. This invention also eliminates developing countries cutting down trees for fire wood. This oven also is able to boil water which would save thousands ov children from dehydration.

Compost Tea Brewer - Tim Fleischer

Wouldn't it be nice to fertilize your garden, houseplants and hanging baskets with an organic, environmentally friendly solution made from your yard waste and table scraps? Well now you can with Keep it Simple Incs. portable simplici-tea brewer. The compost tea brewer is a unit that can turn your compost into a solution teeming with beneficial soil and plant health microbes. Compost tea can be added to the soil as fertilizer or sparyed directly onto foliage as a disease and pest control. Compost tea can:

Increase nutrient cycling in the rhizosphere Suppress disease
Help extend root systems
Increase water and nutrient retention
Create healthier plants
Help breakdown of toxins in the soil and on the plants
Enhance the taste of fruits and vegetables

and compost tea is completely safe!

Turn It In Writing Cycle-Meredith Gilbert

Do you hate checking and grading writing assignments? Turn it in writing cycle allows for teachers to do all of their grading and checking online. The writing assignments are turned in electronically and teachers can mark them up as desired and return them for a second round. What's really interesting is that the teacher can check easily for plagiarism by checking for web matches. Students can also peer review their work (beware of this- inappropriate comments can be made by immature students). This web service is not free and cashes in at $2/student/year.

USB Duplicator- Meredith Gilbert

What if you could send your power points home or lessons home with your students to review? Now you can! With the Educast USB Duplicator one USB can be copied to each of the students own USB device (up to 15 students). The chore of getting projects, presentations, songs or other items doesn't have to be painful anymore. All thats needed to do by you as the teacher is plug in the device and press a button while all the USBs are in the base. The cost is a little high at $1,400 for the base and 16 devices.

Boring Experiements Made Fun!- Meredith Gilbert

Among the new technology to use in the classroom is the SPARK Science learning system. This awesome new technology that costs around $400 is an interesting way to get the students excited about experimenting and research. The system has a color screen and finger touch navigation. The system allows students to record the data, hold background information, create analysis and even give assessments. The SPARK system comes with many different activities ranging from biology, chemistry, earth science, etc and could of course be applied to agricultural education!

Anyone Can Repair Aluminum Quickly and Easily with HTS-2000 Brazing Rods Bennett

Anyone Can Repair Aluminum Quickly and Easily with HTS-2000 Brazing Rods-
Showing students the ability to braze, is a lot easier than teaching welding. Using these special brazing rods and a torch you are able to braze aluminum or cast iron a lot easier than welding. It is a lot easier to use, faster, cheaper, and convenient. These brazing rods are stronger, easier and better penetrating. These brazing rods could replace welding in our shops, due to the cost and how convenient they are to use. Check out more here.

Smart Pen- Meagan Laird

The Smartpen is a combination of a computer and a pen! It turns what you write (class notes, memos, papers, etc.) and turns it into a word document on your computer. Not only does it convert written information, but it converts oral information. The Smartpen records any sounds made and you can then transfer it to your computer.

This would be an excellent tool for students with IEP's. Because the pen records what is being said, if a student were to miss an important concept, the Smartpen would catch it for them. And then after class that student and their teacher could work together to form notes the student could use to study off of.

It could also be a handy tool for teachers in the sense that it will be easier to organize ideas or concepts. It would also be useful if you are a teacher with horrible handwriting!

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T7-Bowersox

Out in the field, woods, wetlands? Need to take a picture in a hurry as a reference when back in the classroom? Don't have a bulky digital camera at hand? The tool for you could be the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T7. This digital camera is small enough, and has a touch screen easy for you to fit it into your pocket for convience. The downside is the photo quality is not the best due to its compactness.




Some quick specifications: Digital camera type: Ultracompact ; Resolution: 10.1 megapixels ; Optical zoom: 4 x





Check it out!

Great race site

http://www.daveblaney.com

Salling Clicker: Felicia

A new software developed by Mac allows teachers to turn their mobil phones or hand held computers into controllers. This takes the flexiblity of teaching to a whole new level. You can control everything from power points to itunes. This will come in handy when wanting to pull up websites or switch slides across the room for further explanation.

hare

this computer needs the international symbol for turtles

Super Nintoaster: Tara Z's bloglet

Let me present to you... the Super Nintoaster! Yes, it is rediculously amazing that someone managed to dissasemble a Super Nintendo and a toaster, to combine and create one super gadget. When you press down the lever, the inside lights up as well as letting you play your favorite retro game. Donkey Kong would be proud.

How does this relate to the classroom, you might ask? Well, you could challenge students to create something similar and let them gain hands-on computer and eletrical skills. Do I smell engineering and fun?

Flip Video-Ashley Abrams

The Flip Video is a small, pocket sized video recorder. It is perfect for students to use on field trips, making virtual field trips, and creating clips of chapter activities. It has a USB arm, that makes transferring video from the camera to the computer very easy.

The Ohio Soybean Council uses Flip Videos with high school students throughout the state. The students come to OSU to study every step of soybean production. The videos recorded during the day are sent back to their home schools to be shared with other students and used by the Ohio Soybean Council for other teaching tools.

Interactive Plasma Displays Bennett

Interactive Plasma Displays-
In regards to the smartboard the interactive plasma display is very similiar. It also is very similiar to the sympodium that we have in the ag admin. classroom. The interactie plasma display enables teachers to provide the students with the newest and greatest technology, allowing them to view the information on the plasma screen while being able to use it interactively. The plasma screen is great because a teacher is able to stand right next to it, and will not cast a shadow as in the front projection screens do. The cost is relatively high, beginning around $6,000 to $14,000.

Robotic Milkers- Katie Day

In Pennsylvania there is new technology when it comes to milking cows, it is all done by a robot. Each cow wears a collar with a bar code on them. The cow can come into the parlor at any time. The tag or collar will be scanned by a robot and they will be fed and milked appropriately. If the cow decides to come to the parlor more than twice in a day the robot will not feed them or milk them. The robot will literally kick the cow out. The robot is also able to change their feed according to the amount of milk the cow is producing a day. If there is anything wrong with the cow medically, the robot is able to call the farmer and notify them of the cow and of the situation. If there were something wrong with the robot, the robot will call the farmer on his cell phone and notify the farmer. This is said to be full proof, but is it really?

Sim Farm - Megan E.

As we have established there is not really any better way for students to gain experiences than by actually performing the tasks. So how can we get all of our students to experience the farm besides loading up a bus and taking a field trip. Simfarm simulates all the duties of a real farm. Variables of farming are actually part of the simulation including tornadoes, drought, disease, and others. This simulation actually allows students experience a farm with out actually setting foot in the country. Sim farm can be downloaded free here.

GPS In the classroom - J.D.

As we try to incorporate more technology into the classroom I thought it would be a good educational experience if students had the ability to use GPS to learn about technology. It turns out that Garmin has a 10 unit instructional kit that could be used to teach students how to problem solve and understand how GPS technology works. The 10 unit system cost around $1,900 but if you're school can't front that kind of cash, it would be a neat item to possibly split the cost with another school.

Using Online Flow Chart Websites- Meredith Gilbert

FlowChart.com allows users to create flow charts not only by themselves but in collaboration with others online. The collaboration is even made easy by the chat function on the website. Flowchart.com allows images and clipart (all available on the site) to be inserted to the work area in order to make a logical flow chart. I believe that making flow charts allows students to think deeper and on a higher level than simply writing it out in notes. It could be an assignment at the end of a lecture to collaborate with a few classmates in order to make their own flow chart that makes sense to them. This website could be an interesting way to use technology in order to involve and interest students. Bubble.us is very similar as well and could be used in a similar application.

Canon Vixia HF100 Steve Angel

With projecting and viewing technology all going HD, the need to record our findings is needing to keep pace. This Canon HD version is light weight and very competitive when it comes to its features. It is also considered a good deal when a version of this camera is available for less than $550.00 bones. What a Deal!

Wii MotionPlus Steve Angel

I realize Wii is a gaming system but who says education always has to be about books? It was obvious to me when we left FFA camp that there are MANY ways to team build. I believe a gaming system would be an excellant way to do this. Sure, it may be hard sliding this PO by the Principal but it may be worth the try. If anyone has used a Wii system, you know it is unique. If this component has improved the sensitive nature of the experience then it should be exciting!

Optimus Maximus: Felicia

As I was researching computer technologies, a certain keyboard caught my eye. The most noticeable quality of the keyboard was it's price tag of $1000. Why? The latest advancement in keyboards is the optimus maximus. Each one of the keys in the keyboard has it's own display screen and can be reconfigured to whatever you want. Over time, I believe this keyboard will turn from a "gamers" keyboard to be used in school for students with disabilities. The ability to reconfigure keys makes it ideal for those who may be missing limbs and the ability to add pictures on the keys would make it excellent for aiding students with mental disabilities as well.

AiGuru SV1: Felicia

Just when you thought you've seen it all, their taking cell phones even further. ASUS just introduce their new Skype Certified videophone. It allows you to make unlimited phone calls with a web cam. As a community of educators, this might allow us to have more thorough communications by giving us the ability to hold video conferences where ever we may be. For more information check out this article.

New Mac Pro - J.D.

After today's class discussion about laptop and tower computers I couldn't help but look up the latest tower computer that Apple offers. It turns out it is called the Mac Pro and it comes with a very impressive array of features that make it one of the most powerful computers on the market. Equipped with 4 internal hard drive bays, the Mac Pro can hold up to 4 TB of memory, while the sliding processor tray allows you to add up to 32 GB of RAM. The Mac Pro also comes with an optional 8 core processor. The drawback to the amazing power of this computer is the fact that when purchased to these configurations it easily cost over $10,000. While somewhat expensive, this computer would be great for someone that does a lot of video editing, or for some reason needs 4TB of memory. An ag. teacher might be better off buying an iMac, or or Mac Book based on the performance and more affordable cost.

Turning Point Audience Response System- Meredith Gilbert

As mentioned in class, my student teaching site has a set of the Turning Point Technology Systems. These are audience response systems that allows students to actively engage in what they're learning. Not to mention the fun that will be had with this newer technology! As future Agricultural Educators, we should keep this tool on our rador. A teacher could use it for assessment in a classroom setting to see if the lesson was effective or as a practice quiz or test. Specifically for ag teachers, it could be used to train a Career Development Event team. I'm sure the uses are endless!

A test of the blog!

Testing

Welcome to the Ag Ed 532 Blog spring 09

Our class blog will be a way to communicate new and emerging technologies in Agricultural Education.