Category: EdTech

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Libraries and Museums – Not There Yet

Posted on By Tom No Comments on Libraries and Museums – Not There Yet
EdTech, Internet

This photograph of Nina Simon over at Museum 2.0 pretty much sums up my experience with museum and library websites over the weekend. This was also the conclusion of Simon’s paper describing museums and libraries in the 21st Century.

This all got started this past weekend as I was reviewing websites for a graduate course I’m taking. I was not only looking at museums and libraries, but historical societies, as well. My intent was to see what actual resources were offered on their various websites and to see how they have bought into social networking. What I found was a bit discouraging.

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A Cautionary Technology Tale

Posted on By Tom 2 Comments on A Cautionary Technology Tale
EdTech, General Technology

This is an absolutely true story which took place last Thursday, June 26. The names have NOT been changed to protect the innocent because we enjoy giving Noel Kane-Maguire grief about this. Every summer the Furman Chemistry Department hosts a corporate luncheon to show appreciation for the sponsors of their summer research program. Professor Noel … Read More “A Cautionary Technology Tale” »

Smithsonian Now on Flickr

Posted on By Tom No Comments on Smithsonian Now on Flickr
EdTech, Photography

The Smithsonian Institute is the latest organization to begin posting photos on Flickr. There are currently just under 900 photographs available. The majority of this are historic photos. There is a set of scientists and inventors, a set of famous artists, and a couple of sets devoted to various American cultures. One set focuses on … Read More “Smithsonian Now on Flickr” »

Houndbite – YouTube for Audio

Posted on By Tom 5 Comments on Houndbite – YouTube for Audio
EdTech, Internet

UPDATE: Houndbite is now defunct. However, there are some great alternatives in place. Try Audioboo, SoundCloud, or Chirbit for hosting files. ……… Here’s the dilemma – I’m not diligent enough about creating audio files to get into podcasting. Podcasting really requires consistency, focus, and dedication in order to keep your audience engaged. However, I do … Read More “Houndbite – YouTube for Audio” »

Creating Media-Rich Lessons with Google Earth

Posted on By Tom 3 Comments on Creating Media-Rich Lessons with Google Earth
EdTech, Geocaching and Maps

Sometimes it just clicks. As many workshops as I have done on Google Earth, I hadn’t really, truly understood its implications for the classroom. In most of my workshops, I had been focusing on the mechanics – basically how to navigate and create interactive placemarks. Now I’m going to emphasize using Google Earth as a … Read More “Creating Media-Rich Lessons with Google Earth” »

Online Tools for Digital Storytelling

Posted on By Tom No Comments on Online Tools for Digital Storytelling
EdTech, Internet, Photography, Uncategorized

Via Wes Fryer’s blog, I came upon a list created by Alan Levine which describes 50+ tools for digital storytelling. Alan has broken these down into Slideshow Tools which primarily use images with or without music background, Mixer Tools which include video as well as photos, Timeline tools, Comic Tools, Scrapbook Tools, Audio Tools, Video … Read More “Online Tools for Digital Storytelling” »

Test Drive with the HP 2133 Subcompact

Posted on By Tom No Comments on Test Drive with the HP 2133 Subcompact
EdTech, Gear


Several weeks ago one of my principals inquired about creating a mobile computer lab using something other than full-sized laptops. At the time, the only thing available was one of the AlphaSmart labs. However, those tend to have very limited capabilities. I knew that there would be a whole bunch of OLPC imitators hitting the market soon that would have full-computer capabilities for a similar price point to the AlphaSmart solution.

So, we waited and watched as new laptops were released into the wild for around $500 that might fit the bill. Asus has some units in its EEPC line, but the one that really caught my eye was the new HP 2133 subcompact unit. It was this one that I decided to test drive. It arrived Monday, and I’ve been putting it through its paces.

The unit I got has 2 GB RAM and 120 GB hard disk space. It sports a VIA C7-M processor running at 1.6 GHz. I wouldn’t try to do Photoshop or any heavy graphics processing, but for general web surfing and most everything else it should be fine. It has WiFi, Bluetooth, as well as two USB ports and SVGA out. It doesn’t have a CD or DVD drive, but it does have an SD slot. It has a built-in webcam. Mine came with Vista Basic, but the unit is available with LInux.

Usually, the size of the computer is inversely proportional to its cost. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore, especially with this new crop of laptops. As configured, this unit sells for about $750 – more expensive than the Asus products, but still cheaper than a full laptop.

Those are the official specs – now for the hands-on…

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