The Machine is Us/ing Us

In the video "Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/Using Us" I think that Professor Wesch gave the video this title because our life revolves around the computer.  We have to check our Facebook at least once a day to feel like we are connected to the rest of the world.  We communicate through IM messaging, update friends, business associates, news, weather, etc. on our phone or email constantly.  We can publish, write, and build web sites through our computers and over the internet.  In the past many of these activities had to be performed by a professional.  Wikis are built by everyday people and are constantly being added to.  Blogs are as much a part of life as breathing is for many.  If these technologies go down, we are lost and feel like our life has been taken away from us.  They control us, but wouldn’t exist without us.  They are “using us” and they are “us.”

Handheld Devices

Your technology director has given you a budget of $10,000 for the purchase of handheld devices in your library. What would you purchase and why?

With the $10,000 budget I have been allotted I will purchase an Apple iPod Learning Lab for approximately $7000.  The lab will include 20 iPod touch devices on a cart that will keep the iPods charged & synced.   The lab will have a protection plan for each iPod. We will purchase 6 Kindles at approx. $150 each.  The rest of the money will be used to purchase apps that teachers can use with the iPods and ebooks requested by students for the Kindles. 

There are many educational uses for the iPods.  They will be used for students who need assistance in reading with prerecorded stories and books, practice of vocabulary words for ELL learners, oral exams, study guides, and podcasts needed by teachers to assist in their lessons.  There are many free materials available from iTunes U that we will use.  We hope to start recording podcasts of classes that can be viewed by students who are absent.  These could also be used by students in ABC School or athletes who miss class due to athletic participation.

The Kindles will be used as a reward for the avid readers according to their accumulated AR points.  They will be checked out to top students on a six weeks basis loaded with a book of their choice.