Information Technology Evaluation

Health Education:

   The health teachers at my school have successfully used technology in their classroom for several years. In order to understand the complex systems of the human body the students worked with an interactive software package about the different body systems. This program is no longer produced and our license has expired, so they are trying to find a replacement for this program. I have found a few Internet sites which may be appropriate for this educational purpose.
 

The Virtual Body-  Web Site

Pros: Since The Virtual Body is a public web site it is free. Throughout the site are very nice drawings of the body, not gross photos. The drawings are all labeled, so students mapping out the body would find this very useful. The guided tour of the digestive system is very well done, with sound and movies. There aren't any formal quizzes for students to take, but the "Organize Your Organs" and "Build a Skeleton" do check for understanding.

Cons: This site require Macromedia's SHOCKWAVE in order to operate. This software would need to be installed on all of the computers in the lab for this site to work.

Some of the sections of the site dead-end and it was hard to go back. The teacher should give handouts with exactly where the students should go which would help prevent this problem. Not all of the links to other sites functioned or went to the correct place.

"The Narrated Neurons" sections was very poorly designed. At first the audio and the scrolling text are the same, so the student could read as they listened. After the first few paragraphs the no longer match up, which was very confusing. This site also needs to be update. One of the facts here mentions that Albert Einstein's brain is exactly the same as other brains- trying to make the point that size doesn't matter. A recent study did show that there is a major difference between the grooves in Einstein's brain and most brains. I don't know much about biology so I was very surprised to find a mistake. I hope there are not others that I am  not aware of.
 

  The Ultimate Human Body- CD-ROM

Pros: This software offers much more than a web site could. The 3-D, 2-D and X-ray views of the body are very interesting. Again, the graphics are all drawings, not photos which is a plus. The 3-D images are very informative because you can really see the relationship between the organs and bones. The CD contains links to web sites about related health issue and will automatically load your browser. This could be a problem with wayward students, but it is an interesting option.

Cons: This does cost $40 per CD. Depending on the class size, this could get expensive. There is only one general body quiz so the teachers will still need a non-tech way to check for understanding. The accompanying web site, Body On-line doesn't offer information on body systems. The web site focuses on health concerns rather than learning about the body. The web site would not be useful for the Health classes.
 
 
 

Digital Cameras:

    The school newspaper that I advise has been thinking about buying a digital camera. We often borrow one because they are great for last-minute photos. It will be a few years before digital camera achieve the same quality as regular cameras, so we won't be going totally digital just yet. I have about $700 to spend. I don't want to spend any more than that because I don't want my kids walking around with really expensive equipment. My biggest concern is getting the highest quality picture with what I'm willing to spend. I found the Active Buyer's Guide a very useful source for narrowing down my camera search. This web site lets you select search  attributes on different equipment and compare similar items.

  Kodak DC 280

Pros: This camera has a very nice resolution, 1760x1168. Our school has other Kodak cameras that work very well, so I feel comfortable buying this brand. It has auto-focus, which is absolutely necessary with my kids. I am also excited about the zoom capability. My kids tend to be shy and I have trouble getting them close to the action. The DC 280 also has red-eye reduction. Even though we print in black-and-white, red eye is a problem because the red eyes turn into a strange white glow in a gray scale. This camera has a 20 MB memory storage space.

Cons: I am a little concerned about the 15 second delay between shots. This seems really slow. We could never use this camera for any fast-paced events, but we do have other camera for those situations.  Other than that problem, this camera looks great and I think I'm going to buy it.
 
 

FujiFilm MX-2700

Pros: This camera has the best resolution (1800X 1200) out of the ones I found in my price range. The delay between shots is only two seconds and it is very small. It also has red-eye reduction. The LCD display is slightly larger than the Kodak, even though this camera has a smaller body. This camera is slightly cheaper at $689 compared to $735 for the Kodak.

Cons: This digital camera doesn't have a zoom lens. I bought a point-and-shoot camera without a zoom last year and regret that decision. I am hesitant to buy a digital camera with out a zoom. Also, this digital camera only has 8 MB of storage space, compared to the Kodak's 20 MB. Although the numbers on this camera are flashier than the Kodak, the zoom is too important to do without.
 
 

   Canon PowerShot A50 Zoom

Pros: Just for comparison, I decided to check out this digital camera that sells for $452. It  has a zoom lens that has a slightly larger range than the Kodak. The delay between shots is only five seconds and it has auto focus and red-eye reduction. One very nice thing about this camera is its size. It is very small and compact.

Cons: With a resolution of 1280 X 960 and limited aperture modes, this camera won't produce the type of quality pictures that the newspaper needs. It only has 8 MB of storage space and it doesn't have a digital zoom like the Kodak. I think this camera has a ton of features for its price, just not the features I really need.
 

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