SMART Table

I was very fortunate to get a SMART Table at the end of last school year. Now it is October so I have had the chance to put it to good use. My situtation is a bit different from the ordinary classroom teacher, because I am the librarian. I see students on a regular schedule and have activities for them to do on the SMART Table. Get more info here.
My students LOVE the SMART Table! It keeps them completely engaged and they are learning to work together. The great thing about this table is that several students can work on it at the same time. Unlike my SMART Board interactive whiteboard that only allows for one touch at a time I can put up to 8 students at the table and they can each use all of their fingers to manipulate the board. It is a perfect height for primary students and I have found it to be very durable.
From a teacher's perspective it is easy to use as well. It comes with a wristband flash drive to store activities. You can download activities from the SMART Exchange or create your own with the ToolKit. It really is simple.

The Flip Video Camera

I love the Flip video camera! www.theflip.com For under $200 you can get a handheld HD video camera. It is not only a great little video camera to take on vacation or for my daughter to use to make videos with her friends, but it is great to use in the classroom. The Flip is compact and simple to use. It comes preloaded with its own software that automatically installs when you plug in the USB to your computer. The software is also very easy to use and, surprisingly, it does a lot. You can mix videos, cut and paste, clip still photos, and so much more.
So, what can you do with the Flip video camera in the classroom? The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Have students create news shows or video blogs. Record students' oral reports. Have them record their experiments or observations. Give a student a Flip video camera and see what they can come up with.