Seamlessly integrate technology into instruction with these activities from SchoolKiT

EDclass, a new set of K-12 learning activities from SchoolKiT International, is intended to revolutionize the way teachers and students use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in their curriculum with hundreds of classroom-ready activities that make meaningful use of technology to enhance students' conceptual understanding, higher-order thinking capacity, and creativity, the company says.

EDclass simplifies the technology integration process by providing activities that cover the core learning areas. These activities are presented as small, interactive electronic books--called activBooks--that open on students' and teachers' computers and guide them through effective, curriculum-based lessons. For example, one science question asks students to explain why the temperature changes through the different layers of the earth's atmosphere. Students consider background information, then click on a button and are launched into a Microsoft Office template. Here, students layer graphical information over a diagram and explain the correlations, while developing a meaningful understanding of the composition of the different layers of the atmosphere.

While working through an EDclass activity, the guidance focuses students on the key curriculum concepts at hand. New technology skills are woven into this context, so students learn these skills as they are needed. EDclass pricing starts at $495 for 30-computer license.

(425) 454-3373

http://www.schoolkit.com

Deploy laptops at a reduced cost with this new solution from CDI

A new offering from refurbished computer supplier CDI aims to help school leaders solve one of their most difficult math problems--adding technology to more classrooms while subtracting costs.

CDI's new cart-based solution, Computers on Wheels (COWs), allows schools to provide an affordable set of name-brand laptops from Hewlett-Packard, IBM, or Dell to share among several classrooms. COWs consist of a lockable cabinet with a built-in wireless internet hub and eight, 16, 24, or 32 notebook computers, depending on the model selected.

Only laptops that are capable of running current office document and educational software are included with the COWs cart, CDI says. In addition, customers can select makes and models from a variety of manufacturers, even mixing and matching if they choose.

The COWs cart is manufactured using heavy 14-gauge steel, and each notebook slot has a foam lining. Pricing ranges from $9,199 for an eight-unit cart to $32,999 for 36-unit cart.

(888) 226-5727

http://www.cdihomeroom.com

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