Published by: Jon Ketchum

Digital Wish will expand its teacher and donor communication through a grant received from the Adele E. Pierce Fund which is managed by The Vermont Community Foundation. The grant will go towards the production of a newsletter that will help inform the Digital Wish community about exciting site activity.  These graphical monthlies will highlight Digital Wish news for our 19,000 current users and all future community members.

The award will allow  Digital Wish to ‘keep in touch’ in a colorful and professional way. Keep an eye out for our first edition in your mailbox soon!

Published by: Jon Ketchum

 If there’s one thing that’s difficult for anyone to encounter when trekking through the swaying trends of technological know-how, it’s a steep learning curve. Whether you are a self-proclaimed “technology native” or “immigrant,” it is seldom easy to ratchet on a new set of training wheels to learn the ‘next’ new system.  

There are some organizations however, that purposefully develop new technologies to meet the needs of nearly every ‘adopter.’ In my observation, these companies are successful in their outreach because they do 3 things well; they offer products that have a purpose, products that are user-friendly and most importantly, products that are fun.  

There is one company in particular that has mastered the art of ‘reaching out’ to a varied audience. With the release of their inexpensive point and shoot camcorder in 2007, Flip Video single handedly demolished the latent learning curve associated with operating a video camera for its users. Their “plug and play” product was fresh, fun and easy to use, providing certain satisfaction for anyone willing to hold the device in their palm.

User-friendly products such as the Flip Video are especially useful in the education sector because they offer needed ‘clarity’ for both technology immigrants and natives within a collaborative center, the classroom. Consequently, these well-packaged systems fuel many new thoughts and ideas for both learners and teachers furthering a student’s education.  

Because the Flip Video is a practical system it is also a practical tool. Often times, a routine lesson plans is given new life when a new technology like the Flip Video is introduced. Instead of handing in a report for only the teacher to read and learn from, students now have the potential to craft projects that an entire class can learn from. In essence, these user-friendly ‘tools’ help inspire new learners, giving them a sense of exploration and ownership over their work.

In retrospect, ‘we’ are a divided group of technology adopters. As such, we should all hope that ‘plug and play’ products will continue to be readily available for our use as new systems come and go. Maybe then we can ditch the training wheels once and for all and rest assure that our learning curves will forever be slight in their inclination.

Digital Wish and Flip Video Spotlight are offering 2 Flip Ultra™ cameras for $150 to educators at http://www.digitalwish.org.

Manchester Center, VT, October 5, 2009 – Digital Wish and Flip Video Spotlight Program are proud to offer a special deal for educators to help integrate video into the classroom. For just $150, educators can purchase TWO Flip Ultra™ camcorders or use donated funds. With this 2 for 1 promotion, educators and donors can put the power of video into classrooms across the US. To access the promotion, educators should register their classroom for free at http://www.digitalwish.org. Teachers can then purchase the Flip Camcorders directly from the shopping area or add them to their classroom’s wish list and start fundraising for their technology needs. Donors can also register on Digital Wish and donate flips directly the classroom or teacher of their choice.

“Flip video cameras are a perfect fit for classroom use and a favorite among our teacher community,” said Heather Chirtea, Digital Wish’s Founder. “Video has the power to engage students in new ways, and the 2 for 1 promotion makes it even easier to get this already affordable technology into the hands of students.”

Educators should register their classroom for free at http://www.digitalwish.org to receive the 2 for 1 promotion. The promotion is only available to non-profit K-12 schools in the US, and purchase is limited to four Flip Camcorders per educator.

About Pure Digital, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, Pure Digital Technologies is a pioneer in developing simple, affordable digital imaging solutions for the mass market.  Its revolutionary Flip Video family of camcorders ignited a new category of video cameras that puts the power to shoot and share video into the pockets of everyday consumers.  Flip Video camcorders are the world's first with on-board software to enable editing, organizing, and seamless video uploading to YouTube, MySpace, AOL Video and other video sharing sites.  As part of its Flip Video Spotlight Program, the company pledged to deliver 1 million camcorders to help non-profits use the power of video to change the world.  Flip Video is available in over 10,000 retail locations including Amazon, Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Sears, Kmart, and TheFlip.com.  Flip Video products are also available in Canada and the United Kingdom.  For more information, visit www.TheFlip.com.

About Digital Wish
Digital Wish is a non-profit on a mission to modernize American classrooms and prepare students for tomorrow’s workforce. Educators build technology wish lists and describe how each resource will be utilized. Teachers write project plans or browse a free lesson plan library to find project ideas written by educators, outlining best practices in technology. Their classroom’s story is then posted online, for review by any donor. Digital Wish works with many institutions to set up cost-free grant programs for schools, then matches every donation with an additional 2%-10% in funding. Visit http://www.digitalwish.org.

Flip Promo Contact: Lindsay McFillin (802) 375-6721 Ext. 209

Email Address: [email protected]

Published by: Jon Ketchum

Technologically speaking, many of my friends and family are still considered ‘weak swimmers’ when treading through today’s tumultuous “e-ocean.” Even when they are in the knee-deep depths of technological understanding they can barely keep their chin afloat without the help of a well trained “life guard” on duty.  

Growing up in the wake of Internet explosion I had a difficult time finding my buoyancy on the “technology-wave” as well. No matter how many times my 3rd grade teacher threw me into the ‘Mario Typing’ shark tank, I rarely came out alive. After all, the Mario that I was most familiar with moved fluidly when coaxed across the screen; mobility was not determined by my ability to accurately spell the words ‘run’ and ‘jump.’  

My ideologies however changed after “experiencing” the Northwest Territory through an ever-historic journey of “The Oregon Trail.” Although I suffered continuous bouts of the dreaded typhoid fever and a dismal two-month stretch of starvation due to a lack of bison, I was stimulated in a new way. I was learning.

My days on “the trail” have since expired, however my experience on the cart path brought forth a lasting confidence to explore further and faster. Without them I fear my academics would have suffered greatly. I shutter to think that masterpiece projects like, “The Life of Jerry;” a ‘mockumentary’ film about my college professor who lived with his mother, might never have existed!

Even though skeptics could attribute my new ability to fluidly surf technology’s wave to a seemingly rigorous seventeen-year course-study, I would argue differently. My present ability to navigate the tides of technology is solely reminiscent of simple character trait, curiosity. Through sheer wonder coupled with a bit of trial and error my fear of all that was technology was demolished.  

My suggestion for all those people still sunbathing on technology’s beach; ditch the arm-floaties and dive into the ‘e-sea’ headfirst. You may doggy paddle your way back to shore at first, but I’m fairly certain that if you keep testing the waters you will find your buoyancy and so much more.  

Published by: Thoughts on Technology Integration

Blog URL: http://thoughtsontechnologyintegration.blogspot.com/2009/09/educators-make-digital-wish.html