Teacher Feedback (Joesph Lee - Apple Computers)

[Greg Goins]

Have received some feedback via email, but would like to get more here. Please share your thoughts with me on Joe Lee and his presentation on the opening TI day.

[Terry Shelton]

Sorry I didn't get to see the presentation, but I have heard several people talking about it. Macintosh makes a VERY solid computer; laptop, desktop or whatever. After all, they have been in the game longer than Microsoft. All of the comments I heard were about all the neat things you can do today on a Mac, but I can't help but wonder how much of it can and will actually be used in the classroom environment. Video editing, music editing, picture editing, podcasting, etc. are, from what I understand, all easier on the Mac software. But for the most part, video editing, audio editing, podcasting, etc. are not the primary goals in the classroom or in the computer lab. Our computer labs are mostly used for Internet surfing, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, and a handful of other apps that are available for Mac or PC. One exception is the ability to have the computer read aloud in an actual voice whatever is highlighted on the screen. I can see this being used in Special Education classrooms or at lower grade levels where reading is a "staple" in the student's education. Yes, Macs CAN do a lot of nifty things, but ARE we going to do those things in the classroom or the computer lab? That is the $64,000 question. :)