Inflationmaster

Inflationmaster is one of my favorite programs! I love it because I can use it at the drop of a hat to provide me with some context for what I am hearing, learning, or seeing. Here's how it works:

1. Enter a year between 1800 and 2004 (ie: 1850)
2. Enter an amount of money (ie: $325)
3. Enter a second year between 1800 and 2004 (ie: 2004)
4. Calculate

In this case, I had read (National Oregon Trail Center) that it cost $100 for a wagon in the 1850s and another $225 for three oxen. Based on the actual rates of inflation, that's $7,211 by 2004 standards! And, that's just for the oxen and the wagon. So, ask yourself: what kind of people came across the Oregon trail with wagons and oxen?

Need I say more? This program rocks!

NW Handheld Project

If you are considering using handhelds in your classroom, there are a number of things to consider: equipment management, student contracts for out of class use, tutorials, curriculum integration, success stories, and current research on handheld effectiveness.

During the 2004-05 school year, the South Lane and Eugene 4J School Districts began the second year implementation of handhelds in the classroom. These two districts, in conjunction with the Lane Education Service District, are assisting Creswell, Three Rivers, and Springfield School Districts in the implementation of their own 2004-05 handheld initiatives. This blog will feature applications that we have found helpful to the teachers and students in these Oregon K-12 districts.

To help teachers learn more about classroom use of handhelds, the South Lane and Eugene 4J School Districts have worked in partnership with the Organization for Educational Technology and Curriculum to develop the Northwest Handheld Project. Visit the site and be sure to contribute to the applications database!