A brand new Visusliser

We have had a visualiser in school for over a year and I have to admit to only using it about two or three times. This was for several reasons. 

Firstly tracking it down wasn't easy as it was often lurking at the back of someone's stock cupboard or as I once discovered in the P.E. Store. 

Secondly you often don't know you need a visualiser until you need it. 

Thirdly the visualiser we had was one of the original ones and was, like most technology, after a couple of years quite archaic. I would liken using it to looking in a mirror at the back of your head through another mirror to fix your hair (I know what I mean.) Basically it was very difficult to place the item your were trying to show in the correct place.  It was also like a satellite signal newscast with a time delay because when you moved it even slightly it would go out of focus and take at least 30 seconds to refocus. Just in time for you to decide actually you needed to move it again!

Finally it was very basic, you couldn't zoom in or out, rotate, capture, video etc.

So when our wonderful techie guy Dave, who visits school once a week, appeared in my room yesterday with a brand new all singing all dancing  visualiser I was over the moon. This visualiser has it's own remote control which means you can alter it from anywhere in the room! It is crisp and clear. You can capture images of what you are showing and then write on it. It has a video capacity, the list is endless. Apparently it can do even more once some new software is installed (hopefully next week.)

What is great about it is that after only one and a half days I have used it more than I used the last one in over a year!  We have looked at some of the pupils writing together. Looked at a map of the world, Northern Europe and the U.K. and I have demonstrated how I wanted a map annotated on it. 

How long it will last who knows but I do think that, so far, due to the variety of possible uses it has it will be here to stay,  or until the next big thing comes along. As a self confessed techie geek I love it! 

If your lucky to have a visualiser check out the link;

http://bit.ly/19egBYI

for 15 uses of visualisers in the classroom.