Thursday, November 5, 2009

Christmas comes early

You're thinking I've put my tree up, but I haven't yet. I'm still showing restraint. A bit of Christmas came early at my house in a different way.

My husband is a professor, the kind that likes to implement new technology in the classroom. A couple years ago he instituted a new technology in class that gives each student a clicker. It allows them to electronically "sign into class" each day, allows them all to answer quiz questions posted on a screen (paperless testing), and allows him to instantly show test/poll results from the class on the screen. So he can find out on the fly whether or not his students are "getting" the lecture. It's cool stuff. And since Rick used it in his classes, including a large lecture class with 200 students in it, he was able to test pilot the technology for the university.

Today Rick heads to the Marine base in Jacksonville to show them how to use it. Rick is a civilian, but works for the Marine Corp periodically as a "master teacher." Basically, he teaches their trainers how to teach well. Hence, he's introducing this technology to them. (Maybe we can learn to click our way out of these wars!)

So anyway, the next problem Rick is looking to solve for his students is the textbook problem. Textbooks cost students hundreds of dollars every semester. Plus, its a lot to carry around from class to class. So last night he comes home with ..... drum roll please .... something I've been wanting for a year ... an Amazon Kindle. He and a few other profs are going to test pilot these babies for the university (meaning the school paid for it) and see if they can be used effectively for teaching purposes. But that means I also get to play with it. I'm so stoked! Christmas just came early for me.



So you tell me, what book (besides the Bible of course) should I download to my Kindle to try it out? Nominations? Ideas? Anybody out there got tips for using Kindle for me?

5 comments:

  1. Yeah - a Kindle! I would love to have one - though have no idea this moment what might be my first book.

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  2. 'The Listener' by Terri Blackstock or 'Two from Galilee' by Marjorie Holmes. Both Christian fiction that's exciting and will make you think!

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  3. I love my Kindle!!!! Some books I have download are; 'Hide in Plain Sight' by Manta Perry. 'The Wednesday Sisters' by Meg Waite Clayton. 'Olive Kitteridge: Fiction' by Elizabeth Strout. 'The Shack' by William P Young. However if you want to see how easy it is to use as a learning tool download 'Rick Warren's Bible Study Methods' by Rick Warren. There are many books that can be download for free or a small charge. This device has been a blessing to me. Enjoy! Blessing & Peace Mary

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  4. Just downloaded the ESV Study Bible - for $9.99 I'm so excited.........

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  5. sorry, my previous comment didn't make sense now that I re-read your post! Just got the Kindle for my birthday - so the books I have were already on my iPhone. Any suggestions on Bibles will be great - I have the ESV Bible just looking for another Bible. Don't ask :-) Like having many Bibles. I will try Rick Warren's Bible Study method book, I have it in hard copy. And the ESV Bible would probably be a good tool as well, it has links to notes in the Bible to test out.

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