There are many possible tween tablet choices for the 2011 Christmas season, and if a tablet computer is on your tween's wishlist, your priorities will be important in the decision process. The iPad 2 is an outstanding choice, due to its compatibility with many tween activities, especially the managing of their music via iPod. If an iPad is in your grasp, from a budget perspective, it's worth it.
If your budget doesn't quite manage the $499 price tag of the most basic iPad 2 model, however, the Kindle Fire is appearing to be a promising tween tablet, based on function and price. Promoted as a multimedia device which will include streaming of on demand video from Amazon's instant video, digital music playing, ebook reading of Kindle materials, web browsing, and popular apps through Amazon's android store, the $199 color tablet is outstanding in it's range of uses, contrasted with its cost, which is 60% less than that of an iPad.
Kindle Fire will be available beginning November 15, and is already making an appearance in many leaked Black Friday ads, at that same $199 price. Amazon's free shipping makes it a great deal through the popular retailer.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Edutainment for Tweens: Touchscreen Toys? Or Tools?
Tablets for tween, iPod Touch, netbooks...with all of the tech advances, it seems like we should be sold on the educational value, but how often do we find our tweens navigating their ways to games? Too often! Maybe.
Especially in the touchscreen environment, there seem to be a lot of mindless arcade games, but growing up as a teen in the age of Atari, I find myself just as drawn to silly games, at times. Playing an occasional game actually provides me with some insight into educational value of these apps and programs, though, and I actually find a lot of value in these arcade games. Not every game, mind you, but in many cases, yes! There is value.
For example, Tic Tac Toe is a popular game for the ages. Variations can be constructed by increasing grid size, increasing the number of players, or by changing a single rule or objective. If three in a row leads to a loss, for example, the player alters his strategy. Kids games like Connect Four are examples of variations on that theme.
Take this into the app world, and one of my favorite iPhone apps is Fuzzle, which is a variation on lining up game pieces. Played as a solitaire game, achieving a row, column, or diagonal of 5 like colors scores points. Additional wild pieces help when a given color isn't available, and another type erradicates all of the given color from the playing field. There is much of the same strategy involved, problem solving, and thought. You don't see formal math concepts built, necessarily, but rather strategy and problem solving skills, along with spatial relationships. Meanwhile, for the tactile student, the touch screen activity is a means of augmenting learning. Mathematical relationships are in the background, but working their way in, nonetheless.
Another popular game of late is the famous Angry Birds. Playing a few times, I've found that it's a great model for parabolas, and while it isn't teaching quadratic equations, it's giving a fantastic picture of different parabolas. Enough experience with Angry Birds, and your tween will find the Algebra 2 units on parabolas amazingly familiar. Is Angry Birds a gaurantee of success in math, or in Algebra 2? No, but perhaps the connection will be enough to hold a student's attention, and perhaps the concepts won't be as disconcerting to the reluctant math student who has played the Angry Parabolas...I mean, birds!
Tweens go through some extreme swings in attitude, and many apathetic moments are to be encountered. I definitely don't object to touchscreen apps that are simple, fun, and great for building strategy and thinking skills. Check out Angry Birds in the iTunes app store, or for Android, and keep in mind many of the touchscreen devices that make these simple strategy games easily accessible: iPod Touch, ereaders (tablet versions), and tablet computers for tweens are some of the best devices for app activity.
Especially in the touchscreen environment, there seem to be a lot of mindless arcade games, but growing up as a teen in the age of Atari, I find myself just as drawn to silly games, at times. Playing an occasional game actually provides me with some insight into educational value of these apps and programs, though, and I actually find a lot of value in these arcade games. Not every game, mind you, but in many cases, yes! There is value.
For example, Tic Tac Toe is a popular game for the ages. Variations can be constructed by increasing grid size, increasing the number of players, or by changing a single rule or objective. If three in a row leads to a loss, for example, the player alters his strategy. Kids games like Connect Four are examples of variations on that theme.
Take this into the app world, and one of my favorite iPhone apps is Fuzzle, which is a variation on lining up game pieces. Played as a solitaire game, achieving a row, column, or diagonal of 5 like colors scores points. Additional wild pieces help when a given color isn't available, and another type erradicates all of the given color from the playing field. There is much of the same strategy involved, problem solving, and thought. You don't see formal math concepts built, necessarily, but rather strategy and problem solving skills, along with spatial relationships. Meanwhile, for the tactile student, the touch screen activity is a means of augmenting learning. Mathematical relationships are in the background, but working their way in, nonetheless.
Another popular game of late is the famous Angry Birds. Playing a few times, I've found that it's a great model for parabolas, and while it isn't teaching quadratic equations, it's giving a fantastic picture of different parabolas. Enough experience with Angry Birds, and your tween will find the Algebra 2 units on parabolas amazingly familiar. Is Angry Birds a gaurantee of success in math, or in Algebra 2? No, but perhaps the connection will be enough to hold a student's attention, and perhaps the concepts won't be as disconcerting to the reluctant math student who has played the Angry Parabolas...I mean, birds!
Tweens go through some extreme swings in attitude, and many apathetic moments are to be encountered. I definitely don't object to touchscreen apps that are simple, fun, and great for building strategy and thinking skills. Check out Angry Birds in the iTunes app store, or for Android, and keep in mind many of the touchscreen devices that make these simple strategy games easily accessible: iPod Touch, ereaders (tablet versions), and tablet computers for tweens are some of the best devices for app activity.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Which Ereaders for Tweens, Under $100? Budget Friendly Tween Ereaders
Tween Ereaders
Barnes and Noble has the Nook, while Amazon has the Kindle. However, recent rollouts of new products, and related price adjustments in previous products, has left so many options that a parent can wonder greatly about the best choices.
Keep in mind, as a parent, your tween's interests, your priorities, and budget. Do you want your tween to use the ereader strictly for reading, or are you interested in the option of web browsing and applications? Do you mind sponsored ads, in order to save? While the under $100 price tag is attractive, you will want to examine what that price entails.
The Nook Simple Touch is $99, and involves no advertising. The Kindle Touch is $99 with special offers and sponsored screensavers, which means advertising on the device. Without the advertising, the cost is $139.
Nook Touch is strictly and ereading device, no apps, no web browsing. On the other hand, Kindle Touch includes an experimental browser, making it useful for a tween who might also use the device for research. There are games available through the Kindle store, some of them free, which can be played on the device.
In addition, Kindle Touch has a text to speech feature, which can be useful for an auditory learner. As well, mp3 music files can be transferred to Kindle Touch from a computer, and played in the background while your tween reads. This is an effective help for learners who read better with background noise. As well, audiobooks can be played on the Kindle Touch.
Both companies have lower prices on non-touchscreen ereaders, with the original Nook costing $89, and with the simple Kindle model costing $79.
The basic Kindle lacks audio, and is not as good of a choice for your auditory learner. There are games, and web browsing available, but the music and text to speech features are not incorporated.
Nook Original does include a couple of games, and has a touch navigation bar at the bottom.
Both companies have incorporated lending features with their platforms, and Amazon has library lending available, as well as book borrowing, with a paid Prime Shipping subscription.
Examine Kindle ereaders for tweens further in the Kindle Store, and Nook ereaders for tweens in the Nook Store.
Barnes and Noble has the Nook, while Amazon has the Kindle. However, recent rollouts of new products, and related price adjustments in previous products, has left so many options that a parent can wonder greatly about the best choices.
Keep in mind, as a parent, your tween's interests, your priorities, and budget. Do you want your tween to use the ereader strictly for reading, or are you interested in the option of web browsing and applications? Do you mind sponsored ads, in order to save? While the under $100 price tag is attractive, you will want to examine what that price entails.
The Nook Simple Touch is $99, and involves no advertising. The Kindle Touch is $99 with special offers and sponsored screensavers, which means advertising on the device. Without the advertising, the cost is $139.
Nook Touch is strictly and ereading device, no apps, no web browsing. On the other hand, Kindle Touch includes an experimental browser, making it useful for a tween who might also use the device for research. There are games available through the Kindle store, some of them free, which can be played on the device.
In addition, Kindle Touch has a text to speech feature, which can be useful for an auditory learner. As well, mp3 music files can be transferred to Kindle Touch from a computer, and played in the background while your tween reads. This is an effective help for learners who read better with background noise. As well, audiobooks can be played on the Kindle Touch.
Both companies have lower prices on non-touchscreen ereaders, with the original Nook costing $89, and with the simple Kindle model costing $79.
The basic Kindle lacks audio, and is not as good of a choice for your auditory learner. There are games, and web browsing available, but the music and text to speech features are not incorporated.
Nook Original does include a couple of games, and has a touch navigation bar at the bottom.
Both companies have incorporated lending features with their platforms, and Amazon has library lending available, as well as book borrowing, with a paid Prime Shipping subscription.
Examine Kindle ereaders for tweens further in the Kindle Store, and Nook ereaders for tweens in the Nook Store.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Nook Tablet for Tweens
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| Nook Tablet Available for Pre-order, Slated for a November 18 release. |
With competitive pricing on it's other Nook ereaders, Barnes and Noble has rolled out the Nook Tablet, a 16 GB tablet that includes digital media and ereading, web browsing, and popular apps, another cost concious tablet for tweens, as parents consider the possibilities.
Pricing on Nook Color is now $199, and the tablet like ereader is an outstanding tween ereader choice due to the availability of interactive Nook books. The Nook Touch is now $99, which makes it a competitive ereader, when compared with Kindle Touch. The original Nook is $89. If you are looking for tablet alternatives for your tweens, the Nook tablet is an outstanding choice, as is the Nook Color. The costs are much less expensive than those of the iPad, while the multiple uses are great for keeping your tweens busy.
Tween Tech Ideas: Projector for Video Gaming Systems
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For your tween video game fans, there are video projectors which will integrate with gaming consoles to provide a projection onto a wall, bypassing the need for a television. There have become better quality, lower cost options, sufficient for the interests and needs of tweens, and inexpensive enough to provide an alternative to a huge television. My own tween son has a Jakks Pacific Eyeclops Projector, which has served for a couple of years as a means of playing video games without hogging the family television. The video quality is not pristine, of course, but the cost was low, and the result, perfect for the need.
You should be aware that picture quality will be affected by how dark the operating environment is, along with the surface onto which the picture is projected. It's not going to be at all equivalent to the quality of a television. My tween son loves to create a tented environment for daytime use, and finds it integrates well with plug and play video games, along with older gaming systems like game cube. This will also work well with a portable dvd player, as long as it's used in a darkened room.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Vivitar Digital Camera for a Tween
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If you have a tween with a creative eye or artistic interest, then a digital camera is an outstanding tech gift idea, and there are many models of Vivitar Digital Camera for a tween which provide an entry level apparatus, without a huge expenditure of money. The 8.1 megapixel model pictured above retails at approximately $50 (details linked through image), and is a great way to put a quality camera in the hands of your tween.
Several years ago, I invested in Black Friday deals on such digital cameras for my then tweens, and it provided a quality gift that permitted them to manage their own digital images, and to experiment with photography. While one of the two didn't do a lot with her camera, the other has gone on to work artistically, and has since upgraded to a more advanced digital camera. I'm a firm believer in providing a tween with opportunity to explore an interest. When the child finds that the interest is worthy of lots of their time, then we examine more advanced tools. In the beginning, though, budget friendly tech tools are a great springboard.
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| 7.1 Megapixel Vivitar Digital Camera Priced in the under $30 range... A great way to provide an introduction to photography for your tween. |
Inexpensive DVR's/Digital Video Cameras for Tweens
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| Vivitar Digital Video Cameras for Tweens Creative Tween Tech Gifts |
These kinds of costs were unheard of just a few short years ago, when I spent twice as much for the year's Black Friday digital camera deals for my then tweens. If you have youngsters who love iCarly, and the concept of creating their own variety shows, this is a great way to accomodate that interest. If you have a tween who loves drama, this can provide the impetus to explore further the performing arts. You will find plenty of great models, and reasonable pricing, especially during the coming holiday season.
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| Colorful Vivitar Underwater Camcorder |
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