________________________________
From: A forum for independent school educators on behalf of Duff, Carole
Sent: Wed 2/18/2009 4:31 PM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Language Labs
We are in a quandary about how to best update our current language lab.
Typically, we have replaced the desktops over the years but are running
into software glitches and need to rethink. There are 39 student
stations and 2 teacher stations, so we can run two classes at the same
time. And we love the range of multimedia capabilities: peer-to-peer,
student-to-teacher, and group conversations, listening, reading,
writing, recording, viewing video, Internet access, etc. Patches bring
changes, and not always desirable ones, that is, features that used to
work well don't work anymore (ex. being able to see individual student
screens and make comments). The two biggest complaints are that
although students can record, it takes too long to save to the server
AND when 2 classes are in the lab, sometimes sounds carry from one class
to another. So the ten-year old Sanako software is no longer reliable,
and the vendor (now working for the company that took over the original)
is offering "new" Sanako software with fewer capabilities. Of course,
the language teachers just want everything to work, but that's not going
to happen with our current situation. Also, we hope to be able to use
most of our current hardware and setup rather than redesign.
Has anyone researched options recently? Any recommendations for "state
of the art" language labs that are easily supported? How often should
we plan to update?
Suggestions and information are most welcome!
-C.D.
Carole Duff
Curriculum Technologist
Notre Dame Preparatory School
815 Hampton Lane
Towson, MD. 21286
[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, =
attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.
RSS Feed, http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?RSS&L=3DISED-L
[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.
RSS Feed, http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?RSS&L=3DISED-L
