Califone Blog

What technology could you confidently give to all educators, and know they could use it?

In a recent online exchange, the topic was what technology teachers are actually comfortable using. Someone suggested that “there hadn’t been anything since the blackboard”, and another suggested the overhead projector. My comment was that teachers had plenty of practice with the latter for about 19 years in bowling alleys before it got to the classroom, so that was easy. There are mimeograph machines, actually broke one when I was student teaching—not a good start; didn’t get a job in that district, and of course printers and copiers, too. (more…)

Sayings such as “Practice makes perfect” reflects the well-known fact that repetition improves learning. It’s no secret that integration and ultimately retention of information improves with the number of times the information has been studied. But teachers, parents, and students all know time spent focusing on repetitive exercises without a strategy or a proper tool can be ineffective. Is there a way to make it more enjoyable and efficient? Yes, Califone Personal CD Player can help. In this article, we’ll share some tips on how to utilize various functions of the CD102 to make even repetitive learning tasks more enjoyable and efficient. (more…)

Califone announced results from two online surveys addressing the use of multimedia players in schools and libraries. A mainstay for classroom language learning, listening to audio books, story time and differentiated group activities, multimedia players are often called on to perform a number of additional tasks. (more…)

5th in a series about boomboxes

One of the best tools to help students learn, especially in a language learning situation, is to let them record themselves and play back their own responses. Creating call and response activities is an effective way to involve students and model vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and accent, to name just a few. (more…)

Smart document camera is the first of its kind with image recognition capabilities and integrates sound and links multimedia files for easy classroom use

Allowing educators and students to create and view full multimedia presentations, the Diggiditto Smart Document Camera from Califone International, Inc., delivers features ideal for classroom and school use. (more…)

6th in a series of articles about multimedia players

The increasing use of infrared technologies is benefiting whole classroom audio amplification systems as well as individual and small group learning centers. While there are other wireless technologies such as UHF and VHF radio frequencies applied to portable and installed sound systems, infrared media players are practical and very accommodating for individual use and by a group of students. (more…)

Supports literacy & classroom amplification initiatives.

Califone announced extensions of four current offers to now run through December 30th of this year. The specials cover a broad range of technology oriented products for use in a variety of classroom, computer lab, and library applications. One even includes free shipping on the company’s just launched Got It! clicker student response system which can be used to help data driven decision making. (more…)

A combined review of the 8101 by a tech administrator and a student.

Everyone at our school knows that we love technology and all sorts of devices. So when Dr. Merle Marsh, an administrator at our school who is, like us, attracted to digital goodies, received a Califone MP3 player/recorder, she gave it to us saying, “Try it out and let me know what you think.” She never gives us instructions on how to use things because she wants us to figure them out. This is what we thought. (more…)