Creative Classroom Online - Tech for Learning


Contents
	FEATURE: Kathy Schrock's Tech Quest

Kathy Schrock's Tech Quest
What scanner should I buy
for my classroom?
by Kathy Schrock

A reader recently received a gift certificate to a computer store. She wants to buy a scanner for her classroom and wrote to ask me, "What do you recommend?" To answer her question--one that you may also have--let's go on a Tech Quest together. Each letter in "quest" stands for a step we'll take. In addition, the quest is aligned with one of the standards from the International Society for Technology in Education's "ISTE Recommended Foundations in Technology for All Teachers." For more information, visit www.iste.org/standards/ncate/found.html.

Kathy Schrock, a technology coordinator in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, created Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators on the Discovery Channel school site: http://discoveryschool.com/schrockguide/

The Quest: The Best Scanners

Questioner: Who is going on the quest? It may be you, an administrator, a parent, or the technology specialist at your school.

Understanding: What is the purpose of the quest? What type of scanner is best for the classroom? Which work with my computer? What software do I need to buy with my scanner?

Explanation: Exploring options for finding an in-depth answer. Your main goal is to buy the scanner that

is easiest to use

allows you to scan with the best quality

is compatible with your hardware and software

has software that will help you edit images

allows you to put images into Web pages and other applications.

Types of scanners
Scanners come in three flavors: handheld, sheet-fed and flatbed. A handheld scanner is portable, but because you need a steady hand and patience to get consistent quality, it's less than ideal for the classroom. In a sheet-fed scanner, pages are fed in individually, so you won't be able to scan images from bound volumes. A flatbed scanner looks like a small photocopier and allows you to easily scan oddly shaped items as well as student work. For a classroom situation, I highly recommend a flatbed scanner.