Higher Ground Technology Cases

Way back in 2000, I purchased a very cool computer case that was perfect for traveling. It was called "The Lapdog", and it held my laptop, computer cables, chargers, and PalmPilot. The neatest thing about it was you could unfold it and use it on your lap while in an airport. It was well-made and sturdy, and all the business people in the airport asked me about it! It was made by Shaun Jackson Designs.

The Lapdog, Shaun Jackson Designs

Fast forward a few years, and Shaun Jackson Designs launches Higher Ground to bring cases to the education market. I have been a fan of Higher Ground technology cases since they first launched. They were one of the first companies that understood how important it was to offer cases that would protect student laptops as one-to-one programs were rolled out in schools.

I purchased a few Higher Ground cases over the years, as they expanded their line of products to include tablet cases and sleeves. However, from day one to today, the common component throughout their product lines has been a hard-sided protection model that is both light-weight and functional.

I remember, at ISTE 2011, everyone received either a Higher Ground iPad 2 sleeve or a 15" Higher Ground laptop sleeve in their registration bag. There was all kind of trading going on! I still have my laptop case and it now houses my Dell XPS15 laptop.

15" laptop sleeve from ISTE 2011

Last week, Higher Ground sent me several cases that fit my current technology gadgets to review. It has been so much fun to explore their capabilities!

Higher Ground currently has cases that fit in computer and tablet carts, cases that students can put in their backpack or carry separately, cases that allow students to use their devices while they are in the case, and traditional protective sleeves for devices.

I will showcase what device(s) I will be using with the cases I received and provide a quick overview of the Higher Ground cases. 


IPAD PRO, MACBOOK, AND CHROMEBOOK

I am always on the look-out for cases for my iPad Pro 12.9" tablet. The tablet is an odd size, but several cases from Higher Ground work perfectly for protecting it!

The Flak Jacket Slim is both a sleeve and a carry case that works with the iPad Pro 12.9" and also the 11" Chromebooks. (Dimensions of laptop compartment: 12.25" x 8.75" x 1.25")

This slim case will hold the device and, on the back, it has a handgrip at the bottom that students can use when carrying the case sideways. I also has a small pocket that can hold a small power supply or a cell phone.

Front view of the Flak Jacket Slim

Back view of Flak Jacket Slim with handgrip and pocket

Another case Higher Ground sent me that works with the iPad Pro, my Macbook 12", and a Chromebook (it comes in 12" and 13" sizes), is the Flak Jacket Plus. This carry case has a sizable front pocket for carrying the adapters and accessories.

Flak Jacket Plus 12"

A third item that will protect the iPad Pro 12", a Macbook, or a Chromebook is the new Higher Ground DropIn. The DropIn protects the mobile device when it is traveling in a backpack. It has a open top with a velcro strap, and allows easy access to the device. In addition, if students are carrying their books by hand, it simply feels like another book! The 11" DropIn fits a device up to 12" x 8.5" x 1.25".

Higher Ground DropIn protective sleeve

Higher Ground DropIn: top view

CHROMEBOOK, MACBOOK, AND HP STREAM

The DataKeeper is a case that allows the student to keep the 12" x 8.75" x 1.25" laptop in the case while they are using it. The laptop is held in place by slide-in front corners and elastic on the edges which help keep the case open and the laptop in the case while using the device. The outside has a pocket for pens, pencils, styli, and a cellphone. 

Higher Ground Datakeeper with computer inside

Front of DataKeeper with pocket for phone and pens and ID slot

LAPTOP AND CHROMEBOOK

The Shuttle has been a staple in the Higher Ground line of products for a long time. This version, the Shuttle 2.1, comes in 11", 13" 14" and 15" sizes. The case allows students to keep their laptop or Chromebook in the case while using it. It "floats" on sticky feet in the case, which also allows for air flow, and is held nicely in place with straps while traveling with the laptop.

The back of the Shuttle 2.1 has a large slip pocket and the front has a zippered accessory pocket that can hold power adapters, flash drives, dongles, and more. The shoulder stray attaches so the case is in portrait orientation when being carried which makes it easier for students to keep from bumping others and their device.

Shuttle 2.1 front view

Inside view of Shuttle 2.1

A laptop being used inside the Shuttle 2.1

CHROMEBOOK

I own the 2014 version of the Dell 11" Chromebook. The Guardian is a new product that is a hard-sided shell with protective corners. It stays on the Chromebook, and can both fit in a cart of Chromebooks as well as protect the Chromebook if it is in a student backpack. To find out which Chromebooks this is available for, take a look the Guardian page on the Higher Ground site.

Top view of Guardian for Chromebook

Bottom view of Guardian for Chromebook

Closed view of Guardian for Chromebook

Open view of Guardian for Chromebook

Higher Ground also has a tech backpack, cases for iPads, the Nexus 7, and additional cases and sleeves to provide protection for teacher and student mobile devices and laptops. So, if you are planning a roll-out of a 1:1 program, want to protect the devices you have in rolling carts, or simply want a great case for your own device, take a look at the Higher Ground products!
 

Brenthaven BX2 Edge iPad Case

Searching for a sturdy iPad case for the classroom or for personal use?

I was sent a Brenthaven BX2™ Edge protective case to try out. I have an iPad Mini 4 and put the case on two weeks ago and have been using it ever since. The BX2™ Edge is available for the iPad Air, the iPad Air 2, and all versions of the iPad Mini (1-3 and 4).

The case is a protective case, intended for schools, but having one on my personal device has been great! There was a lot of thought put into the the design of the case. The case is is a one-piece full case for the iPad.

The case latches shut which both protects the iPad's screen as well as keeps the screen off. And the case comes in bright colors, including my favorite yellow!

The case has a clear back which allows for an asset tag to show through and also includes bumpers to protect the device.

A very useful feature, which is missing from many cases, is the ability, when the front cover is flapped around to the back of the device, to fold down the corner to allow access to the camera lens. Brilliant!

There is a slot on the back of the case that allows the latch to slide in to hold the iPad sturdily in  both typing and viewing mode.

Here is the most current information sheet on the Brenthaven BX2™ Edge iPad case. The Web site does not have the color options, yet, so, please ask your rep for more information!

Tools for Cool Strategies (part 2 of 2)

This post will continue what I began last month– taking some great strategies for student activation of prior knowledge and summarizing of information and suggesting some online tools, Chrome apps, and iPad apps students can turn to when using these strategies.

STRATEGIES

Flip Flop

The Flip Flop strategy is based on the “I used to think…. Now I think…” Visible Thinking Routine, developed by Harvard’s Project Zero. It helps students reflect on their thinking and determine how that thinking has changed. This strategy is used when students learn new things that may have changed their thinking. It is both an activator and a summarizer strategy which can be used at the beginning or end or of a lesson or a unit of study.

1. The teacher introduces a topic and the whole class discusses their current understanding of the topic.
2. Students are told they will be responding to the prompt “I used to think…now I know”.
3. A video or audio file is then played.
4. In pairs or small groups, students share and discuss their responses.

Technology enhancements

When the topic is introduced, and the entire class is “discussing” their current understanding of a topic, there are many collaborative tools that can be used to allow the students to enter their thoughts and, when done, the teacher and students can easily discuss the results. Students should be instructed, if they see their thought already in the collaborative environment, they should think about adding a different idea.

The online tools that work well for this activity, and which also work on iOS and Android devices, are Padlet and Today’s Meet.

Padlet is a great sharing tool that has three ways to present information– sticky notes that can be moved around, a linear mode arranged in from newest to oldest, and a grid mode. For this strategy, the grid mode would most easily allow students to see the entries by others. Padlet is more powerful than just text, although text is all that is being used here. It also allows students to upload images, videos, and include URLs in the postings. And the sticky note option allows for re-arrangement or categorization of ideas.

Today’s Meet is an easy-to-use tool that allows the teacher to create a room, send out the URL to students, they simply add their name and they can then add notes on the page. The room can be open for a specified time, and a transcript can be created at the end of the activity. The format is a list format, with newest to oldest posts showing up.

For the second part of this strategy, the “Now I think…” reflective component, a simple audio file or podcast is a perfect formative assessment. I prefer using the podcast tools since the recordings are both stored online and can be “subscribed” to by the teacher for reviewing the student work.

I like the podcast creator Audioboom which is available online and as both an iPad and Android app. It is very easy to create the podcast on the tablet or via the Web and post it for others to listen to. In addition, students can record their audio file locally with a computer and upload the it to the Audioboom site to create the podcast. The Audioboom site automatically creates the RSS feed for any user, so it is very easy for the teacher to aggregate the class podcasts if all students have a separate account.

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It’s In the Bag

The It's in the Bag strategy targets the student’s ability to infer. This ability to infer ties together both prior knowledge and the ability to deduct. This strategy is an activator.

1. The teacher collects a few real items related to the instructional topic and puts them in a bag.
2. The teacher explains that the items in the bag are clues to the next unit of study.
3. The teacher pulls one item out of the bag at a time and students share their thoughts as to why it may be related to the new topic.
4. The comments are all recorded on chart paper.
5. The teacher reviews the list with the whole class and comes to consensus about what they think they will be learning.
6. When the students correctly identify the topic, students can discuss what they already know about the topic and how the clues led them to infer what the topic was going to be.
7. Start the teaching of the unit with a Discovery Education video clip or image to introduce the topic more fully to the students.

Technology enhancements

Gathering real objects for this strategy could take a lot of time and effort on the part of the teachers. Using Creative Commons-licensed images from the Photos for Class, which includes the citation to the image when the image is downloaded, can both save time and showcase the tool to students. Teachers can easily create a slideshow on their computer using PowerPoint or Keynote, online using Google Slides, or create a self-running presentation using Movenote. There are tons of tools both for the tablets and online that can be used, but the feature they must have for this strategy is the ability to show one item at a time. A collage or photo gallery would not be the  correct tool for this activator.

At the same time the teacher is showing the slideshow to the students, they can be adding their thoughts using a collaborative brainstorming tool such as Padlet in the grid or sticky-note mode, AWW which is an online collaborative whiteboard, or Connected Mind, a collaborative mind-mapping tool which is available online, for iOS and Android devices, and in the Chrome app store

Once the topic has been correctly identified, students can reflect on the process using Penzu, a personal journaling program that is available online and as an iOS and Android app. Students can write about what they already know about the topic and how the images presented helped them infer what the topic might be.

And, remember, I also have much more information on my sketchnoting page on Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything!

Take a field trip to Peru!

The Nature Conservancy and its 550 scientists have created a site called Nature Works Everywhere "to help students learn the science behind how nature works for us - and how we can keep it running strong. This project gives teachers, students and families everything they need to start exploring and understanding nature around the globe alongside Nature Conservancy scientists."

On March 16, 2016, the Nature Conservancy, as part of its Nature Works Everywhere project, will offer a free, real-time, virtual field trip aimed at students in grades 3-8. The field trip is entitled "How Nature Works in Coastal Peru: The Amazing Biodiversity of a Coastal Ecosystem".  The field trip will be hosted by Matias Caillaux, a Nature Conservancy fisheries scientist.  Students will learn about the Humboldt Current—a cold water current that pushes nutrients from the deepest ocean toward the surface, forming the basis of a unique and abundant ecosystem in which visitors find a variety of sea birds, flamingos, and even penguins!

During the field trip, students will will learn that the productivity of this ecosystem is not only important to its animal inhabitants, but to the success of the region’s fishing industry as well.  They will also discover what’s being done to protect this vulnerable ecosystem so that both people and animals can continue to thrive.

To support the virtual field trip to Peru, the Nature Conservancy and the Nature Works Everywhere project provides interactive online materials to use to introduce the topic before attending the online field trip or viewing the archive, or after the event to follow-up on some of the important aspects of this ecosystem. 

Fishing for a Future: The Artisanal Fishers of Ancón
Image credit: The Nature Conservancy

The Humboldt Current Ecosystem: 

How Earth Systems Influence Ocean Productivity and Biodiversity

Image courtesy of The Nature Conservancy

Lesson plans, informational handouts, and links to supporting videos

While working on the lessons and viewing the videos, students will explore sustainable fishing through a specific case study in Peru, which is home to one of the world’s largest fisheries. The fishing activities that occur in the waters off of the coast of Peru represent a microcosm of the rest of the world.

The lessons include interactive story maps that allow students to explore the Humboldt Current, El Niño, and artisanal fishing; engage in a fisheries management activity using data; and participate in a Socratic Seminar that explores the challenges of open access fishing areas. Students will understand how the need to protect this ecosystem and effectively manage its resources is important both for its health and for the communities that depend on it. The content of the field trip and the lessons is also aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.

Lesson plan and handouts downloads

• Student handout: Fisheries Management (PDF) (Word)
• Student handout: Humboldt Current (PDF) (Word)
• Student handout: Anchoveta Socratic Seminar (PDF) (Word)
• Lesson plan: Fishing for a Future (PDF) (Word)

INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIELD TRIP

The field trip will begin at noon Eastern Time (US) on March 16, 2016, and last 45 minutes. The link to sign up is here.

If the real-time March 16, 2016 time slot does not work for your class, you can still register to receive the YouTube viewing link after the event. In addition, a bit later, the Nature Conservancy will provide a link to the field trip video on Vimeo.

Details

How Nature Works in Coastal Peru: 
The Amazing Biodiversity of a Coastal Ecosystem

• Subject focus: Science and Geography; aligned with the NGSS
• Recommended age range: Grades 3-8 (but everyone is welcome!)
• Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2016
• Time: 12:00 noon Eastern Time (US)
• Length of virtual event: 45 minutes
• Registration link for live event or to receive link to recorded session

I hope you are able to take your class on this interesting and educational field trip!

This is a sponsored post on behalf of We Are Teachers and The Nature Conservancy.
I received compensation for this post, however all opinions stated are my own.