Virtual Magnifying Glass

What is it? Have you ever watched a presentation in which the presenter took you to a website where the text was too small to read on part of the site? Or presented a problem or animation in class where part of the presentation was too small to read? Once you’ve used this for a presentation or training, you can’t go back. You feel unprepared without it.

Cost? Good news! Free!

Technical Requirements? Software must be loaded on the computer you are presenting from (sorry, not Mac-compatible, but I’m told that Macs have one of these built in). On any day you want to use it, you need to go in to Programs and turn it on once, after that it stays in the icon bar on the lower right of your screen.

How could we use this technology in the hybrid or traditional classroom? Whenever I pull up a web site for my students to view, someone wants the site address or I want them to look at text on the site that is too small to read – pull up the magnifier! Also, if I want them to focus on a specific portion of the web site, this is useful too.

How could we use this technology in the online classroom? When I record videos for my online class, I can use the magnifier in the video to emphasize certain material or web addresses.

How could we use this technology in our professional lives?
If you’ve read this and you give a presentation in the near future, USE IT. This should be used (or be on hand) in all presentations at conferences. How many times have you said to your neighbor “What does that say?”

Wish list for this technology? Don’t know – sometimes it freezes up, but not very often (usually when I’m really abusing it). The company that makes takes requests, so if you think of a feature that you’d like to have, request it.