Yesterday, I spent the day using Vernier's Logger Pro software and digital probes and sensors. I was very impressed. Vernier not only has a great product line, but the support for teachers is tremendous. I was really impressed with the labs that they include with the equipment and the fact that they are more inquiry based than most labs.
I really liked the way the software and probes work seemlessly together and how it really makes the science come to life. I could use the Vernier devices for every unit in my Physics classes and I think the students would be more engaged, more excited and interested, and would learn much better than with traditional labs.
The equipment is obviously not cheap, but Vernier has some grants of their own and also has links to other grants and grant writing tips. There are also plenty of free resources for teachers, including more labs and ideas on how to use the devices in class. All-in-all, it is a great bargain.
My next step is to find funding to purchase the Physics sets for my classes and start letting the students have some fun.