White Board without the Board

On top of SMART’s iconic interactive white boards, the company is now selling its first interactive projector, the LightRaise 40wi. It comes with a rechargeable pen for kids and teachers to write or draw directly onto the projected image and can put an 8.5-foot image onto a screen from just two-feet away. A big bonus is that the $1,700 projector not only comes with wall mounting hardware, but access to the company’s SMART Exchange library of multimedia elements.

 

FETC 2012: Touch Me

eInstruction’s TouchBoard combines the latest in interactive hardware with the latest in educational software. The interactive whiteboard comes in two sizes and aspect ratios: 78 inches (traditional 4:3) and 88 inches (wide-screen 16:9). Both connect to the host computer via USB and work with PC, Mac and Linux systems. The board uses infrared technology to deliver 8,000 by 8,000 dot touch resolution for use with a finger or a pen. Each board comes with the company’s ExamView assessment program and WorkSpace lesson content.

 

Board of Education

Califone is entering the already crowded interactive whiteboard field with its WB80 product, which focuses on cost and ease of use. At 48- by 64-inches, the board is the right size for putting over an existing chalk board and can fit into the digital teaching gear a school already has. It’s powered by its USB data connection, comes with all the cables you’ll need and has precision to within less than a tenth of an inch. The WB80 only works with Windows computers and sells for $1,170.

 

 

 

Interactive Board on the Go

For most schools, the missing element for interactive white boards has been portability. Sure, they can help bring lessons to life for a class, but only if it’s in front of them. Enter Conen’s Board of the Future, which can roll from room to room on wheels so that it can do double duty. The key is that the projector and screen move up and down in tandem, keeping the projector calibrated so that it doesn’t take too long to get it in position and started. Once it’s set up, just plug it in and teach. It works with either a Sanyo XL50 or Hitachi ED-A100 short throw projector and can slide up and down to accommodate tall and short students. The board can be ordered with hinged doors and a shelf for a computer.

The Interactive Board that Speaks to the Class

Interactive boards are a great way engage the entire class in an impromptu lesson but most lack the ability to amplify sound so you’re stuck with the projector’s crappy speaker. Panasonic’s UB-T781 Interactive Elite Electronic White Board does that one better with a set of integrated speakers for either the audio material of the lesson or a teacher’s microphone. That way, everyone can not only see what’s going but hear as well. The 77-inch board has a USB hub as well as RM Eastitech software.

The Classroom Work Table

Why fuss with projectors, laser pointers and sticks or fingers to point out what’s on screen, when you can put it all on a work table and touch your way to smarter students? The latest in interactive technologies, the Smart Table is perfect for elementary school students because it is oriented around touch. The table top is covered with an LCD screen that can be operated by pressing your finger on its surface or using a stylus.

The table itself has a 27-inch interactive screen and is 29-inches high, making it perfect for small groups of kids to work with. It comes with all the software you’ll need to turn furniture into a classroom aid. Regardless of whether it’s exploring educational Web sites, drawing maps of the world or reading an eBook to a group, the Smart Table can make any lesson more interactive and fun. It can not only recognize taps, but two fingers at once and complex gestures. The tables will cost $8,000, be available this spring and you can get a cool preview of its abilities with this video.

Save Your Interactive Lessons

If you’re using Luidia’s hardware and its eBeam software for your interactive white boards, the company just introduced a new version of the program. The key change is that version 2.1 of eBeam Interact lets teachers record any interactive lesson and compile them into a digital archive. Anything written on the board and spoken in the room can now be saved in a variety of formats, including .avi and .wmf video as well as Flash’s .swf. The program comes with a player so that lessons can be shown to a class or group of colleagues. The Texas City, TX High School has been using the new program.

eInstruction Announces “Content Meets Technology” Sweepstakes

To celebrate the recent combination of eInstruction and Interwrite Learning, the company announced their first “Content Meets Technology” sweepstakes. Teachers and students submit, using just 250 characters or less, their vision of the role of technology in education. Those thoughts will then post to an interactive Google Map mashup on the eInstruction site. 

Here’s How: The student/teacher submissions should highlight classroom achievements made possible by the use of technology or focus on the benefits of a technology-empowered classroom. The work, along with the name of the school, the grade, and the teacher’s name, will appear on a Google Map of the world on the sweepstakes’ Web site.

Prize: Winners will be awarded an interactive makeover prize package that consists of the Interwrite Board, Interwrite Pad, 32-Pad CPS RF Clicker System, Epson PowerLite 400W Projector, and more.

Deadline:  The sweepstakes begins on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 and ends on Thursday, May 13, 2008. Winners will be chosen randomly from each grade category and announced on Monday, May 19, 2008.

Free Whiteboard Lessons

Looking for great lessons for Earth Day? SMART’s popular microsite has just launched a new update that includes six FREE Notebook collaborative software lessons – including the award-winning lesson from West Potomac High School.
Bottom Line: All lessons on the site are aligned to standards. Also included are contests and plenty of other helpful links, articles, and how-tos for both new and experienced whiteboard users.
FREE

Whiteboards Increase Student Participation

St. Gregory the Great School in Hamilton Square, New Jersey says they have seen student participaton increase since adopting the Hitachi Software FX-77 StarBoard interactive whiteboards in its K-8 educational facility. Hear about results from Jason Briggs, vice principal in this short video: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzDVRTJokTA