Interactive Whiteboard - 'dual use' ?

[iSteve]

Hello,

I'm trying to unravel something to do with IWBs in our new school. Our Finance Director has ordered 30+ mystery IWBs from our LEA. We already have 10 boards around the school (Promethean Activboard) which I believe you cannot write on with drywipe pen - they are digital use only. I've now been given the task to find out which boards we are getting as there is only space at the front of the room for a single board, ie, we can't have 1 interactive and 1 standard board. However, the person who has sourced them at the LEA is away for 2 weeks!

I was wondering if anyone can advise me if there are any IWBs these days which you CAN write on with drywipe marker without trashing them?

[apoth0r]

Well we have CleverBoards which can be written on although I believe you can use drywipe pens on the Prometheans. It's the SmartBoards that you can't as they are touch rather than pen interactivity.

[Jamman960]

I'm fairly certain that you could write on prometheans a while ago, a company I worked for ages ago sold a batch of prometheans to a school because they could be written on - maybe they've changed their tune to cover their backs, even normal dry wipes can get extremly messy if not cared for properly.

James

[apoth0r]

Just checked and they can be written on, well worth getting in some supplies for cleaning them, although they 'dry wipe' it could use a bit of whiteboard cleaner to make it that much cleaner. They stain after a while, which does make them look a bit awful

[iSteve]

Ok, I will have a go with a pen on one of our Prometheans just to be sure.

[BandyQuill]

if your stuck for ideas, just get a standard white board and use an e-beam, we use them here at Garforth and there pretty good !!!

it wont let me link as its my first post...
edit: http://www.e-beam.com/
-Chris

[CPLTD]

if your stuck for ideas, just get a standard white board and use an e-beam, we use them here at Garforth and there pretty good !!!

it wont let me link as its my first post...
edit: Luidia Inc.: Make Any Whiteboard Interactive with eBeam
-Chris

We have supplied the Ebeam solution to a few schools and have heard good feedback so far, If you require any further info be sure to give me a shout

[Jamman960]

How long have you had your EBeam's? we brought one of the early ones several years ago and its awful, it needs calibrating more than once a week apparently.

[SYSMAN_MK]

It's the SmartBoards that you can't as they are touch rather than pen interactivity.

Not true.

You can write on your interactive whiteboard with only standard or high-odor dry-erase markers.

http://www2.smarttech.com/kbdoc/77938

[BandyQuill]

were using this model in about 8 different classrooms where a smart board isnt viable and to date we only get good feedback from staff (other than the odd bit of user error) and there very easy to setup, we deploy the software via GP and all works ok

-Chris

[K.C.Leblanc]

To be honest it sounds a bit too late anyway since your business manager has already ordered them.

You need to be talking to the headteacher about this, for IWBs to be effective teachers need to be able to share resources and methods. You really need to standardise your IWBs.

I personaly would discourage the use of pens on IWBs not matter what the official instructions are. If needed get some normal whiteboards for your ludites.

[Techead]

What about the Polyvision eno IWB
it does everything you are asking and the surface is drywipe, no cables to the board either

[sted]

i have seen a cabinet that goes over iwb's with doors of are whiteboards so just write on the doors then open up when you need interactive sticks out maybe 6 inch from the wall probably not that

[Cache]

Was looking for prices for a new smartboard today and came across this while doing some research:

RM.com Shop: Clear blind for SMARTBoard 680

Don't know anything more other then whats on there and that google brings up a few more results.

[DarrenC]

You should definitely NOT write on your Promethean board.

Promethean boards are not designed to be used with a dry wipe pen as you would need to use a cleaning solution to clean off the ink. You then run the risk of damaging the surface of the board and it will also grey out so you will lose the quality of your image.

The only board currently out on the market that is able to be used with a dry wipe pen is the Hitachi fx duo board. This is because the duo board works using a surround similar to some of the new touch screen lcd's which triangulates the position of the pen/finger on the board. The board itself is basically a standard white board so you could drill a hole through the middle and it would still work.

The suggestions already posted are valid, either using a cabinet with a white board cover or an acetate screen over the top.