Interactive whiteboards

[john]

That MIT Software I have got it! Its a free Microsoft program, for use on Tablet PCs but a quick "enhancement" by a friend of mine in VB and I now can use it on my PC, its as good and as fun as the video clip.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=56347faf-a639-4f3b-9b87-1487fd4b5a53&displaylang=en

 

Is the MS link, would be interested to hear how someone with a tablet gets on with it.

[john]

By Primary, I am meaning the little children, I don't know what you call that stage in the US, but I am meaning children under 10 years old, not as in the main use of the board. But basically when they are under 10 there is a lot of software by a lot of firms thats cheap and good for use on an Interactive Board, but as the children turn into teenages so go from 13+ they need more expensive packages to make any good use of the board (such as the boardworks stuff that has been mentioned) but it gets very expensive very quickly.

[sreiach]

John,

Mind sharing that 'enhancement?' I'd love to show that off to teachers on Monday. I can't play with it right now (on a mac).

[Mario]

And yes! You can't tell us about an enhancement to atually make use of it without providing it!

[kxv2020]

Most teachers use the IWB really well - especially in Maths, Science, and ICT where we have embedded clips and graphs simulations which students can alter, change due to variable changing.

 

Most staff do use the IWB more and more; even the older ones - which is good. I try to motivate the older staff and encourage them to use it by providing 1 to 1 training and sometimes that does the trick!!

[eean]

I teach primary (age 4-11 - i teach 6/7 yr olds). When we first got them, they were used very much like a flip chart - people would say 'oh great I can save the work I've done'. That's not worth £2k. Before we got them in we started putting projectors in the classroom with wireless keyboards and mice - however, they were never really used.

It's taken over a year but they are being used more and more all the time. Our head found £30k down the back of the sofa and we kitted all the classrooms out. This helps because people learn from each other.

The IWB is so good for being, well, interactive. Of course, much of it is down to what software have for them - but even being able to knock up a quick table in a second (without having to get my board ruler out) is handy.

IWBs can't make bad teachers good but they can help good teachers to be better. I don't know what I'd do without mine now. I would not work at a school that didn't have them.

[john]

Post removed due to poss legal implications - Ric_

[john]

Just found this tonight after listening to the Unencyclopedia song and realising it was the same tune - http://www.privatehand.com/flash/elements2.swf if you play that its ace, I rememeber seeing the old version where it was all coloured words flying up the screen but this brings a new spin on it. Great for use on your interactive boards.

[Mario]

And you've got nowhere you can upload those .exes to John?

 

Please do not ask for software - Ric_

[john]

Post removed due to poss legal implications - Ric_

[sreiach]

Though I understand the possible legal implications. In this case the license included with this software specifically states that it can be redistributed, modified and posted on websites for non commercial purposes. In fact for a M$ license it's pretty friendly!

 

You may use this Software for any non-commercial purpose, subject to the restrictions in

this License. Some purposes which can be non-commercial are teaching, academic

research, public demonstrations and personal experimentation. You may also distribute

this Software with books or other teaching materials, or publish the Software on

websites, that are intended to teach the use of the Software for academic or other non-

commercial purposes.

 

...

 

If the Software includes source code or data, you may modify such portions of the

Software and distribute the modified Software for non-commercial purposes, as provided

herein.

 

Full License

 

Having said that I'm new here so if there's a blanket policy let me know!

[Geoff]

Reverse Engineering is illegal.

[sreiach]

The source code is freely available from Microsoft. Distributed with the license mentioned above.

 

http://research.microsoft.com/research/downloads/Details/aeee3085-a219-47d6-88fc-a2501f00800d/Details.aspx

 

No reverse engineering needed.

[Geoff]

Please comply with Section 4. Also be aware that section 11 makes you vulnerable to being sued by MS for patent violations.