Has my latest purchase been outdated before I receive it?

While I am still awaiting the arrival of my digital pen, I have just read about a PhonePoint Pen in this article by The Brisbane Times.

This seems a great idea, however, I would like to see the technology developed in pen form as well. The reason being is that some phones are just too expensive to go waving around in the air, and air writing increases the chances of dropping, or throwing, the phone. A pen form on the other hand is easier to hold, won't leak in your pocket and gives, I believe, better writing control to the user.

I look forward to accelerometers being developed to the point where they can depict the finer movements of writing and save my four finger typing woes.

Digital Pens

After reading this article in eSchool News, and lots of research on the internet, I have put in my order for an IOGEAR digital pen, and now I am eagerly awaiting it's arrival.

This piece of technology is going to serve me well during my time at Uni as it will allow me to hand write my notes at Uni onto any piece of paper and, when I get home I upload the information straight to my computer. From there I can convert my notes to text through the handwriting recognition software, edit away, print out and hand in!

I think this will save me a lot of time as I sometimes write copious notes that I then need to type into word and organise and I am not the most proficient typist around.

This pen would be great for taking minutes from meetings as well.

This pen would have many uses in school such as having students use it in a rough draft of work, if all the computers are being used in the room, to be uploaded when a computer becomes available, giving the student a head start on their work.

To help students with poor hand writting skills become neater as the computer needs to be able to recognise the letters.

If students are composing a story it could easily be turned into an e-book if the final draft was written with the digital pen, it could be an incentive reward for the students to get to use the pen too.

I could use the pen to collate digital copies of the comments written on students work and put these on the students file without the tediousness of doing that manually and therefore doing everything twice!

Oh the possibilities...now back to work!

Comix

Hello e-learners,

It has been awhile since my last blog as I have been busy applying the skills I have learnt and trying out new tools. I have been designing a learning experience and I wanted to add a little something when I remembered Wendy showing us how to make comics on line. Perfect, I thought, just what I needed. So, very simply, by visiting the Make Beliefs Comix site I created my first two custom comics.

These comics are for an introductory class on algebra.

The beauty of these comics is that they can say whatever you need them to and they are simple to make.

Students could also use these comics to present a short piece of work, or to introduce a piece of work, your limit is your imagination for the number of ways in which this tool could be used.

You also have the option of emailing the comic you make to a friend, what a novel way to send a message or even a birthday wish!

Interactive PowerPoints

I finally got the impetus to make a powerpoint with animations and buttons as I decided that I needed one for my first (and second) lesson I was too deliver. I am so glad I did as my mentor teacher was impressed with the way that "the PowerPoint had all of the students engaged", sounds a bit like Oliver and Keirsley and Schneiderman at work there!

Here is the link for my PowerPoint - don't be disappointed it is for maths after all! and I only had time to put in one button. I did want buttons for each number under the nets but I didn't have the time and I justified my decision not to have all the numbers with linked buttons by keeping the link as a special surprise.

However now that the lessons are over with, I have a resource that I can play with and improve at my leisure (when I get some).