Graphics Tablets and Smartpens and "Flipping the Classroom"?

Doctor Dee

I got a Livescribe 2GB Echo Smartpen in PC World in Carrickmines, Dublin for 75 euro last week, and it has completely transformed my teaching. I mean literally changed completely the way I run my classes. I read about how some teachers, even whole schools had "flipped the classroom".

For the last week, my 2nd year Higher level Maths class have had homework that was watching an online "pencast" consisting of me narrating while the Maths appears on there screen. The pen records everything your write on paper, and has a microphone built in to record your voice while you write. Excellent bit of kit.

THe kids then come into class, having been instructed in the new Maths, and are ready to get stuck into doing questions and solving problems straight away. Work that would have been homework is now done in class. Except that Im there to help. And we spend the whole class working, practicing, me helping them, them helping one another. I hardly go to the board at all.

Up to now classes had generally started with me going through some of the homework questions that people seemed to have had difficulty the night before. So maybe 10 minutes board work, some of them copying down the correct version of things from the board. Then I would show them a new thing or an extension of what we were doing. Another 5 to 10 minutes with examples etc, and questions from them and me asking them questions, trying to get them involved. This then followed by 15 minutes or so of them practicing, working examples, and for many of them, getting stuck. Bell goes, homework is on the board, take it down in your journal please.

Now we do homework in school and school instruction at home. The response form the kids has of course been positive, they are delighted to be watching a video for homework. But for them, the beauty of it is that they can pause me, rewind me, or fast forward. They can go over the same bit as often as they need to. Some students have even commented that they prefer the internet version of me to the real me...

Have a look on Youtube for Livescribe Echo, and also for "flipping the classroom". I would really like to hear from anyone else doing anything similar.

I also bought a graphics tablet on Pixmania for 35 quid, which is excellent for drawing and writing on the screen. Going to see about using that with Camedia which does video screen capture with voice over, so you could draw and label say biology diagrams (the heart, the nephron, the synapse) or draw graphs, or draw over a digital image. And then put the tutorial up on the web so that at the very your students least have a handy revision tool.

Khan academy is the place to see how this can be done. Google Khan academy and also have a look at TED Talks, do a search in their site for Khan and listen to what he says in the video of a talk he gave at a TED conference.

Inspiring.

byhookorbycrook

It's great of course and is a fantastic way to work

However, there is the issue of lack of internet access for some.Then the whole issue of responsible internet use and the fight over who gets to use the PC!!!
This was being discussed on #edchatie last Monday night.

loveroflight

Hi
Interested in that smartpen. I'm wondering do you have to buy special paper to work with it and is this expensive. Like you I teach Maths and would want to use it with a lot of notes.

Doctor Dee

You do have to get special microdot paper but its not too dear, we got 5 100 page A4 pads for 16 euro or something. Its not expensive technology really. And its a fairly low tech, user friendly way to generate loads of online resources really quickly.

Internet access is an issue, as is whether they really give their full attention and enough time to studying the tutorial clip. Or watch it at all. I surveyed my class first of all and asked if anyone thought it might be impractical for them to access the internet for 15-20 minutes on any given night, to let me know within the next couple of days.

I know that in another Maths class in the school there is a child whose parents have made the lifestyle choice not to have the internet or television in their home. In that case, the school computer room is open during breaktimes and can be made available after school if necessary. Not ideal but it allows the potential benefits to be realised.

Of course, I may be overoptimistic, its early days yet and the novelty of homework tutorial on the internet may wear off quick enough. But I will easily spot the guy who didnt do his homework last night, and I will deal with that in the same way as before.

wingnut

For those without internet access you could give them the video on a USB stick, CD or even download it to their phone!

SerialComplaint

You'll find some other Irish teachers discussion use of technology for teaching at

http://groups.google.com/group/cesi-list

doc_17

Where do you put the videos online? Is it youtube?

Doctor Dee

doc_17 wrote: »

Where do you put the videos online? Is it youtube?

They are shockwave flash format I think, and they go up on a Livescribe server, then you can put a link on a webpage to them, or you can embed each video file into your page with a line of html that the Livescribe site gives you, the same way as you would embed a youtube video clip on you own webpage. I then put the embed code on the Student resources Maths page of the school website.

jonseyblub

Doctor Dee wrote: »

They are shockwave flash format I think, and they go up on a Livescribe server, then you can put a link on a webpage to them, or you can embed each video file into your page with a line of html that the Livescribe site gives you, the same way as you would embed a youtube video clip on you own webpage. I then put the embed code on the Student resources Maths page of the school website.

You can also save them as interactive pdf's. The latest version of the free Adobe reader can view them so there is now a much wider audience for your pencasts. Much better system than previous where you had to upload to Livescribe's server and link from it

Doctor Dee

jonseyblub wrote: »

You can also save them as interactive pdf's. The latest version of the free Adobe reader can view them so there is now a much wider audience for your pencasts. Much better system than previous where you had to upload to Livescribe's server and link from it

Excellent, thanks, I'll just upload them to the site then, much better. I had noticed that there was often a lag between the movie starting and the sound coming in, sometimes it took a minute or so before the sound would start.

TheMathsTutor

Sounds great, congratulations on taking this initiative!

An inexpensive way to create screencasts is to use a Bamboo tablet + Camtasia for screen recording. You can host them on Youtube or there are some paid-for hosts out there, with different options.

Probably might be better to use a separate mic to get better sound quality? but I am not familiar with the Livescribe so I can't compare.

An0n

I'm a Leaving Certificate student at the moment and I had only found Khan Academy this year.

I do a lot of extra work with that site and it's proving to be a great help.

Keep this up in your class and I assure you, your students will be top class.

Videos are often described as being one of the most effective ways to learn, so visa versa, the videos are also a great way to teach.

Good luck with your progress with this. I would have loved to have a teacher who's coming up with ways to effectively boost class morale.

*applause*

KrustyBurger

Thank OP for the info.

I bought a Livescribe Smart pen in PC World for €60, it's great value at that.

The paper works out a a fiver/pad but you can also print out your own for free.

I found this link which shows how to add background text/images to your notes/pencasts, handy for class.

TheBody

KrustyBurger wrote: »

Thank OP for the info.

I bought a Livescribe Smart pen in PC World for €60, it's great value at that.

The paper works out a a fiver/pad but you can also print out your own for free.

I found this link which shows how to add background text/images to your notes/pencasts, handy for class.

Hi KrustyBurger. What branch of PC World did you buy the Livescribe? Also where what is the website you print the paper from?

Thanks!!

KrustyBurger

I got it in the Carrickmines branch. I think Peats have them as well.

To print the paper you download the livescribe desktop (free) and select Print from the Tools menu.

I'm trying to source the external 360 mike as the pen picks up on the scratching sound of my writing. Might add ambiance though!

TheBody

KrustyBurger wrote: »

I got it in the Carrickmines branch. I think Peats have them as well.

To print the paper you download the livescribe desktop (free) and select Print from the Tools menu.

I'm trying to source the external 360 mike as the pen picks up on the scratching sound of my writing. Might add ambiance though!

Thanks for that. Think I'm gonna get one. They look great.

mrboswell

They start at €119 in peats so try PC world first

Doctor Dee

TheMathsTutor wrote: »

Sounds great, congratulations on taking this initiative!

An inexpensive way to create screencasts is to use a Bamboo tablet + Camtasia for screen recording. You can host them on Youtube or there are some paid-for hosts out there, with different options.

Probably might be better to use a separate mic to get better sound quality? but I am not familiar with the Livescribe so I can't compare.

Thanks, and coincidentally I did just last week get myself a cheap graphics tablet for 35 euro on pixmania, and have been using it in the classroom as a remote whiteboard mostly to draw diagrams on the screen. So I can sit to the side and see both the screen and the students, rather than turn my back to them and spend ages drawing on the board. So its good that way.

But I also just got camtasia and that opens up everything. Like you say, a good mic wouldnt go astray, and then you have the ability to record yourself narrating through anything you do on the screen. Could be the structure and function of the nephron, or how to do a nasty derivation, or a construction, or algebra, whatever.

Atm im still just using livescribe, its just so quick at generating content, and I need to keep ahead of the pace that the students need to progress at.

I got them all onto Khan academy today, with me as their coach, using gmail addresses they all set up just for logging into the system with. So they all spend the class doing algebra, and I knew they would get into it.

But what I was really surprised at was how mad keen they suddenly became once they realised they get "badges", earned for different achievements. Theres a badge for speed, for perseverence, for accuracy etc. By the end of the class they were all completely hooked.

Best of all, I could see who was flying, and who was struggling. And in just one class, I had all kinds of information about my students progress in algebra, in some cases surprising, unexpected problems that some students were having. And students saw themselves where they were making the same mistake again and again, and had to sort it out before they could make any more progress.

And earn more badges. These are 2nd year Higher level students, generally very good students. Never seen them more motivated.

aonindy

You early purchasers got lucky it seems buying @75 and 60 squids.
I called PC World just now and they tell me only two stores have them and the price for 2gb version is €119 ..... If anyone finds them at the lower price please let us know!

m*pp*t

Just wondering, people who're using graphics tablets do you use them with IWBs or are they still useful with just a laptop and data projector? And if so how do they work? Can they connect wirelessly to the laptop? (Probably a definite no on this one but could you, for example, project a graph or diagram from something like geogebra and then use the tablet to superimpose notes and drawings onto it? I'm guessing I'd need an IWB for something that fancy.)

Any particular brands that people would recommend (or warn to steer clear of)?

Thanks for the help.

lestat21

Wow this seems to be a great reource in the classroom and I'd love to try it out but must save up some monies first...

I'm very interested in the graphics tablet that was mentioned above... Mainly cos it sounds like a cheap alternative.. Doctor Dee, what brand and model did you get? And how does it work with an overhead projector? Anyone using a different graphics tablet that you find great in the classroom??

Also I have been robbing great intros and real life example of maths topics from khan academy but this is the first I've heard of its interactive capability for students. I must be blind but how do you access it?? and did you compile your own assessment of students progress, get them to assess themselves and hand it up to you or did khanacademy do it for you??

mrboswell

aonindy wrote: »

You early purchasers got lucky it seems buying @75 and 60 squids.
I called PC World just now and they tell me only two stores have them and the price for 2gb version is €119 ..... If anyone finds them at the lower price please let us know!

Indeed PC world recalled them because they were priced too cheap!

KrustyBurger

mrboswell wrote: »

Indeed PC world recalled them because they were priced too cheap!

Something worked in my favour for once!

boogle

Just ordered one on amazon. Looks very interesting. I'm going to be picking people's brains about this thing when it arrives!

m*pp*t

Does anyone have any more feedback on the usefulness of a graphics tablet in class? Aside from using it to record videos to put on line (which does sound brilliant) I'm wondering how useful they are just combined with a laptop and data projector. No IWB unfortunately...

whiteandlight

Our school were just given iPads one for every teacher. It's going to be interesting to see how they work in the classroom this year. I've been doing a lot of research/work on mine for school so looking forward to trying it in September.

SerialComplaint

Musicmental85 wrote: »

Our school were just given iPads one for every teacher. It's going to be interesting to see how they work in the classroom this year. I've been doing a lot of research/work on mine for school so looking forward to trying it in September.

Do you mind if I ask how these were funded? Is this a public or private school? Was there particular fundraising involved or what?

doc_17

Yah good question. I had to buy one and a friend of mine in another school got given one!

whiteandlight

Without getting off topic as this is not a thread about funding for them, we are a pilot school for a vec and we did not have to pay for them. However it is literally just the pad, covers, cables for projectors and vital apps such as pages have to be bought by the individual teacher.

I had my own previously and bought my own apple tv specifically for mirroring in the classroom. So far trial runs with the apple tv is amazing. Its very strange not to be tied to the whiteboard and simple things like as a maths teacher being able to flip to a calculator that students can see and back to the book for the question easily is brilliant. I'm just hoping that folens finish their app in time for September as its just a trial version ATM. Also very handy is the ability to photograph the screen and email it/upload it is super and there are some great apps out there. One very simple one I like and plan on using daily next September is flash cards. Very simple but perfect for questioning students on homework or checking at the end of the class have they grasped the concept.