A good website

Here are some facts and advantages that I found from this interesting website regarding the Interwrite Pad.

http://www.interwritelearning.com/products/pad/detail.html

"Interwrite Learning’s Interwrite Pad was designed with the teacher in mind. This Bluetooth™ wireless pad includes Interwrite Software and gives the teacher the ability to teach their interactive lessons from anywhere in the classroom. The Interwrite Pad revolutionizes how teachers interact with their class."

"Highlights:

1. First interactive wireless pad for the classroom; Patented technology
2. Bluetooth wireless device lets you teach from anywhere in the classroom (up to 300 feet!) or pass it to a student and let them contribute from their desk.
3. Use with the Interwrite Board, or project computer images on any surface to create an interactive whiteboard.
   Up to 7 pads can be used in one classroom.
   Interwrite Workspace software included FREE (a $249 value) to make your lessons fully interactive. Windows (including Vista), Mac and Linux compatible.
   Integral part of the Interwrite Interactive Classroom Solution. Includes RM Easiteach Software Starter Pack, for added content-rich lessons.
   (US & Canada) -->"

Another interesting fact...

I learned today that you can write on a document that you have saved on your computer or one that you have displayed under your document camera. Here are the steps to take in order to do this activity:

1. Turn on your projector
2. Turn on your document camera
3. On your computer, click the document camera icon
4. Position your page under the document camera
5. Turn on your interwrite pad and launch the Interactive Mode through
   the Intewrite Icon. Note your Interwrite toolbox opens.
6. Click the full screen button on the document camera window that appears on your computer.
7. Now you have your document displayed through your projector onto the big screen, and you have your Interwrite tools. You can choose the pen and write on your screen without writing on your document. You can also highlight certain words or phrases that you want to emphasize.

I had a great deal of fun doing this activity. These activities were shared with my by my third grade peers. I can't wait to use it again.

An interesting fact I learned today

I learned today that you can record "live" under the document camera. So for example, we received our caterpillars today and instead of modeling in front of the classroom how to get their things ready for their caterpillar, I recorded myself getting everything ready. When the students returned from Art, they were ready to watch the video on the big screen. We were able to pause it so they could do things step by step with me while I walked around the room to help them if they had any problems. Here are the steps you need to take in order to record:

1. Open SDP software – Click on full screen.
2. Click on InterWrite icon on bottom task bar – Choose Record and Playback…
3. Full screen – Press “record” button

Cool! It saves it as avi. file that plays with InterWrite or Windows Media Player.

Interwrite Pad Websites & Thoughts

http://www.interwritelearning.com/solutions/k12/whichsolution.html

This website discusses how the intewrite pad is ideal for your classroom. The following are the bullets that the website discussed:

• Teachers to use while walking around the classroom engaging students in the learning
• Students are able to use the Interwrite pad from their seats
• It helps keep special needs students engaged when they are not able to get up and go to the board. Instead the students are able to use the interwrite pad to respond and use during the lesson from their desk.
• Schools with budget restraints.
• When your classroom is too large to use the interwrite board, then the interwrite pad is great alternative.

http://www.interwritelearning.com/solutions/k12/getthemost.html

This website discusses how you can get the most out of your interwrite learning solutions. They offer online video tutorials, live webex training, on-site professional development (email training@interwritelearning.com), free state-aligned lessons http://www.interwritelearning.com/resources/standards.html, Interwrite learning case studies, tech support, and discussion board.

I personally did not realize that they offered all of these things or I would have already looked at these websites to try and integrate this more in my literacy centers. This could be another tool that I can use for my struggling readers and writers. I could use some of the lessons as intervention lessons, instead of some of the games and things that I have been doing. I am always open for more ways to integrate technology into my classroom and I feel that using this in literacy centers or as an intervention tool is just another way to engage my students using emerging technology. I am very encouraged after reading these websites and learning more about the interwrite pad. I will share more after I start using the interwrite pad more this week. Hopefully it will be positive learning experiences instead of frustrating experiences like previously.

My First Experience with an Interwrite Pad

After learning how to set up a Jeopardy game from Lynne and Lindsey, I made my own game to review a unit in Social Studies with my students before their test the next day. I had everything ready and thought, instead of standing by my computer I will just use the interwrite pad. The students started playing the game, but when they would choose a category and amount I would click on the area using the Interwrite pad pen that ended up working only half of the time. The students didn't mind, but I was extremely frustrated. I would click on the square, one time the question one come up, the next time it wouldn't, and on one occasion the question and answer came up before the student could respond. Needless to say, I have practiced more with the interwrite pad and the pen causing a much smoother game of Jeopardy. I was just thankful that the students were so engaged that they didn't mind and didn't share in my frustrations.