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Home Great Ideas! Interactive Whiteboards
23
Feb
2010
Interactive Whiteboards
Interactive whiteboards can be commercially purchased (ie: SMART Boards) or created locally using a Wii remote control and other commonly available materials. Regardless of which method is used, interactive whiteboards can enhance classroom instruction in several ways.

Advantages

Interactive Whiteboards can serve classrooms well when properly used. Some advantages include:

  • help maintain student engagement by directly interacting with technology
  • capturing and saving lessons for students who were absent or for posting to a class website
  • provides a more physically interactive environment for users

Wiimote Whiteboard

How does the Wii Whiteboard work?

The Interactive Whiteboard: What's the limit of your Imagination?

When using a Wii Whiteboard, the user holds an Infrared pen in hand and points the Infrared pen at the projected image. At this point, the Infrared pen becomes the user's mouse and can be used in exactly the same. Click the pen's button as you would click a mouse button and interact with whatever software application you choose. For a visual demonstration, click the video above.

Materials required for this initiative include:

The Interactive Whiteboard: Materials

How do I setup the Wii Whiteboard?

The Interactive Whiteboard: Setup Process
  1. Download and install Smoothboard.
  2. Attach a data projector to your computer, turn it on, and push Fn F7 simultaneously.
  3. Insert the Bluetooth dongle into your computer.
  4. Launch Smoothboard.
  5. Double-click the Bluetooth icon in the system tray and click 'Add'.
  6. Check the box, click 'Next' and hold buttons 1 & 2 on the wiimote simultaneously until it begins blinking.
  7. On the screen, select the Nintendo device, click 'Next' then 'Finish'.
  8. Click 'Continue' to continue running smoothboard.
  9. Click 'Quick Calibration' to orient the smoothboard and have fun!

Where should I position the Wiimote?

The Interactive Whiteboard: Positioning the Wiimote

Generally speaking, if a user is right handed, it's best to position the Wiimote to the left of the presentation space as seen in this image. Conversely, left-handed users should position the Wiimote to the right so as not to interfere with the signal.

For more information on Wiimote placement, see this entry on the Smoothboard website or view the image on the right.

Troubleshooting & Recommendations

Some laptops may require the Dot Net Framework installed. Click here fore more information.

For more information on how to use Smoothboard and configure Smoothboard on your PC, please visit the Smoothboard FAQ.

***NOTE: When purchasing a Bluetooth Dongle, look for one that uses default Microsoft drivers. We use Cambridge Silicon Radio bluetooth dongles.

Resources and Activities

Great Interactive Whiteboard Resources and Activities

http://nlvm.usu.edu/ Virtual Manipulative Library – searchable by manipulative and/or strand

http://www.topmarks.co.uk/Interactive.aspx British site aimed at primary – searchable by subject area

http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/play.htm?f early learning literacy site with great interactive games

http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/index.asp student materials are interactive “machines”

http://scienceview.berkeley.edu/showcase/ Very simple science deomnstrations

http://www.explorelearning.com/ math and science gizmos for grades 3-12, lesson plans and activities included (password required)

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collection.jsp?id=615 Collection of SMARTnotebook activites across subjects and grade levels

http://befuddlr.com/ Create an interactive puzzle out of any image – including your notebook lesson – simply paste the url for the image the last forward slash in the web address

http://pbskids.org/whiteboard/ Great interative primary games with characters kids know

http://www.triptico.co.uk/flashFiles/wordMagnets/WordMagnets.html a great, easy way to use “making words” or “making big words”

http://www.triptico.co.uk/flashFiles/timer/timer.html Class countdown clock

http://www.triptico.co.uk/flashFiles/imageMatch/ImageMatch.html a fun, creative thinking game

http://edheads.org/ fun, interactive games and activities for science

http://www.artsalive.ca/en/mus/activitiesgames/ interactive music games