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Ask Slashdot: Alternate Software For Use On Smartboards?

Posted by timothy on from the if-they're-smart-they-can-write-it-themselves dept.

SmarterThanMe (1679358) writes Teacher here, you can call me Mr. SmarterThanMe. I have a fancy smartboard installed in my room. Smartboards allow me to show students a whole range of other stuff other than just whatever I'm writing. I can prepare instructions and activities before the lesson and just move through the boards. I can pull up some students' work and display it through the projector. I can bring up some stimulus for use in a writing task. So much better than blackboards. Except the software that comes bundled with this particular brand of smartboard is ridiculously clunky. Without naming this particular piece of software, and highlighting its shortfalls, has anyone got any suggestions on alternatives (open source or otherwise)? The main features that I'd like are:
  • Handwriting recognition
  • The ability to make and use templates
  • Grids or guides or *something* to be able to teach measurement

I have gold star stickers for any good suggestions.

13 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. What advice can I offer? by grahamsaa · · Score: 2

    To someone smarterthanme?

    --
    Facts have a liberal bias.
    1. Re:What advice can I offer? by webmistressrachel · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Believe it or not, I sincerely believe that this introduction was his way of eating the humble pie, in advance - prostrating himself at our altar and asking for help. We should give him a break!

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    2. Re:What advice can I offer? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      I would like to offer an alternate explanation for why he is here.

      As a user of the same hardware and software as the OP, I can tell you in the 10+ years I've been using them, teachers on a whole are NOT the right people to ask. There may be a forum where this is discussed and thoughtful input is shared, but I don't know it. Most of my coworkers in three separate school, both public and private generally barely use the hardware and software. Most use the Smartboard as a glorified projector screen, and those that do use it barely scratch the surface. I use it daily, have years of saved "notebook" files, and still feel I barely scratch the surface. Most of the comments I get from coworkers who have them in their rooms but only use the projector feature, claim they lack the time to explore on their own, and lack the training to do much, or even feel confident doing anything for fear of "breaking" something. This is in a large urban school district that on average has 15+ smartboard in each school, many have a SB in every teaching space, and in a medium sized private school that installed them in EVERY teaching space as soon as they went on sale. I have seen this trend continue for years. i have talked with administrators about the need for training over buying more hardware ad nausium. I suspect this is the case countrywide. So very "few" educators are pushing the boundaries and as such, there can only be a few actively asking for more on the "teacher" forums. But here, you smart folks talk about stuff like this all the time.

    3. Re:What advice can I offer? by SmarterThanMe · · Score: 3, Informative

      Yeah, I've asked this on teacher forums. Got exactly the response you expected, despite the shortcomings. Teaching is an exceptionally parochial profession, and I, personally, don't like to be limited to doing things the way that they're usually done.

    4. Re:What advice can I offer? by SmarterThanMe · · Score: 2

      Yeah. That's more or less the problem. Most teachers don't use them any more than as glorified blackboard/video projector hybrids. There's very little training available. The schools that are trying to make better use of them set up "user groups", where the teachers who have a bit more ability with them are expected to pass on their skills and knowledge to their colleagues (and be, more or less, completely ignored).

      I'm pretty much at the top of the game regarding the use of the standard software, but, as I've got better with it, the clunkiness has really started to grate on my nerves. I know that the things cost a few thousand each, and I want to be able to use them to their full potential.

    5. Re:What advice can I offer? by dreamchaser · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's called 'Ask Slashdot' for a reason. What better group of people to ask than a group of geeks with diverse backgrounds? It's attitudes like yours that keep people from asking for help when they need it.

  2. Game/Set/Match by DontScotty · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://alternativeto.net/software/smart-notebook/

    And, you can also use the question as a reading/research/teach Google excercise for your students, which would allow them input and to feel a sense of ownership in the Learning Process (tm).

  3. "Smart" is a misnomer by KalvinB · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A "smart" board is just a touch sensitive surface that is recognized by the computer as pretty much a standard mouse. It plugs in through USB. The only thing "smart" about it is that there are a few extra sensors on the board that identify which color "marker" you're using (simple IR sensors in the holders) and a calibration button.

    It's no smarter than the touch surface on your tablet or phone.

    It's pretty much the worst investment a school can make, but the alternatives somewhat require a resident nerd willing to put in the effort to assembly them. I'm checking the price on Alibaba for a 48" x 96" infrared overlay. If I can get it for $300 a less I'll buy it and see how it goes with my own set up at my house.

    Frankly, a $100 document camera and a simple whiteboard are perfectly sufficient for 90% of what a "smart"board is used for.

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    Work Safe Porn
  4. Ditch the smartboard by ixtapa · · Score: 3, Informative

    Teacher here. Smartboards are like Apple computers. If you want to do exactly what they want you to do, they are great. If you want to tinker (let alone be actually creative with technology), you are using the wrong device.

    Last year I switched to a LCD projector coupled to a tablet (Surface Pro 2) displayed on a dry erase whiteboard. Despite the MS hate, OneNote on a tablet is an absolutely killer app. My instruction has been forever changed for the better. I now write on my tablet at my desk rather than writing at the board, allowing students to view the information unobstructed by my body. Each lesson is saved in OneNote, so if I ever want to recall an earlier idea for review, it's just a matter of pulling up that lesson. Just yesterday, I pulled up a Geometer's Sketchpad animation seamlessly during my lesson by simply switching tabs. I frequently pull up a TI emulator so I can live demo keystrokes for the kids. In future lessons, I will be pulling up some Mathematica workbooks I made. Interacting with worksheets as a class is so much easier when I can simply display a Word document, directing my students' attention to key phrases, augment diagrams, etc.

    Finally, with software such as Camtasia Studio, you can even record each lesson and post them online for students' later use. See vimeo.com/hillercalculus for some Calculus lessons demonstrating the aforementioned functionality.

    Ditch the SmartBoard. They are about as useful in a classroom as an iPad - maybe better than nothing, but there are far superior solutions out there.

    1. Re:Ditch the smartboard by edremy · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Don't diss the Surface Pro. Yes, it is *absolutely* a better solution. No, you can't replace it with an iPad- the iPad is like fingerpainting compared to the fine detail you get on a Surface. And why would you want to buy an additional Wacom tablet when the Surface uses a Wacom digitzer in the first place? You can write directly on the Surface rather than trying to master the blind writing skill you need with an external tablet. And if there's a tablet+pen interface better than OneNote on a Mac or Linux let me know, because I've yet to see it.

      We've been buying more and more of them lately simply because they work so bloody well for this sort of task.

      /Waiting for the "Troll" downmods I get everytime I mention that they are far nicer than most people realize.

      --
      "Seven Deadly Sins? I thought it was a to-do list!"
  5. Keeping it discreet by jones_supa · · Score: 4, Funny

    Except the software that comes bundled with this particular brand of smartboard is ridiculously clunky. Without naming this particular piece of software, and highlighting its shortfalls

    I have a particular plan which involves some unnamed hardware and software. I won't go into details, but let's just say that everything of it is implemented through some specific steps. It allows the users to leverage various possibilities. Maybe this could be the solution?

  6. Smartboard with Linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I use a Smartboard in the classroom with Linux. The pens don't work, but I don't really care. It is basically just a touch screen for me. Here are a few tips.

    -Our Smartboards were mounted by the custodian using angle iron. Alignment does not work. You will have to reposition the projector to align everything. Mock up the position of the projector and make sure that it has a versatile mount.

    -Compiz works great with the Smartboard. All of the effects work, including writing with fire. You may need to get a faster graphics card though.

    -Physics programs like Phun work great. Even flash games and Angry Birds work fine.
    http://phun.en.softonic.com/

    -DrGeo is similar to geometer's sketchpad, and works fine with the Smartboard. You can do all sorts of measurement with it. For instance, I use it to teach the difference between area and circumference.
    http://www.drgeo.eu/ (installable through repositories)

    -Cisco Packet Tracer works well with a Smartboard (if you teach networking).

    -My Smartboard is not multitouch. Get a Wii remote and a light pen if you want to use it for that.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s5EvhHy7eQ

    -There are plenty of good handwriting recognition pieces of software for Linux, but Smartboards smudge and get dirty.

    -Use Google Drive as a school (FERPA compliant) and organize assignments and student work into shared folders. Everything is at hand, instantly updated, and easily managed.

    Conclusion: My Smartboard is a convienient novelty at times. I could work just fine without it.

  7. InterLACE by coop247 · · Score: 3, Informative

    It doesn't do handwriting recognition, but InterLACE (int.erlace.com) is awesome on a smartboard/projector, especially for comparing student ideas. You can overlay sketches from different students, really good for graphs and diagrams.

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