Having Problems Uploading Pencasts to Livescribe Online?

I've been unable to upload pencasts all week and still haven't been able to get the pencasts from the Conference Scribe program at the State Education Conference last week uploaded.

I spent some time on the phone yesterday with tech support and they explained that with the launch of the new apps store, the Livescribe servers are having problems keeping up with the traffic load. So, if you are having problems uploading pencasts, that would be the most likely explanation. 

Hopefully with the upcoming Thanksgiving break, Livescribe will have the situation rectified shortly.

Guess this is just one of the "growing pains" of expanding and improving a product.

Thank you for your patience. 

Many Thanks And A Fun Interactive CPS Activity!

As Thanksgiving approaches, we want to say thank you to all of our schools and fellow educators who are helping to make a difference in the lives of our nations youth.

We are well aware that change isn't always easy and that sometimes it is even more exciting than some of you find comfortable, but we also realize that you are educator because you care. 

Thanks to all of you who are taking the time and making the investment to reach out and connect with our 21st-century learners through their native tools - technology!

At the same time, I want to say how thankful I am personally to be surrounded with wonderful family, friends, a warm house in winter, and a full belly.

As a little way of saying thank you, I'd like to share a fun interactive activity with you that will actually help those who are less fortunate.  This activity is perfect for making use of a few unexpected minutes, a concentrated activity to review chemistry symbols or capitals, or as a fun bellwork activity that one of your students could actually run from your Interwrite Mobi while you take care of administrative tasks!

The website, www.freerice.com, provides clicker-friendly questions, perfect with your CPS clickers, dealing with several subjects (famous paintings, basic math, multiplication tables, chemistry symbols, english grammar and vocabulary, identifying countries and world capitals, French, German, Italian, or Spanish).

We featured this site in one of our past newsletters when they only offered vocabulary questions.  They have now expanded their offerings to include all of the subjects listed above. 

All of the questions are set up perfectly to use as multiple choice CPS clicker questions.  If you've got an Interwrite Mobi, you can use it to label the answer choices A, B, C, or D.

If you get one question right, FreeRice donates 10 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger.  If you get 5 questions right, they donate 50 grains of rice, etc. 

So, this Thanksgiving, help your classes hone up on their skills while they make a difference toward feeding those who are less fortunate.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

VOTE for Nebraska and Joy Schott's 6th grade class video!

Nebraska's only finalist representative in the eImakeover contest is behind in the voting and needs your votes!

If we can get 85,000 people at a Husker football game, surely we can get a few more votes to provide a Nebraska classroom with technology prizes worth over $30,000!

Come on Nebraska - show your spirit and get on over to vote for "It's All Technology," the video made by Joy Schott's 6th grade class at Burwell, Nebraska.

Keep your eye out for our Got Clickers t-shirt and make sure you see the students branding a calf with the eInstruction brand!

See the video, vote now, and be sure to tell your friends so they can get their vote in too!

eInstruction's vClicker Demonstration - Clicker of the Future?

I had the opportunity to sit in on a vClicker demonstration this week  and was totally wowed. Dustin and I both had a great time sitting in his office answering questions posed totally through eInstruction's web-based solution, vClicker.

I don't know if it's fair to say it's the clicker of the future, because it's really right here, right now (and VERY cool, I might add!)

Here's how it works: The teacher must operate from a Windows-based platform. Students log into a website and enter their class username and password. The question appears on their computer, and they answer via their computer. Surprisingly, there was very little lag time. We had the student account running on both a Mac and a PC this morning. Student devices can be PC, Mac, iPhone, iTouch -- essentially all Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari browsers on any web-enabled device with Windows, Mac, or Linux operating systems.

VClicker opens up a whole new world to distance-learning. Many of the web-enabled clickers that have appeared on the scene in the last year or two are not the full-featured clickers like CPS. VClicker actually allows the presenter to implement a full-featured clicker system (with the incredible reporting system that CPS offers) capable of being used in both in-class and off-site environments, making it the perfect clicker solution for distance learning.

Does your rural school broadcast classes over ITV or other sources? VClicker now gives you the opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback via eInstruction clickers to every student, not just those students sitting in the classroom!

Do you have 1:1 in your classrooms? vClicker will save you money on hardware, providing you an easy, affordable clicker solution for your setup.

If you are interested in seeing a vClicker demonstration in your school, please give us a call at 1.800.705.4049!

Click here for a downloadable PDF with more information about eInstruction's vClicker Mobile Edition.

Get a Free Spanish Phrases App For Your Livescribe Smartpen!

The beta version of the Livescribe App Store is now online. You can even pick up a free Spanish Travel Phrases application for your pen when you stop by to check out the store.

If you get there before November 26th, you'll be able to pick up the Spanish Travel Phrases App for FREE!

Planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country? Learn to speak over 100 Spanish travel phrases quickly and easily. Simply scroll through the various topics and select a phrase in English. You’ll instantly hear the translated phrase from a native Spanish speaker and read the Spanish translation on the smartpen’s OLED display. Includes a host of topics, including Transportation, Accommodation, Food and Drink, Social, Health and Medical, and Shopping.

Another app you can pick up if you get there before November 26th, is Classical Music Snippets.

With a few simple taps of your smartpen, you can listen to short snippets of the most famous moments from your favorite classical tunes and learn interesting facts about each masterpiece. Artists include Beethoven, Elgar, Grieg, Handel, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Pachelbel, Ponchielli, Rossini, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, and Wagner. You can also test your or your friends’ classical music knowledge with the Music Quiz – see if you can name that tune!

There are also a couple of other free apps that you might find useful in the education realm if you'd like to pick those up while you're there...U.S. State Facts and  U.S. Presidents.  Happy shopping!

Calling All Intewrite Mobi Fans...We Want You!

Calling all Interwrite Mobi fans! Yes, we want you!

You might have seen our first ever piece of ClickerWear in its "supporting role" in the eImakeover video by Joy Schott's 6th grade students from Burwell, Nebraska, one of the finalists in the 6-8th grade division of the eImakeover contest.  If you haven't, check out their excellent video, "It's All Technology," at www.eimakeover.com and be sure to get your vote in for them while you're there!

Since our first piece of ClickerWear has been quite a hit (and already made its movie debut), we're planning and sketching out our latest t-shirt and want your contributions to make it FANTASTIC!

We want to hear your Top 10 Reasons Why Teachers Need An Interwrite Mobi, so get those idea wheels turning, sharpen that wit, and send us:

• your most fabulous, 
• your wildest,
  
• your most creative, 
• your funniest, and
• your most inspiring reasons for needing an Interwrite Mobi!
  

If your idea becomes part of our Mobi Top 10, your idea will go on our t-shirt AND you'll win a FREE piece of our latest ClickerWear (and you know how we are, we'll probably throw in some extra goodies too)!

Enter as many ideas as you like before December 5th, 2009, on our website.

While you're there, you can also check out entries that have already been submitted.

Now's your chance to tell us why every teacher needs an Interwrite Mobi!

Vote Today For Our Nebraska Finalist in the eInstruction eImakeover Contest!

We are so excited to announce that one of our Nebraska entries has made it into the final voting in the eImakeover video contest at www.eimakeover.com!

"It's All Technology," the video by Joy Schott's 6th grade class in Burwell, Nebraska has qualified as a finalist in the 6-8th grade division.  One winners from each grade category will be selected by a combination of public vote and judging panel.

Public voting starts later today, November 17th, so be sure and stop by www.eimakeover.com later today and cast your vote for the excellent video by Joy Schott's 6th grade class from Burwell Junior-Senior High School "It's All Technology"!

If their video is selected as the BIG winner, Ms. Schott's class will receive the following prizes:

• INTERWRITEMOBI™ system including one Mobi, two Mobi learners and docking station
• INTERWRITEMOBIDualBoard™
• 32 unit CPSPulse™  Student response system
• Interwrite™ Workspace Software*
• ExamView® Assessment Suite*
• ExamView Learning Series
• One full-day of Professional Development
• Free Product Installation
• 3M Super Close Projection System
• SP Control System
• Study Island Standards-Based Learning Programs and Assessment*
• Inspiration® and Kidspiration® software
• Fablevision Livewire school Bundle
• Texas Instruments calculator emulator software (specific software based on grade range of winner)
• Dell Latitude 2100 computer with 1 year warranty and 6 cell battery
• eTAP Campus License including Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies*
• eTAP work space lessons up to 670 for Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies
• $1,000 USD cash towards the purchase of technology in their classroom
• A Cake Party

*These are annual site licenses

View Burwell's video entry here.  Good luck in the contest Burwell!

Here are the other finalists announced in the press release this morning:

Kindergarten - 5(th) Grade:

• Ms. Ashley Kizer's Science Class from Adamsville Elementary School in Adamsville, Alabama
• Ms. Michelle Baker's 5(th) grade Technology and Computer Sciences Class from Longfellow Elementary School in Columbia, Maryland
• Mr. Roger Kopa's 4(th) grade class from Pashley Elementary School in Galway, New York
• Ms. Meghan O'Connor's Technology and Computer Sciences class from Lancaster Elementary School in Lancaster, Texas
• Ms. Karen Rose's class from Harry McKillop Elementary School in Melissa, Texas
  

6(th) - 8(th) Grade:

• Ms. Joy Schott's 6(th) grade Technology and Computer Sciences Class at Burwell Elementary School in Burwell, Nebraska
• Mr. Chris Ippolito's Fine Arts Class at Red Bank Middle School in Red Bank, New Jersey
• Ms. Kim Hawkins' 6(th) grade English and Language Arts Class from Greenacres Middle School in Bossier City, Louisiana
• Ms. Janelle Keune's 7(th) and 8(th) grade math classes at Decorah Middle School in Decorah, Iowa
• Mr. Mark Graham's 6(th) grade Fine Arts Class from Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy in Denver, Colorado
  

9(th) - 12(th) Grade:

• Ms. Amy Tew's English and Language Arts Class from the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, Alabama
• Mr. Jonathan Tobar's World Languages Class from Adrian High School in Adrian, Michigan
• Ms. Elizabeth Carpenter's AP Physics Class at Chittenango High School in Cazenovia, New York
• Ms. Kelly Duncan's Video Technology Class at Splendora High School in Splendora, Texas
• Ms. Molly Rice's Theater Arts Class at Saint Stephens High School in Hickory, North Carolina

November 2009 Issue of Enlighten Now Online

Check out these articles and more in our November 2009 issue of Enlighten

• Wanted: Conference Scribes for the State Education Conference Next Week
• Exciting Things Taking Place At Our Blog
• Pizza With An Interwrite Mobi On Top
• Educator Pricing On Livescribe Pulse Smartpen Saves You Money
• Get Your Thinking Caps On and Be A Winner
• Excellent Nebraska Entries in the eImakeover Contest
• Super Resource For Interactive Whiteboard Activities

Click here to browse back issues and sign up to receive Enlighten in your inbox every month.

Livescribe Pulse Smartpen Featured on Oprah

On October 22, Oprah featured the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen on her annual Oprah's favorite things episode. This is quite an honor for the Pulse Smartpen, and I am finally getting it up on the blog for those of you that don't sit around and watch Oprah in the afternoons. Needless to say, Oprah was amazed by the Pulse smartpen!

Comparing Audio: Livescribe Pulse Smartpen vs. Other Digital Recorders

There was recently a post to a list-serv that I subscribe to that asked for recommendations for a digital audio recorder. The poster mentioned that they were considering the Olympus DM-520 to record board meetings, executive session board meetings, discipline and sports hearings.

That got me thinking...why not use the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen?

I then came across this post, Listening to Keynotes, What Digital Recorder? – LiveScribe Pulse SmartPen or Olympus WS-450S or iProRecorder.  This review compares three very different digital audio recorders - a handheld recorder, a smartpen, and an iPhone application and allows you to listen to and compare the audio recordings of all three of these recorders recording from the back of the room, the middle of the room, and the front of the room.

The Livescribe Pulse Smartpen came out on top in this reviewer's comparisons, and the reviewer also enjoyed the added benefit of being able to take handwritten notes that corresponded with the recorded audio, which then could be completely uploaded to his computer and made searchable.

The Power to Block Less-Than-Civil Profanity-Laden YouTube Comments

Although I know many schools block YouTube access, there are still some great resources available there and some schools that do allow access. Wouldn't it be nice to take advantage of those resources without rude, profanity-laden comments?

I like this comment by Adam Pash, editor of Lifehacker:

"When you're on the Web, you appreciate a little civility. Let's face it: Many YouTube comments are hardly literate, let alone civil."

--Enter Stage Right--  ANOTHER Firefox Add-on to save the day!

I came across this great review today by Rick Broida of PC World of the YouTube Comment Snob Firefox Add-on.  This easy-to-install add-on allows you to block YouTube comments that appear in your browser in  by amount of misspellings (you set the amount), comments that have no capital letters, comments that have only capital letters, comments that do not start with a capital letter, comments that have excessive punctuation,
comments that have excessive capitalization, or comments that include profanity.

Although this add-on might not catch everything, it sure will help. I'm getting it on all our home computers right now!

Recording Daily Class Lecture Notes with Pulse Smartpen

We'd love for you to visit the geometry class website of middle school teacher, Julie Stalling, at Fairbury High School in Fairbury, Nebraska. After Karen Dux had such great success with her Livescribe Pulse Pen, she passed the pen on so her colleague Julie could take the pen for a spin in her classroom.

Julie has let a different student take notes with the pen each day and has uploaded her pencast links to her class website. Here is Julie's description from her geometry class website:

Student notes are taken with a Livescribe pen. If you click on the pencast link you will get to see a picture (.jpg) of the notebook paper and listen to the audio of the lesson. The times are noted for each lesson. We only record the main lecture lesson time, not all the other activities in the 92 minute block.

It is not necessary to listen to the entire lesson. One of the nice things about the pencast is that you can jump ahead to a specific example or definition as needed.  Just click on the notes where you want to hear the audio.

Please keep in mind that teenagers are not perfect. I am proud of these students and believe in them, otherwise I would not trust them with the privilege of using this technology. I ask for your understanding of the silly or grumpy audio you may hear throughout the lecture.

Julie teaches her lesson on an Interwrite DualBoard with a Mobi by eInstruction. She has also posted her DualBoard notes in a .pdf for her students.

Julie's efforts are to be commended, as she is using this technology to provide her students every avenue for success, allowing them to benefit from reviewing the day's lesson or viewing a lesson they might have missed due to an absence.

Get The Latest Updates To eInstruction Software!

New versions of CPS, Interwrite Workspace, Interwrite Response are now live on eInstruction's website for all eInstruction® customers.

Please note that these client applications require the new version of Device Manager (v6.1). It is highly recommended that legacy DM files be removed by uninstalling ALL previous software versions prior to installing any new application.

If you have not yet updated your software, click here to access the new software versions listed below:

• CPS 6.1 for Windows
• CPS 6.1 for PowerPoint
• Interwrite Workspace 8.6 for Windows
• Interwrite Workspace 5.1 for Mac
• Interwrite Workspace 5.1 for Linux
• Interwrite Workspace Content 3.0 for Windows, Mac, and Linux
• Interwrite Response 6.1 for Windows
• Interwrite Response 6.1 for Mac
• Interwrite Response 6.1 for Linux

For a complete list of updates made in the software, see the Release Notes on the Downloads page of the eInstruction website.

Our First Livescribe Success Story

We recently distributed some Livescribe Pulse pens to teachers who were interested in testing them in their own classrooms.

We sent our very first Livescribe Pulse Smartpen to Karen Dux from Jefferson Intermediate in Fairbury, NE, a super teacher who is fantastic at integrating technology into her classroom. Here is a Livescribe success story she recently shared with us:

I have a student who rarely speaks, has major reading issues, and has melted my heart from the time she entered my social studies class. I have been teaching vocabulary for our chapter using my Workspace software which makes it easy to share video and pictures, and have created matching games etc. to practice vocabulary. We took a vocabulary test and she bombed it. I really thought she knew the vocabulary words, but I also knew she couldn't read them well. I thought I would try out the pen with her. She loves techie tools.

I made a vocabulary test for her, recording my voice reading the words on one side and the definitions on the other. She had to match them, but could listen to me read them as many times as she wanted. She got 100% correct!!! She was so excited!! I let her record her voice saying, "I got 100!!!) It was so cool. I ran around the school showing my principal, the special educator, and the speech teacher. Amazing!!

I know that the pen is a must-have for special education, but I also know there are many more things I can use it for. If she can do that with really difficult words, how many more words could she learn? What about sight vocabulary? How may more practices would it give her? WOW!

-- Karen

Stories like this are so exciting! We love to hear how these technologies are making a different in the classroom and in the lives of students like this. If you've got a great story to share, please make sure and contact us!