Assistive Technology

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2022-12-10T16:15:00.001-05:00

Amazon Releases the Kindle Scribe

2022-12-09T09:55:00.004-05:00

✍🏼I have been exploring the use of eInk devices for note-taking for the past couple of years and have tried the Mobiscribe, Remarkable 2, and PapyR to find out what they have to offer. For many students with organizational difficulties having an eInk devices that lets them create folders and notebooks can be a game changer in helping to find notes when you need them. One of the major benefits of these devices is that they are for the most part distraction free- letting the student focus primarily on just taking notes. So with much fanfare Amazon has released their own eInk device under the name Kindle Scribe. The Kindle Scribe is a 10.2 inch eInk device which can be used to access your Kindle books and now adds the feature of using a stylus to take notes. The Kindle Scribe is a 300 dpi eInk device which provides an incredibly crisp reading experience. Now adding the stylus to the equation can provide students and business people with a viable tool to access their books and for note taking . While the Kindle Scribe doesn't include some features like accessing your files from OneDrive, Google Drivee or Dropbox or Handwriting Transcription, this is early in the development phase and we can only hope that Amazon will add some of these features with firmware upgrades. Have you used eInk devices for note-taking? If so, what do you enjoy most about the note-taking experience on your enIk device?

Kindle Scribe

If you have been following my posts in LinkedIn you may not be aware that I offer my assistive technology consulting services to both families and schools. If you are interested in finding out what maybe the best solution for your child or for your classroom, I am offering free 15 minute consultations to get the process started. You can DM me for more information and for getting you down in my calendar.

https://forms.gle/Qms5zCAqa6UW7zFg8

So act now and find out what tools and strategies could help your child or students. Neo.Lab Convergence was kind enough to provide my readers with a 10% off code that you can use at checkout at https://shop.neosmartpen.com/ Code NEO_BRIAN_2022

Phomemo M08F A4 Portable Printer

2022-12-08T20:50:00.004-05:00

🖨️While most of us find ourselves not printing out as much as we have in the past and are doing more on our computers and smart phones there are sill times when having a print out can come in real handy. This is certainly true when we need to edit an essay or research paper. If you are a college student or business person then you may want to take a look at this new category of thermal Bluetooth printers that use thermal paper and easily connect to an iPhone or Android smart phone. I have been testing out the Phomemo M08F A4 Portable Printer which utilizes thermal printing so there is never a need to purchase toner cartridges to print. The Phomemo M08F A4 Portable Printer is ideal for printing out Word documents and PDF's and is portable enough to carry in a backpack or brief case. The Phomemo M08F A4 Portable Printer contains a rechargeable lithium battery, connects via Bluetooth for a seamless experience-or if needed comes with drivers to print directly from a Windows or Mac computer. The only thing for you need to remember is that you will need to use thermal printer paper with the Phomemo M08F A4 Portable Printer which is available from Phomemo or can be purchased on Amazon. The Let me know what you think about utilizing a printer such as the Phomemo M08F A4 Portable Printer?

Phomemo M08F A4 Portable Printer

https://forms.gle/Qms5zCAqa6UW7zFg8

Find out how you can utilize the Neo Smartpen to make for a more effective workflow in your business or classroom- DM me for more information. Neo.Lab Convergence was kind enough to provide my readers with a 10% off code that you can use at checkout at https://shop.neosmartpen.com/ Code NEO_BRIAN_2022

Tile Releases Lost & Found Labels

2022-12-07T11:45:00.002-05:00

✔️If you are someone that easily misplaces your personal items then you may want to take a look at a relatively inexpensive solution from Tile to hopefully get your items returned should you lose or misplace them. While many of us are familiar with the Tile Bluetooth trackers the Lost and Found Labels are an inexpensive stickers withs scannable labels that can be activated with the free Tile app on your smartphone. When activating the Lost and Found Labels with the Tile app you can add your contact details such as email and phone number so that if found someone can scan the label with their Camera app and get in touch with you. The Lost and Found Labels can be affixed to just about any item and is an inexpensive way to hopefully get your item returned should someone find it.

Tile Lost & Found Labels

Let me know your thoughts about the Lost and Found Labels from Tile and do you think you would use this solution.

Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 - A Well Designed Reading and Language Translation Tool

2022-05-23T16:58:00.000-04:00

For the last couple of years, companies have come out with s number of small handheld scanning devices to do very specific tasks to support learners. Today I want to talk to you about the Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 scanning pen that can be used to help you learn English, Spanish and Chinese. Before I start, I would like to thank Youdao for providing me with this device to review. The Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 has a very sleek design with a beautifully crafted touch LED Glass screen. The pen has a good feel and is made of a substantial metal shell with crystal clear sound.

The Youdao Dictionary Pen 3

Using this Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 it's possible for the individual to scan text in one language and hear it in another. For example, I can scan a line in English and hear the text being read aloud in Spanish or Chinese. The scanning pen also provides dictionary support which can be very helpful when learning new vocabulary. The scanning pen has a number of very useful features which include Bluetooth, and text to speech, and provides an array of customization in a very small package. The Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 allows you to set the handedness of the user, set multi-line scanning and translation, set the auto pronunciation of the system ( US Accent and UK accent supported), set system language (English, Spanish & Chinese), set dictionary along with Volume and Brightness. Using it's very accurate optical character recognition technology, the pen is able to scan the text in one language and you can hear it in another. The scanning pen has a unique feature called “Tap and Check,” which allows the user to isolate one word on the page to read by simply pressing the pen before the word. Using this technique the pen automatically scans the word and you can hear it. The Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 can also be used to scan multiple lines without needing to stop at the end of the line of text. This makes this tool very efficient and overall, I found that the optical character recognition is very accurate and allows the user to scan at a fairly nice rate of speed.

Scanning a Line of Text with the Youdao Dictionary Pen 3

There are a number of ways that the Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 allows you to customize the reading experience. The Youdao Dictionary Pen 3’s touchscreen, makes the interface very easy to use and very responsive to changes. The Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 allows the individual to isolate a word and get the definition that is displayed on the screen. One of my recommendations- would be, that the definitions of words could be read aloud using the text-to-speech feature. Students can also elect words that have been scanned and have the Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 sound out the word, which is very handy when learning how to decode and say the word. The Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 also has an audio recording feature that allows the individual to speak the word and practice saying it which is a nice feature.

The Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 Translating Text from

English to Spanish

This scanning pen supports Bluetooth and allows individuals to use Bluetooth earbuds when listening to the text being read on the screen. The Youdao Dictionary Pen 3, supports; English to English, Chinese to English as well as Spanish to English. Using English to English makes this an ideal reading tool for students that are dyslexic and just want to use it to read text in a book. I found that the optical character recognition was very accurate and the text to speech is of high quality. Adding the Bluetooth feature and Bluetooth earbuds, would allow students to listen to the text in complete privacy. Being able to scan multiple lines of text quickly is a real asset with this device. Pairing it with Bluetooth earbuds could make this a very powerful tool for individuals with reading challenges.

Overall I found the Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 to be easy to set up and use with lots of benefits to individuals who are learning a new language or for students who are dyslexic and need support for decoding words when reading from a book or a worksheet. For more information please go to https://smart.youdao.com/en/dictPenThree

The Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 was provided to me free of charge for review and no payment or compensation was made for this review

Phomemo- The Little Thermal Printer That Could!

2019-11-06T15:23:00.000-05:00

As an assistive technology consultant, I am always on the lookout for new and innovative technologies that can be utilized in the classroom to support students. As much as I enjoy the digital technology I am also involved in the fountain pen community so I tend to follow trends in this marketplace. Recently I noticed that many of the fountain pen users who also journal, began using these small Bluetooth printers that enabled them to adorn their journals with text and images. I was quite intrigued and reached out to Phomemo one of the leading manufactures of the Phomemo Bluetooth printers, who provided me with a printer for review. The Phomemo M02 Portable Printer is quite small coming in at

Phomemo Portable Printer

only 6.7 ounces with a size of 3.4 x 3.2 x 1.7 inches and prints on thermal paper at 203 dpi. With 1000 mAH internal battery this printer can run for hours without the need to recharge. Phomemo provides apps for IOS and Android to enable you to print to the Phomemo M02 Portable Printer and is packed with some great features.

Once you open the box you will find your Phomemo M02 Portable Printer, a MicroUSB cable for charging and a roll of thermal sticker paper, and Quick Start Guide. The printer comes nearly fully charged but just in case, I charged it until it reached full capacity. Once I turned it on and download the Phomemo app to my iPhone XR I was ready to go. The printer connected automatically to my iPhone XR and was able to use the app to print. I started out by just typing a short phrase into the app and printed it out. Once in the Print Menu, I was able to determine the thickness of the line and the number of copies that I wanted to print. I selected the thickest line quality and within seconds the printout came off of the printer. I would have to say that considering this is a thermal printer the text looked rather sharp.

As I was thinking about it- it occurred to me that there are so many uses for a small printer like this in the classroom. When you use your imagination you will find that you could use this thermal printer in lots of ways with your students. This could include printing schedules, tasks for students to complete, picture schedules, homework assignments, reward stickers, and motivational prompts. The beauty of this printer is that it is Bluetooth and you can print wirelessly from anywhere in the classroom. Using the thermal sticker paper allows you to quickly create lists or images that can be put into student's agendas or journals. The Phomemo app comes with a number of excellent

templates that give you a wonderful starting off point for customizing your To-Do list or for adding a frame around and image. The Phomemo app also includes a number of templates for setting up a schedule. There is even a feature to let teachers create banners-imagine what you can do with this feature alone. The Phomemo app also provides teachers with a nice library of graphics that are specific to education. For example, you will find images of flasks, globes, sharpeners, musical notes, and a protractor.

Let your imagination run wild and I am sure you will find a way to use this handy thermal printer in your classroom. From the perspective of ease of set up and the low cost for ownership, this could be an ideal tool for your classroom. The best place to purchase the Phomemo Printer is from Amazon.

Moving to Voice- Amazon Alexa in the Classroom

2018-12-12T13:15:00.001-05:00

I know it has been a while since I last blogged but that's life- there is the plan and then there is life! Over the past couple of years, I have been spending a great deal of time evaluating and looking at how voice assistants and voice as an interface can improve the quality of life for people across the life-span. I have done many workshops to educators and seniors, through the United Way Caretakers Coalition of Morris County. These workshops have opened the door to many opportunities to show others how tools like Amazon Alexa can be used in the classroom to engage students with a range of learning experiences. Similarly, I have demonstrated how integrating security camera can be used to stay in touch with others that you may be caring for, which is perfect for those taking care of their loved ones.

Echo Dot

I have found lots of ways to use my Echo Dots in my home for information, music, weather, and more! One of the technologies which I have found to be helpful each day is my Flash Briefings. Flash Briefings are short audiocasts that are a quick way to keep up with what is happening in the world. The Flash Briefing format is ideal as a way to keep up with what's happening and is great if your interests are very focused. I recently started a Flash Briefing called "Innovative Technology," that is a skill you can enable on your Amazon Alexa or Google Home. Once you have enabled the Innovative Technology Flash Briefing, you can listen to my tips and tricks on various assistive and educational technologies. The Flash Briefings are 2 minutes long and give you some great ways to use the technology that you may not have thought of. Here is a sample of one of my Flash Briefings:

You can use this link to subscribe:

https://s.trebble.fm/innovative-technology

You can listen to "innovative technology" on any Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant device by saying "Ask Trebble FM to play capsules from innovative technology ". If you have an Alexa device and you never used Trebble FM on it before, follow this link to enable it https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075XDJTS7

Listen to the latest audiocast at thiw link:

https://s.trebble.fm/p/p/t/5b482a350320910013905879?t=1544638054273

Thanks for taking the time to listen and please feel free to contact me for workshops and training on how you can take advantage of using an Amazon Alexa in the Classroom

Pick up my latest guide: Amazon Alexa in the Classroom

Contact me for pricing & purchasing the guide

Blackboard Liquid Crystal Paper- New Possibilities!

2017-10-21T14:17:00.004-04:00

Moving to a paperless environment has always been my dream- but I do realize that being able to hand write notes and draw are two things that pen and paper have over many different digital technologies. In this respect, the developers at Kent Displays have been providing paperless writing solutions for the past several years that make hand writing, using a device, both affordable and practical for the average user. I have written about

the Boogie Boards on my blog for the past couple of years and have found them a useful adjunct for writing down appointments, doodling, and for jotting down tasks and shopping lists. The Boogie Boards are easy to use and only require a charge for erasing the contents of the screen so that the battery lasts for a long time and are replaceable. The beauty of the Boogie Boards is that you can grab them and quickly jot down an idea or note without having to power them up. The ease of use is critical for students that want to use them and in this regard it meets the test. After you have written on the Boogie Board you can press the button to erase the contents or capture the information using their handy apps (IOS and Android support) for archiving and storing the contents. Over the years I have found the Boogie Board to be a great tool for quickly capturing ideas and for drawing-but was always yearning for the capability of being able to erase just a portion or my drawings, if I needed to modify it. I have always been a patient individual, so it was really exciting to learn that Kent Displays was releasing a new product called Blackboard featuring Liquid Crystal Display which would now allow you to erase whatever part of your notes or drawings that you wished.

I want to thank Kent Display for sending me a Blackboard LCD to review for my blog. The opinions expressed are my own and there was no remuneration for this review. The Blackboard LCD writing surface is 8 1/2" x 11" with a small bezel going down the right and left side of the device. The Blackboard LCD comes with a pen with a hard plastic tip, that is made of plastic and metal with a clip ,that has a good feel to it. The Blackboard LCD has a small bezel at the bottom of the device which is channeled to hold the pen via a magnet. The top portion of the Blackboard LCD has a small round button placed in the middle of two rectangular buttons on either side. The round button when depressed will erase the contents of what has been written on the Blackboard LCD and the button on the right of the round button when slid over to the right will lock the Blackboard LCD and prevent any of your drawings from being accidentally erased when pressing the button. The button to the left of the round button is used for two different functions, one to collaborate the erasing feature when you set up your Blackboard LCD and two, for erasing any part of your drawings. Once you have set up your tolerance for erasing, you can erase any portion of your drawing by holding down the Erase button and using the eraser on the back end of the pen that is provided. The erasing function works quite well and will eliminate whatever part you want to remove. The Blackboard LCD also has a unique feature in that it includes four different overlays that can be slid into the back of the device to give you a blank slate, dotted grid or lined template for your written work. This is a nice feature and worked well-giving me some guidelines when drawing on the device. With this feature you could easily place a photograph or other drawing behind the Blackboard LCD and mark it up for others to see.

I really enjoyed using the Blackboard LCD and found it easy to use. The pen glides on the surface of the device and when you draw on the device, the display reveals a green hue. The Blackboard LCD can create a thinner line width when you apply less pressure to the surface, but I would have liked to be able to draw slightly finer lines. When you do apply

more pressure you can draw thicker lines. Having the ability to make changes to what you are writing or drawing is huge, and one that I had wanted to see for some time now. With this addition, the Blackboard LCD is something that you may want to consider to throw in your bag to quickly jot down ideas and capture notes. Pairing up the Blackboard LCD with the Blackboard app to archive your notes form the device will give you the power to organize and archive and share your notes with others. The Blackboard app can quickly scan your Blackboard LCD drawings and let you store your notes into folders that you have created which you can edit from your Blackboard app using the Drawing and Enhancement tools. The Blackboard LCD app makes it easy to share your notes by sending them as Image or as a PDF file.

If you are a fan of the Boogie Boards then you have to take a look at the Blackboard LCD with all of the new and enhanced features. The ability to erase is high on my list of new features which will make your experience using this device shine. Similarly, being able to change out the templates makes this a flexible tool when working on different types of drawings or projects. The Blackboard LCD is very light and you will barely realize it is in your bag when you are carrying it. However, in this regard, I would love to see an A5 version of this device in the future that has a smaller footprint. If it is technologically possible, I would also like to see the device be able to render black ink on a grey or white background. At the time of this review the Blackboard Desk Easel and Blackboard Folio was not shipping but these are two accessories you my want to take a look at that can add value to your investment.

I have been blogging for over ten years and hope that you value the reviews and the products I have highlighted. If you feel so inclined, you can support my endeavors by funding me work at this url: paypal.me/assistivetek Thank you!

eBeam Smartmarker 2- Second Time is a Charm

2017-08-22T17:59:00.002-04:00

eBeam SmartMaker 2

Two years ago, I did a review of the Equil Smartmarker from Luidia and was impressed with the capabilities. The Equil Smartmarker allows creative groups to capture and share whiteboard drawings and brainstorming sessions with remote groups. Since that time, the product has been re-branded by the parent company as eBeam Smartmarker 2 with some really outstanding features and capabilities. The hardware which includes an oval capture bar and whiteboard marker in a special housing has remained the same from the users

perspective, but under the hood a lot has changed. The Basic eBeam Smartmarker 2 Kit comes packaged in a plastic case that fits the eBeam Smartmarker 2 and the Marker housing (holds standard dry erase whiteboard marker) which also serves as the charging base station -which is accomplished with a micro usb cable that is included. You will also receive a digital eraser should you want to remove any graphics from your whiteboard session. Everything you need to get started with comes inthe Basic kit.

eBeam Enterprises was good enough to send me the basic eBeam Smartmarker 2 kit to review, which included the capture bar, and whiteboard marker in the special housing, digital eraser, and a Bluetooth receiver for a Windows computer. The eBeam Smartmarker 2 can capture a 16 ft by 5 ft area giving lots of space to draw and sketch. The eBeam Smartmarker 2 has a great look and feel in that classic high gloss white finish. No matter how good tech looks- the out of the box experience is essential for users to want to use the device. In this regards, the eBeam Smartmarker 2 did not let me down. eBeam Enterprises has spent considerable time getting the device to make the Bluetooth pairing child's play. Prior to using the device you will instructed to go to the Apple Store or Google Play to download the Beam Marker app which then is used to pair to the eBeam Smartmarker 2. Windows and Mac users can download the eBeam Marker software app from the eBeam Enterprises website. Once you launch the eBeam Marker app it automatically goes out and looks to connect to the eBeam Smartmarker 2 without the need to have to manually pair it using the Bluetooth settings. In every case, I was able to seamlessly pair the eBeam Smartmarker 2 to my IPhone 7S, iPad Air and Surface Pro running Windows 10. In fact eBeam Enterprises went so far to use audio to alert you when the device has paired which is outstanding. eBeam Enterprises did ship me a USB Bluetooth key for use with my Windows 10 computer which made connecting the eBeam Smartmarker 2 a breeze.

Using the eBeam Marker app is rather straightforward and as you write on the whiteboard, eBeam Smartmarker 2 will capture your ideas seamlessly which can be shared out to remote groups for viewing. Once you have captured your first whiteboard, it is easy to erase the contents and pressing on the Add Page button on the eBeam Smartmarker 2 you are now ready to capture additional whiteboard screens during your session. One of the really exciting features from my perspective is the ability to invite others to your whiteboard session. I had the opportunity to trial this feature with my graduate students who installed the eBeam Marker app on their smartphones. From my iPad Air was able to invite them to my whiteboarding session- which enabled them to view the contents on the whiteboard. One of the new and outstanding features available when using the eBeam Smartmarker 2 is being able to give certain students permission to annotate and interact with the whiteboarding session. Using the various tools in the app students could draw and type and actively participate in the whiteboard session which makes this a very powerful team collaboration tool. In the latest version of the eBeam Smartmarker 2 individuals who do not have the eBeam Marker app installed can access the session via the web which ensures that anyone with a computer or mobile device can jump into your whiteboarding session without the need to install any software. Once the session has ended you can save your session to a PDF file and quickly share it with others.

For those of you who don't have access to a whiteboard in your school or classroom you may want to try using the Think Board, which is whiteboard film with an adhesive backing that you can adhere to most flat surfaces. For my testing I used a small Think Board which I affixed to a wall in my office to test out the eBeam Smartmarker 2. The Think Board

eBeam SmartMarker 2 with Think Board

surface was great to write on and was just as easy to erase the contents, without leaving and residual whiteboard marker ink behind. The Think Board and eBeam Smartmarker 2 combination worked flawlessly and gave me the freedom to place the whiteboard in a small area in my office. The Think Boards come in various sizes and price points giving educators lots of options.

In this day and age of STEAM and Makerspaces school districts should definitely consider the eBeam Smartmarker 2 as a means to share and collaborate one another's ideas when using whiteboards. Many schools are redesigning their classroom spaces to include large areas with whiteboard spaces for students to brainstorm and draw. Now imagine being able to take these ideas and capture them in real time with remote groups of students with opportunities for feedback. For school districts who are looking to take whiteboarding to the next level, then having access to a eBeam Smartmarker 2 is essential. With the latest iteration of eBeam Smartmarker 2 you can now have remote groups jump in and provide live feedback and be part of the session. What better way for students to learn about the power of team work and collaboration then by having them have access to real world tools and technologies.

While the eBeam Smartmarker 2 has a unique space in STEAM and Makerspaces it also could play a critical role when helping teachers to being able to make accommodations for students on home bound instruction or those with visual

eBeam Marker Software

impairments, or learning issues. The eBeam Smartmarker 2 gives teachers in classrooms the opportunity to capture notes for students who may have this as an accommodation in their I.E.P. The eBeam Smartmarker 2 does support hand writing recognition which would allow teachers to go from hand written whiteboard notes to traditionally typed notes which can be edited-right within the software. The eBeam Smartmarker 2 is an ideal tool especially in math and science classrooms which rely on numbers and formulas which are much more difficult to access from a keyboard. Similarly, using the eBeam Smartmarker 2, teachers could stream the whiteboard notes to students with visual impairments at their desk, which would enable them to enlarge it on their mobile device. Of course this is an ideal tool for students who are on home bound instruction, who could see the contents being written in real time and be able to interact with the contents. For students on home bound instruction the school would just need to add audio conferencing capabilities.

The eBeam Smartmarker 2 is a powerful and well implemented technology that has lots of application in the schools. Whether just capturing notes or working with remote teams you will find the eBeam Smartmarker 2 a joy to work with. For more information about the eBeam Smartmarker 2- visit their website.

Analog to Digital with Roaring Spring Whitelines Notepads

2017-04-27T13:57:00.001-04:00

As much as I love my digital tools, there are times when I need to set them aside and use pencil, pen and paper. It was about a year and half ago that I started to use pencil and paper, which resulted in me going down a real creative path and producing a wild number of info-graphics using the Wacom Bamboo Slate. Using the Wacom Bamboo Slate and Bamboo Paper on my iPad I was able to create a work flow that let my creative forces thrive. There are those times when I need to step away from my digital tools and remember what it is like to hold a pencil or pen to paper without the distraction of the computer.

So now when I need to reflect on my projects or ideas, I just sit down with pen and paper and begin to draw or write down my ideas. Using pen and paper has freed me to release my creative energies! But what could be better than to marry the analog with the digital when I need to file these ideas? This is where the Roaring Spring Whitelines notebooks come in. The Roaring Spring Whitelines notebooks come in various sizes but are distinctive in that they have a grey background with four unique icons in each of the corners of the paper. At the bottom of the page you will also

find three icons for Email, Evernote, and Dropbox that you can tick, which when used with the Whitelines app (for IOS & Android) can quickly file and transfer your notes to the respective service. Once your files have been transferred you will also note that the grey background lines or grids are gone an all of your work is highly visible on your device. Marrying the analog with the digital just got a whole lot easier using Roaring Spring Whitelines notebooks. Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Maximizing your Teaching in the Classroom with MindMeister

2017-03-28T11:54:00.000-04:00

During my career as a professor and assistive technology consultant which has spanned over 30 years, I have seen the many benefits of providing students with visual and graphical supports to help them understand material. As much as students have benefited from the use of mind maps and graphic organizers, I would have to say that if anyone has derived benefits from using these tools, it has been me. Early on in my teaching career, as a Professor of Education, I needed to come up with a strategy to deliver content to my students in the classroom that could provide a quick way to attach documents, notes, and links to web sites. As I was reflecting on this need, I quickly realized that I could use MindMeister to help me organize my in-class lectures and resources. MindMeister could provide me with a very fluid and powerful way to organize my lectures and provide my students with the resources that they would need for class.

MindMeister provided me with a set of tools that would make the planning for my classes a whole lot easier. Starting out with a basic mind map I was able to structure the map with the material I would be presenting for the class. Using a mind mapping application like MindMeister gave me a way to quickly see how all the elements of the lesson came together for the class. More importantly, MindMeister has a host of time saving features which made the process of putting my lessons together a breeze. Since I am teaching educational technology courses and do a great deal of hands on with my students, being able to load my MindMeister mind maps with links to web sites has proven to be invaluable. Using the Wunderlink feature has saved me a great deal of time. I simply have to type the topic into the mind map and click on the Wunderlink icon to have MindMeister suggest the website link. Using the Wunderlink feature has saved me countless hours of having to look up the website address. Prior to class, I link or embed the MindMeister mind map in our Learning Management System (Moodle) and when students come to class they can simply open the mind map, and click to go out to the web site when we are accessing it in class. Since

MindMeister is web based any changes I make to the mind map are automatically updated which makes it an ideal learning tool. When I am in class I simply open the MindMeister map and go through my lecture with all my resources attached to the map.

In addition to linking websites, I often take advantage of MindMeister’s capability of accessing YouTube videos which I can embed right within the map. Being able to search for YouTube videos right within MindMeister is another time saving feature when designing my lectures.

Of course if it only had these aforementioned features that would be enough to get through my classes, but with the ability to attach documents and have student comment on the material it makes MindMeister and indispensable learning tool in my classroom. One of the big advantages of using MindMeister in this way, is that from year to year, I can tweak the lecture maps and quickly update them with new websites and resources and I am up and running for the next semester. If you are teaching and have to organize your lectures for students then you should really take a look at how MindMeister can help solve your problems of delivering content and resources.

If you liked this article, you might also be interested in:

New Infographic Guides Available With Focus on Educational & Assistive Technologies

2017-03-26T20:45:00.000-04:00

For the past 6 months I have been using the WACOM Bamboo Slate and iPad to create info-graphics for many of the assistive technologies that I have been using with students. What started out as a just a way for me to explore some new gadgets quickly became an enjoyable activity for me at the end of a busy day. In the evenings, to relax, I will take out my Bamboo Slate and using a mechanical pencil begin to draw a screen shot or gadget and then ink it with the Bamboo pen. Once the drawing is inked, I send it to my iPad and begin to color it using the Bamboo Paper app.

I have to tell you that I find it very relaxing creating these info-graphics and there is something engaging about drawing the images. I have received a great deal of positive feedback and some educators have approached me about wanting to purchase them for classroom use. I am in the process of putting together a list of the info-graphics that I have created and will be offering them laminated for easy reference and use. The info-graphics cover a wide array of apps and hardware and are a easy to use quick reference which would be ideal for classroom teachers or students taking courses in educational technology and special education. I am working on the pricing but am trying to keep the costs down so that I can this information into the hands of teachers, students, and parents. I should be able to create the info-graphic guides so that there are 2 guides in a heavy lamination for ease of use. The info-graphic guides can be three holed punched so that you can keep them in a binder. The laminated guide which would consist of two different but related info-graphic guides are $10 dollar each. Single page info-graphic guides would run $5.00. Volume pricing is available.

Here is a partial list of some of the guides that are now available.

Getting Started with Voice Typing
Using Voice Commands with Voice Typing
Using Popplet
Using the C-Pen Scanning Reader Pen
Using Word Online with Immersive Reading
Using WordQ for Chrome
Using ThoughtQ for Chrome
Getting Started with Co:Writer Universal for Chrome
Using Flipgrid in the Classroom
Using Sonocent Audio Notetaker
Getting Started with Snap & Read for Chrome
Tips on using Read & Write for Chrome
Getting Started with ClickerDocs for Chrome
Using the Amazon Echo in the Classroom
Using Livescribe Smartpens in the Classroom

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want to customize a solution.

The C-Pen Reader Packs A Lot of Features in a Small Package

2017-03-18T10:41:00.001-04:00

When I came across the C-Pen Reader at the FETC conference this past year, I knew that I had to request a review unit to test it out. After contacting the company, they approved my request and

C-Pen Reader

provided me a C-Pen Reader for the review. The opinions reflected in this blog are my own. I have been in the field of assistive technology for over 25 years and over these years have looked at a number of portable hand held reading solutions that promised to make the reading process easy and quick from scanning to reading text.

The first time you pick up the C-Pen Reader you will be amazed by it size and weight (1.7 oz.) and a bright OLED 256 x 64 display. The C-Pen Reader packs a lot of technology into a rather small package making it easy to pack in your backpack or brief case. The C-Pen Reader comes with a Quick Start Guide which gets you up and running quickly. In the box you will find the C-Pen, a USB to Micro USB cable (for charging and transfring files), ear buds, and a protective carrying case. The C-Pen Reader was already charged right out of the box and so I jumped in and turned it on. Pressing the Power button started up the C-Pen Reader and now I was ready to scan some text. Gliding the C-Pen Reader across a line of text, you will begin to experience just how fast the text is scanned into the device. Within seconds the line of text was being read with highlighting by the C-Pen Reader using a high quality American English text to speech engine. Using the navigation buttons-students could go back and have the text re-read as they see fit. There are lots of ways to customize the reading experience by jumping into the Menu system to control the speed (Slow, Medium, & Fast) and volume. The C-Pen Reader has an 3.5 mm audio jack which enables students to plug in their ear buds so that they can use the C-Pen Reader in a classroom, discreetly. One

of the problems that I often found using handheld scanning pens was that the scanning algorithms and the optical character recognition engines were rather poor which often resulted in devices speaking gibberish. This was not the case with the C-Pen Reader-the scanning was fast and accurate making it a pleasant reading experience. As long as you have a steady hand you will find the accuracy to be excellent. The C-Pen Reader can be set up for Right or Left handed scanning making it easier to customize the scanning direction resulting in a better experience. The C-Pen Reader also has a built-in dictionary (Collins 10th Edition) support allowing students to scan and look up words they are unfamiliar with.

The C-Pen Reader has a number of other features that allow students to use the device as a voice recorder for creating voice notes in a MP3 file format that can be listened to and managed on the scanning pen. The C-Pen Reader comes with 1 GB of storage so there is plenty of room to store audio and voice notes. This feature can come in handy for students who need to record their ideas or lectures and then transfer them to their computer. When the C-Pen Reader is plugged into a Mac or PC it mounts as a drive, making it easy to transfer audio and text files.

Students may also find using the C-Pen Reader useful as a means to scan text from articles and books directly into a word processor. By plugging the C-Pen Reader into a computer, you can put it into a keyboard mode which inputs any text you scan directly to the application that is open. Students will find this a great feature when they need to do research or to place the text into a word processor with Text-To-Speech capabilities. Teachers can also use this feature to pre-scan text into a File on the C-Pen Reader device that the student can open when they need access to the text in the classroom.

The C-Pen Reader packs a lot of features into a small package that students will find easy to navigate. For students that have been diagnosed with dyslexia or a reading disability the C-Pen Reader offers a great portable reading solution. The C-Pen Reader offers students a way to access text in a small discreet package that can be easily used in the classroom. I would see this an ideal solution for students who need to access tests, worksheets, and short reading passages. The C-Pen Reader gives students the opportunity to access text independently in the classroom with a light and powerful tool. In future releases I would like to be able to change the size of the font that is displayed on the C-Pen Reader and for classroom use it wold be great if teachers could manage a set of these devices that would enable them to easily pre-load text into a classrooms set of C-Pen Readers. For more information about the C-Pen Reader click here.

Betabook- Portable Whiteboard to the Rescue!

2017-01-23T18:11:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you just scratch your head and say, "how come I didn't think of that?" That's what I said to myself when I received the Betabook to review. The Betabook is a

portable whiteboard bound between two covers to resemble a book. I received the small A4 Betabook with a black marker and fleece eraser to try out. For the past year I have really delved into sketchnoting and thought that I would give the Betabook a try. The Betabook is extremely portable and you would hardly know it was in your bag to carry it. Owing to the fact that it is an analog device-it is extremely easy to use, just open the Betabook take the cap off of the supplied dry erase marker and you are ready to go. The whiteboard surface is smooth, bright and easy to write on, with the fine point dry erase marker. I did go out to Staples and purchase a set of multi-colored dry erase markers to supplement the black marker that was included. The colors looked great on the Betabook and when it was time to erase the whiteboard the fleece eraser worked well. Throwing the Betabook in my bag reminds me how freeing analog tools can be. No worries about having to charge the device and with my iPhone it is easy to snap a shot and share my ideas with others. If you are a visual thinker and like sketchnoting or whiteboarding and have always yearned for a portable solution here it is.

For those of you that need more real estate you can purchase the Betabook Pro which is an A3 size. For me the A4 size works well and barely takes up any room in my backpack which is great! For more information please go to Betabook.

Creating Infographics with Wacom Bamboo Slate & Bamboo Paper

2016-12-22T10:29:00.003-05:00

If you have been following me on Twitter (@assistivetek) or Instagram (@assistivetek) you will have noticed that I have been creating infographics on a number of different educational hardware and software. Some of you have emailed me and asked me how I am creating these infographics, which I would like to share with you. About 6 months ago, I was sent by WACOM a Bamboo Slate (A4) to review, which opened the door to my flight of infographic ideas. The WACOM Bamboo Slate is a hardware device that captures everything you write on a paper pad with a a ballpoint pen that comes with the device. Once you get your ideas down you sync the device over Bluetooth to your IOS or Android device to Inkspace, the WACOM tablet app. Once your ideas and drawings are in Inkspace

Inkspace

you can then export your drawings to a variety of different formats for further editing.The WACOM Bamboo Slate marries the best, of being able to use pen and paper for creation and then store and manipulate the drawings using digital tools.

Using ScreenBeam Infographic

While not an artist, I have always enjoyed doodling with pen and paper and using the WACOM Bamboo Slate really felt comfortable for me to create my infographics. As part of my process for creating my infographics, I typically use a Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil to rough out the images and text on the paper. Once I am happy with the results, I bring out the WACOM ballpoint pen and begin to trace over the pencil renderings which ensures that the drawings come out just right. Once the drawing is complete, I sync the image from the WACOM Bamboo Slate to my iPad using the Inkspace app. Once the drawing is in Inkspace, I then export it using the WILL format (Wacom Ink Layer Language) to Bamboo Paper. Using the various painting tools in Bamboo Paper and the WACOM Bamboo Fineline stylus- which works effortlessly with Bamboo Paper gives me the drawing control that I need to complete the infographic. Once I have completed the infographic I can quickly export the drawing out of Bamboo Paper directly into Twitter.

I would be interested in learning what type of infographics you would like to see and if you are creating some yourself how are you creating your infographics?

Co-Teaching and Technology: Enhancing Communication & Collaboration- Just Released!

2016-07-11T11:09:00.002-04:00

With the expansion of co-teaching as a means to improve student outcomes, technology can be an invaluable resource. Co-teachers need to plan collaboratively, jointly implement lesson plans, and cooperatively assess student progress. This reference guide provides practical strategies on how technology can facilitate co-planning, expedite sharing of student data, and streamline many other tasks that ultimately assist in accomplishing co-teaching's goal: improved student outcomes. Whatever your preferred computer platform, co-teachers can apply these

strategies and applications to accommodate all learners' needs.

Written by the nation's foremost authority on co-teaching, Marilyn Friend, and Brian S. Friedlander, an expert in the use of instructional and assistive technologies, this handy tool features an overview of co-teaching fundamentals, along with recommendations of over two dozen free and low-cost applications and programs for

Expediting co-planning
Improving communication
Streamlining data collection
Augmenting assessment
Simplifying data analysis
Creating guided notes
Facilitating differentiated instruction
Increasing student engagement
Enhancing note-taking skills
Implementing electronic scaffolding

To order your copy- please contact Brian - Volume pricing is available and School Purchase Orders are Accepted. This 6 page guide makes for a great professional development hand-out! Order your copy today!

PASCO Scientific Wireless Sensors & SPARKVue- Changing the Way Teachers Teach Science

2016-06-19T12:33:00.002-04:00

Not a day goes by without educators hearing the need for new innovative practices that can stimulate and engage students in the learning process. For the past 5 years we have seen schools begin to focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) through Makerspaces and providing students the opportunity to do cross-curricular projects that entail a variety of academic subjects and design thinking. With the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards many schools have begun to shift their science programs that now include systems thinking and giving students the opportunities to do hands-on experiments and conduct investigations. With the movement away from rote learning, teachers will need to develop new skills and strategies to have students do science both inside and out of the classroom. A recent study by the Amgen Foundation, Change the Equation, found that teenagers enjoy science and would welcome the opportunity to do more hands-on learning in their science classrooms. Teens noted that they wanted more hands-on experiences in the classroom and wanted to take more field trips to explore their science interests.

In the past giving students the tools they needed to do hands on experiments could be costly and difficult to manage. However, all of this is changing as companies begin to create tools that are easy to use and at a price point, that makes it is now possible to provide these tools to each student in a science classroom. I recently had the opportunity to review the PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor which really changes the paradigm for doing

PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor

science in the classroom. I would like to thank PASCO for sending me a review unit. The PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor is a marvel of technology for $39 dollars that quickly pairs via Bluetooth to just about any device you may have in your classroom. This can include Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Chromebooks as well as smartphones (iPhone, Android). Using the new Low Energy (LE) Bluetooth standard the PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor pairs almost instantaneously and is ready to start collecting real time data. Using SPARKVue software which can be downloaded for free to IOS, Android and Chromebooks students will be able to log data. SPARKVue has some excellent built-in analysis tools and allows students to look at the data in a various graphical views as well as looking at the data table, which can be easily exported. The PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor can handle variable sampling rates as well as logging data for

SPARKVue application

extended periods of time directly on to the device for long term data collection. I have been really impressed with both the PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor and the accompanying software which I have used on a Kangaroo PC (Windows 10), iPhone 6, Dell Chromebook, and iPad Air. Under all conditions the PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor seamlessly connected to the devices and I was collecting data. When using my Surface Pro 3, and Chromebook, I used the PS-3500 USB Bluetooth 4.0 Adapter which is available from PASCO and simply plugged it into the USB port. Collecting data using the PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor and the SPARKVue software cannot be any easier and you can tell that PASCO has spent a great deal of time to ensure that the out of the box experience is optimal. PASCO has developed a wide range of wireless sensors that are now available and there are more in the pipeline for the upcoming school year. If you go to the PASCO website you can get more information about the wireless pH sensor, wireless pressure sensor, and the wireless force acceleration sensor. For schools that have invested in the PASSPORT sensors take a look at the PASCO airlink which can be used as a bridge to make your legacy sensors send data directly to your devices via USB or Bluetooth.

For science teachers who are looking to change their classroom practices and give their students more hands on experience, you need to consider using the latest wireless temperature sensors from PASCO. Using the PASCO Wireless Sensor technology will change the way you teach and give students the perspective of being a scientist doing investigations and collecting data. The PASCO Wireless Sensor gives students the opportunity to log data for long periods of time and analyze data using the tools built into the SPARKVue application. PASCO provides teachers with wonderful resources and activities on various topics that can be used with their sensors to explore science. You will also find handy videos on YouTube and on their website to get you up and running quickly with their sensors. PASCO has hit it out of the ballpark with their new family of wireless sensors, when taking into account cost, ease of use and instructional value. If you have been on the fence about integrating sensors into your science classroom, now is the time to jump in- you will be glad you did!

All ideas and opinions are my own and there was no exchange of money in doing this review

Co-Teaching & Technology- Enhancing Communication & Collaboration

2016-06-18T18:06:00.002-04:00

I am happy to share that Co-Teaching & Technology-Enhancing Communication & Collaboration (a laminated guide) by Marilyn Friend and I will be released shortly and is packed with practical suggestions on how you can get the most out co-teaching and technology.

With the expansion of co-teaching as a means to improve student outcomes, technology

can be an invaluable resource. Co-teachers need to plan collaboratively, jointly implement lesson plans, and cooperatively assess student progress. This reference guide provides practical strategies on how technology can facilitate co-planning, expedite sharing of student data, and streamline many other tasks that ultimately assist in accomplishing co-teaching’s goal: improved student outcomes. Whatever your preferred computer platform, co-teachers can apply these strategies and applications to accommodate all learners’ needs.

Written by the nation's foremost authority on co-teaching, Marilyn Friend, and Brian Friedlander, an expert in the use of instructional and assistive technologies, this resource provides the essential tools to significantly enhance co-teaching practice.

Please contact me if you are interested in ordering this laminated guide which is packed with great ideas and strategies. Individual guides are $12.95 and volume discount pricing is available. School purchase orders are accepted. Get your copies today!

Whitelines Link Notebooks- Bridging the Analog to Digital World

2016-05-29T09:22:00.001-04:00

Whitelines Link Page

If you haven't noticed there has been an increased interest in teaching students the art of note taking using standard paper and pens. In fact, just last week, I attended an educational computer conference and sat in on a workshop presented by Chrissy Romano on a Sketch-noting- that showed how her students are using this technique for recording classroom notes. There is a great deal of research that points to the fact that when we write down things using pen and paper that we are more likely to remember the information as compared to when we use a keyboard. In a previous post I highlighted some of the ways we can use paper notebooks that are designed with specific apps to share and save our notes in the cloud. While searching the web one day, I came across a relatively new solution that bridges the analog to digital world for note taking called Whitelines Link. I would like to thank Olof for providing me with the Whitelines Link notebook that was used for this review.

Whitelines Link produces several differnt notepads with a grey background with whitelines, with a unique looking code on the four corners of each page. On the bottom of each page is a set of three icons in a box, which probably needs no introduction and includes one for Email, Evernote, and Dropbox. More about this a little later. The notebooks were designed this way so that when you write or draw on the page your words or drawings pop on the page. I have been using the Whitelines Link A5 Squared notebook for the last two months and have really enjoyed the experience. The Whitelines Link notebook is spiral bound so the pages lay flat and the paper quality is great for use with a pencil, gel pen or even a fountain pen. Once I have finished my page of notes - there is where the fun begins! First I decide what I want to do with my notes- am I going

Whitelines Link App

to send them to someone via email, or safe them to my Evernote or Dropbox account? By ticking off one of the icons on the bottom of the page I can easily and automatically route the note without having to think about it. As a heavy user of Evernote this works great. When I'm done with my note, I simply tick off the Evernote icon and when I open the Whitelines Link app on my iPhone and take a picture of the note, the app using the codes on the corner of the page can senses where the note is and automatically routes it to my Evernote account for safe keeping. The Whitelines Link app is available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store and is free. I should mention that when you use the Whitelines Link app to capture your notes, the grey background and white lines disappear and all you are left with are your notes on a white background which really highlights your ideas!

Whitelines Link could be a great tool for students who are doing sketchnoting or looking for a way to marry traditional hand written notes with a way to archive them with a cloud based service. For teachers who are supporting students in the classroom and need to provide students with notes this could be one more way for them to capture notes and share them at the end of the day. The ways to use Whitelines Link is only limited by your creativity. Whitelines Link are available on Amazon and are licensed to be used with

Leuchtturm Whitelines Link Black Pocket Dots notebooks which are readily available in the United States. This is a great product and one that I know students and teachers will enjoy using.

Introducing MindView AT

2016-04-25T20:21:00.003-04:00

I have been using MindView for years and is one of my favorite mind mapping applications. I use it to brainstorm ideas, plan workshops and for writing structured proposals and documents. For some time now Matchware has been working on an assistive technology edition that has lots of great features. These include: text-to speech, high contrast, integration with TextHelp Read & Write 9 Gold and Dragon Naturally Speaking. If you are interesting in learning more about Mindview AT they are holding a FREE webinar on May 12, 2016 at 11:30 am - 12:00 pm EDT which you can register for by clicking on this LINK. MIndView is an exceptionally designed mind mapping application that has lots of great features to meet the needs of students who need the built-in supports.

Amazon Echo Dot- Loud & Clear!

2016-04-21T14:32:00.002-04:00

One of the most natural ways to interact with our devices is with our voice. With the advent of smartphones many of us are beginning to rely on voice as our means for interacting with our devices. Whether you are using Cortana, SIRI, or Google Now, you know how rewarding it is to be able to text a message or set up a reminder with your voice. Using your voice to interact with your handheld device feels so natural and empowering. Within this context I ordered an Amazon Echo Dot which I received a couple of weeks ago and am really excited with its potential in being able to understand your voice and in its ability to connect other devices for environmental control.

Setting up the Amazon Echo Dot was straight forward -I plugged it in connected it my WiFi network and within seconds I was asking Alexa questions. If you have used speech to interact with your devices you will be struck by just how fast Alexa responds once you ask it a question. The latency is really incredible. Ask Alexa what the weather forecast is in your hometown and in a nano-second, Alexa will respond with the answer. As I began to use the Amazon Echo Dot my thoughts took me to just how this could be used in the classroom. Given that all you need is a WiFi connection I thought about different ways it could be used an put together a short video to demonstrate. After watching the video, please share ideas and how you might use the Amazon Echo Dot in your classroom?

Wacom Bamboo Spark Makes it Easy to Capture Notes

2016-02-16T18:58:00.000-05:00

As much as I enjoy using my digital devices, there are times when I am going into meetings that I want to be able travel light and have that experience of putting pen to paper. However at the same time I know I am going to want to share that note or idea and bring it back into my digital work flow. I have been using

various digital pen technologies for the past decade and when I saw that Wacom had released the Bamboo Spark I had to give it a test drive. Wacom was good enough to provide me with the Bamboo Spark Smart folio with gadget pocket to review. The Bamboo Spark Smart folio has a nice grey finish that should hold up well to wear and tear. The premise of the Bamboo Spark Smart folio is quite simple-write with the provided pen on the paper-then press the button to send all of your ideas and notes-which are automatically synced with the Bamboo Spark app on your IOS or Android device. The Bamboo Spark Smart folio uses ordinary A5 paper pads (ie. Bloc Rhodia N 16) which can be purchased from any stationery store. The paper pad must sit in the folio since the digitizer is found beneath it. While you can use just about any A5 paper paper you will need to use the Wacom refills that come with the pen in order for the device to work.

In the Bamboo Spark Smart box you will find the folio, digital pen, a blank paper pad, USB to Micro USB cable, two extra ink refills and refill extractor. To get started you simply have to charge the Bamboo Spark with the supplied USB cable. Once the Bamboo Spark is charged you can pair the folio with your device by going through the setup which is well implemented. Once you have paired your Bamboo Spark Smart folio you are ready to give it a try. Simply take the

cap off of the pen and draw or write some notes on the pad. When you are ready to sync your notes simply press the round button in the middle of the folio and within seconds your notes will be transferred to the Bamboo Spark app. Once your notes, sketches, or ideas are transferred to the Bamboo Spark app you can export it as text, images, PDF or WILL format which gives you lots of ways to bring it into your digital workflow. Wacom provides each user with 5 GB of cloud storage on their Inkspace web site which keeps all your notes synced across all of your devices. You can open and annotate your notes and sketches with any program that supports the WILL format (ie. Bamboo Paper).

Applying Handwriting Recogntion

Handwritten Bamboo Spark Note

Having been a Evernote and OneNote user for some time it is now possible for me to easily share my ideas and then transfer them to these services. The Bamboo Spark just recently added handwriting recognition into the equation which gives this tool a wider audience. Now I can hand write my notes and when I am done export them and send them to my word processor of choice to edit and share. Having the hand writing recognition feature is a welcome edition and while it is still considered to be in BETA it has worked well for me. The simplicity of this device should be a big selling point, in that it will store up to 100 pages of text and images and so it is not mandatory that you have your device with you when using the Bamboo Spark Smart folio. When I wanted to annotate my images on my iPad I was able to transfer my notes and sketches to Bamboo Paper which is a nice plus. In this day and age of high tech solutions it is nice to see a device which has been designed for ease of use where the technology fades into the background and allows you to focus on the task at hand.

As I use the Bamboo Spark I see lots of applications for this device in the work that I do in the schools. In the schools there has been a movement towards supporting students with disabilities in the mainstream with the support of the co-teaching model. With that in mind, I can see see co-teachers using the Bamboo Spark to record notes and share them out at the end of the period. Notes can be shared as text using the handwriting recognition or as an image or PDF file format. As I work on a new laminated guide on Co-Teaching & Technology: Enhancing Communication and Collaboration I have found lots of ways for both teachers and students to take advantage of this simple and easy to use technology.

As much as I enjoyed using the Bamboo Spark Smart folio there were several times that I had to re-pair the Bamboo Spark Smart folio with the Bluetooth which was a little annoying. I would also like to see some changes to the Bamboo Spark app for IOS which would allow me more control to move notes into designated folders. While not imperative, it would be great to be able to attach an audio file to my notes page which could work well when using it with students. Using the Bamboo Spark Smart was a very great experience and will be a tool I will continue to use. As we live more and more in the digital arena it is nice to be able to put pen to paper and have the tactile experience, knowing full well that it can be easily integrated into your digital workflow- that is in the end the best of both worlds!

Unboxing Wacom Bamboo Spark

Traveling in Style with the Waterfield Field Muzetto

2016-02-09T10:51:00.001-05:00

For sometime now I've been looking for a lightweight but stylish bag to carry my Surface 3 and iPad Air when I'm traveling. When I came across the Waterfield Field Muzetto bag I had to take a look at it and see how it could meet my needs. For those of you that may be unfamiliar with the Waterfield bag company they're located in San Francisco and all their bags are made here in United States. Before I ordered my bag I went to the Waterfield website, took a look at their products and found the website easy to navigate and filled with some great looking products. When I finally ordered the Field Muzetto bag the process was easy and

Waterfield Field Muzetto

streamlined. The Waterfield company gives you that special attention and within seconds of ordering the bag I received several emails updating me on the status of the bag. Because each of these bags is handmade I was given a date as to when it would be completed and shipped out. Even though I ordered the bag around the holiday season the bag was delivered prior to the holidays which was really fantastic!

Un-boxing the Waterfield Field Muzetto bag one can get a sense of the high quality craftsmanship that goes into everyone of their bags. The bag is extremely lightweight and made of a beautiful light brown waxed cotton canvas with is accentuated with a chocolate brown leather panel in the front of the bag. The light brown cotton canvas has a distressed look which really adds to the beauty of this bag. Once you pick up the bag you realize how lightweight it is, which is great since I intended to use it to carry a Surface 3 and iPad Air. There are two main compartments in the bag with the divider between the two that is padded. The inside cloth is a beautifully textured zig-zag rust colored material that gives the bag a really nice look when it's opened.The inside compartment is padded with a nice brown felt material. Using the bag I can fit my Surface 3 as well as my iPad Air into each of the compartments, very comfortably. In the second compartment there is a zipper that allows me to securely store some pens and a notebook which comes in really handy and is ideal for storing cables and a power supply. The Field Muzetto bag comes with a full-size adjustable strap with a padded sleeve that is ideal for carrying the bag comfortably across your body. There is an outside pocket that can come in handy for storing your phone, notebooks, or magazines or other incidentals. I am extremely happy with my purchase and the high quality of craftsmanship that went into the Waterfield Field Muzetto bag. If you are looking for a high quality and light weight bag to hold you tablets - I would highly recommend the bag. And by the way the company is great to deal with - a real plus!

Review of Dell Chromebook 13-Sleek & Smooth

2016-01-24T12:27:00.001-05:00

As more schools jump on the Chromebook wagon it is is exciting to see companies like Dell step up to the plate and deliver high quality devices for schools. For many of us who have been using Chromebooks for some time now- I always found the first generation devices

were rather under-powered and lagged in performance. But this is changing rapidly with new Chromebooks that are sporting Intel processors. With Dell's release of the Dell Chromebook 13 the tides are changing and now educators and students can have access to devices that house much faster silicone. The Dell Chromebook that was provided for me for this review, the Dell Chromebook 13 sported an Intel i3 processor with 4 GB or RAM and 16 GB Solid State Drive with a 13.3 inch FHD Display and is priced at $529 on the Dell website. The Dell Chromebook 13 is made of carbon fiber finish with magnesium alloy that is easy to grip and gives the computer good protection from dings and bangs. The Dell Chromebook 13 comes standard with 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, HDMI 1.4, MicroSD slot Noble lock slot and a Stereo headphone and microphone combo jack and weighs in at 3.2 pounds. The keys are Chiclet style with back lighting and feel really good when typing. Most users will find the precision Touchpad with built-in glass integrated button extremely easy to use and will not find a need to carry a mouse. The Dell Chromebook 13 supports Bluetooth 4.0 LE, making easy to connect your computer to external devices that support the latest Bluetooth standard for Low Energy. Pairing one of my Logitech Bluetooth mice took just seconds and was very easy to accomplish. The Dell Chromebook 13 comes with Dell's 720p webcam which is pretty standard across most of the Chromebooks which should work well with Google Hangouts or Skype.

Using the Dell Chromebook 13 you will find that its boot time is extremely fast and in a matter of a few seconds you will be logged in and ready to go. One of the really great features of the Dell Chromebook 13 is its battery life. With a 67Whr - 6 cell battery you should easily get 10-11 hours of battery life to keep you going all day long. The LCD screen provides you with a crisp view of your text documents and HD videos look great on the screen. One of my favorite features of the Dell Chromebook 13 is having an Intel i3 processor inside. You definitely feel the difference when working on this computer and having the processing speed of this mainstream chip really makes this a pleasurable experience. Whether you are just using Google Docs or opening up an app you will find the experience to quick and very smooth. Having worked on less powerful Chromebooks, the experience of using the Dell Chromebook 13 was very positive and a device I would highly recommend to educators to look at. If you are looking for a top of the line Chromebook, then you need to take a look at the Dell Chromebook 13, it has a lot to offer in its quality built, design and horsepower. While the Dell Chromebook 13 may come in a little more in terms of its price ($529), if this is your go to everyday computer it is worth the extra dollars to have such a high quality computer that you can count on to give you a great user experience! For educators who may be working with students who need to use a touch enabled screen, Dell does make a make a Dell Chromebook 13 model with with a touch screen.

Note Taking- Marrying Pen & Paper with the Cloud

2015-12-26T13:32:00.004-05:00

One of the really important skills that students need to develop is their ability to take notes in class. While many students have access to digital devices many still rely on traditional pen and paper for note taking. While the research would support (The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking, Psychological Science, Pam A. Mueller & Daniel M. Oppenheimer first published on April 23, 2014) the use of pen and paper- wouldn’t it be great to be able to marry both the ink with digital technology to take advantage of the best of both worlds. In this post I'll share with you a couple of different strategies that students might find helpful to marry ink with their digital world.

One of my favorite note taking tools is Evernote which I have been using for some time now. Evernote is a great way to capture ideas, notes, images, audio and store it on the web for easy access. Not too long ago, Evernote in collaboration with Moleskine came out with journals that allow students to quickly move their handwritten notes to the cloud with full searching capabilities. The system is very easy to use and would give students the ability to continue to take notes as they always have using pen and paper. When they are done they can use Smart Stickers that come with the Evernote writing journals to quickly file their notes using the camera on any tablet or smart phone. The Smart Stickers are quite ingenious. Using the camera on a tablet or smartphone you can associate a sticker with a particular notebook. For example, if you associate the sticker that has a House icon on it with your Science notebook, then when you take a picture of that page that has the house sticker affixed, it automatically will file the note in your Science notebook. The Evernote system works great and one of the big advantages of this system is that you can easily search all your handwritten notes. Evernote will OCR all of your handwritten notes and make searching very easy.

For the students that want to add more functionality to their hand written notes they should take a look at the Livescribe smartpens. Livescribe has been developing this technology for the last seven years and allows students not only to record ink, but also the associated audio. For students that have difficulty taking notes and listening at the same time the Livescribe pen can be a great note taking strategy for them. Livescribe not too long ago came out with the Livescribe 3 pen which pairs to an iPhone or Android phone and uses the microphone and speaker on the phones for recording and playing back note-using Low-Energy Bluetooth to save their work. All of the students notes automatically get sent to the Livescribe + app on the student's device which can then be shared with Onenote or Evernote. This combination of services gives students access to their Livescribe notes in the cloud for easy access. Using the Livescribe 3 pen makes it easy to take notes and gives students that extra safety net-in that their notes also now can include audio.

Students will find both solutions easy to implement and depending on their learning profile will find value in each of the approaches. That being said, both solutions allow student to marry ink and paper with the digital world making their notes searchable and accessible which after all is the whole idea.