Alvin's Educational Technology Blog

Last week John R asked that I do a post about how I use my tablet in the classroom.  Here goes.

I have a Gateway tablet that’s almost two years old.  This is an actual picture of my tablet (click for a larger version) taken after working with my daughter on trig homework.  Aside from the “Unit Circle” title, all the writing is my daughter’s.  I have lost my ability to write.

Which leads to how I use the tablet in class.  Originally I thought the tablet would be a great replacement for the whiteboard.  For most people it would be, but I have lost my ability to write. 

With a whiteboard, your back is to the class.  With a tablet connected to a projector, you can write the same way as you would on a whiteboard, but while you face the class. The tablet can also save your writing to a file so that a copy can be made available to your students. 

Since I have lost my ability to write, I find it much easier to type words than to write words with the stylus on my tablet.  In class, I have a wireless keyboard and mouse.  This permits me to use the tablet functions without losing the keyboard which is hidden under the screen when the tablet is in the configuration shown in the picture above.

If I need to draw a diagram or annotate something on the screen, I can do that with the stylus at any time.  The Windows Journal application included with XP Tablet is great for either typing or writing. The tablet also does excellent OCR without training, even if you have lost your ability to write.

There is also a “clip” program that can capture the screen and save it to a file and make that file available for annotation.  I use this when I explain objects on the screen.  I can clip the menu bar in a program and then write or draw more information on top of that picture.  The picture with annotations can be saved for student reference.

I consider the tablet to be my portable SmartBoard.  It does all the same things plus I don’t have to worry about casting a shadow over the information being projected.

The next time you need to create a three to five minute video clip, don’t mess with your video camera.  Instead, use your digital camera.  Almost all cameras can be used to create video.  Even my cell phone camera can do video.

My two “rules of classroom video recording” should still be followed.

1 – Use a tripod.
2 – Don’t use the zoom while recording.

These two rules also apply to standard video cameras that use a tape, but by using a digital camera, the “tape” is eliminated and the movie is automatically saved in digital format.  Instead of using Firewire to digitize your movie in real time (a five minute video takes at least five minutes to digitize), copy the file from your digital camera to your computer in a few seconds.  You will save a ton of time.