Monthly Archives: March 2008

We did it and you can too! If you are looking for a project for students that incorporates the study of electricity through the use of technology, then this is the project for you. Today we were able to use free software, a bluetooth adapter, a wii remote control, with a projector and laptop to create an interactive wall. We could operate our computer’s desktop by using a single clicking light-pen on the wall.

This interactive wall is not nearly as smooth as using a Promethean board. You are only able to left-click and double-click on the wall. Also you have to constantly be conscious of where the wiimote is so that you don’t block it. Despite this, it works really well and would be a great way to be able to interact with instructional content. With a low-budget interactive whiteboard you can easily present content without having to lean over and click with your mouse. Student can also shake out their kinesthetic moves with content. Imagine a giant image of a student’s journal entry projected on the wall with other students identifying and highlighting the main idea. The possibilities are limitless!

Here’s what you need to get started.

• Hardware
  • Wii Remote Controller-$39.99
  • IR Keychain lite-$15.95 (or build your own for under a $)
  • Bluetooth Dongle-$19.99
    
• Software:
  • Bluetooth software that recognizes the Wii
  • Johnny Chung Lee’s calibration software
• Directions:
  • Install bluetooth software
  • Synch Wii to computer
  • Place Wii at 45 degree angle to wall.
  • Calibrate LED light to wall using calibration software

Check out the rest of Johnny Chung Lee’s projects!

Notes:

We used a scanner stand to hold the wiimote in place.

Here’s the pen that Jim built using directions above.

In December I posted a blog about a guy named Johnny Chung Lee. He developed free software that can be used with a wiimote (remote for a wii) that enables you to have your own interactive whiteboard or wall for under $100. It is really amazing! Check out his other projects as well.

Parts needed (not including projector & computer):

• Wii Remote Controller-$39.99
• IR Keychain lite-$15.95 (or build your own for under a $)
• Bluetooth Dongle-$19.99
  
• Software-$0.00

I showed Johnny’s projects to a colleague in a different school district and she showed it to her students. Her students took it a ran with it. They now have an interactive whiteboard. Show this to your students. They may just take it on.

Here’s her email. (She gave me permission to publish it.) I nearly levitated when I read it. It’s very exciting.

Chris,
When I got back on Monday to school I showed the video to my 9th grade computers class about the Wii whiteboard. There’s a few boys in the class who are big gamers and they were pretty psyched. Before the end of the period they had figured that they needed a computer with bluetooth (something we didn’t have at school). One of them had a laptop at home that did, so he went home that night and spent about 4 hours playing with it to get the software to work. They found another video on YouTube that explains in detail how to make the IR_pen. I have to admit when I saw it, I was discouraged by all the steps (I’ve never been one for building things, especially in electronics) One student went home though and took apart an old remote for the IR light and taping a AA battery to the outside of a highlighter made a working pen. It doesn’t have a switch, so you have to make contact with the wire to the battery. to turn it on & off. The kids even brought in their own Wiimotes to use.
BUT IT WORKS!!
Thanks for the idea. It turned out to be an awesome project for some kids who were starting to get Spring fever, and honestly I did nothing more than show them the video and they ran with it. They were also very proud of their accomplishment. Now the girls in the class want to try out getting the head-tracking software project that Johnny Chung made on another video. I’ll let you know how it works out.
Check out the photos.
We did discover something else last period. If you take apart a regular penlight and replace the bulb with a IR bulb, you have your pen without all the wiring. Penlights are pretty cheap & we also found a USB Bluetooth device for about $10-15 to convert our existing computers.
—
Thank You,
Sara
Technology Coordinator

If you or your students try this, let me know. I would love to hear about it!

Chris

Hey everyone! We just got word from Ivan Duran that…

Discovery has released their elementary science program and we have it free for 60 days!

You can access it off of the Discovery Streaming site by going through the Individual resources on One Place.  Once at Discovery, you will see a tab at the top that says, “DE Science”.

Check it out…

Do you have a Promethean board in your classroom? Do you have activstudio installed on your computer? Have you thought to yourself, “What else can I do with this?”

Well this is the class for you! The Technology Trainers from the Department of Instructional Technology have teamed up to provide you a class that will help you  “light the flame of learning.”

Here is the REGISTRATION page.

Here’s a great post from LifeHacker. Check it out.

Recycle Electronics for Free by Mail

Recycle your old electronics for free with the US Postal Service’s new “Mail Back” program. The program, which allows you to discard your used electronics in an environmentally friendly manner, provides free envelopes in 1,500 post offices to handle everything from inkjet cartridges to cell phones and MP3 players. The postage-paid Mail Back envelopes are located in post office lobbies, and you can take as many as you want for free. Currently the pilot program supports 10 areas, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., but could go nationwide this fall if the trial is successful. If you’re not part of the pilot program, you can still recycle cell phones, computers, and more if you know where to look.