Smartboards the SMARTWay!

More Uses for a Wii Remote

What is the tool?

The tool is a low-cost multipoint interactive whiteboard using a Wiimote. In English, this is a cheap way to make a smartboard. I don’t know about everyone else, but I don’t have a whole bunch of money just lying around. Smartboards and all the accessories needed to go along with it can get very costly. Johnny Chung Lee, an MIT graduate, has created a program to turn a Wiimote, a computer, a projector, and an infra red pen into an interactive whiteboard.

How can it be used?

The interactive whiteboard has multiple purposes. Specifically related to the classroom, the interactive whiteboard allows for teachers to interact with programs on a computer while all the students watch what the teacher is doing. A teacher can write all the notes on the interactive whiteboard and save the notes so that they can be accessed later on. It is also useful to have students interacting with the computer programs. This way the students get hands on experience, and other students get the benefit of watching what the student is doing.

Advantages:

Some advantages to interactive whiteboards are that the teacher can write notes on the “smartboard” and e-mail them to a student who is absent, to the student in ISS, or even if students miss something while taking notes, the teacher can go back to what was “erased”. Also, this allows a teacher to use such programs as geometer’s sketchpad without running back and forth between their computer and the board while teaching.

Some advantages to the Wiimote interactive whiteboard is that it is way cheaper to get and use in the classroom. Students will have fun using the program to write their answers on the board. This program also allows for up to four IR pens to be picked up at one time, so several students can be using the interactive whiteboard at once, verses the smartboards that only allow one at a time. Another advantage to the Wiimote interactive whiteboard is that it can turn any surface into an interactive space.

Disadvantages:

While this is a cheaper way to get a “smartboard”, you may get what you pay for. This may not work as well as the real deal. Also, downloading the program to your school’s computer maybe a bit of a loop to jump through, as some school districts are very strict about the programs downloaded to their school’s computers. Another disadvantage to this is finding a good place to set up your Wiimote so it picks up the IR pen. It may also be a problem trying to keep up with the IR pens. Also, if you are not tech savvy, downloading and setting up the program maybe a little hard to understand. A lot of the setting up is in computer language, which for me is a bit over my head.

Who is the audience for this tool?

The audience for this tool is very wide range. Anyone from teachers and students in a classroom to people working in the business world can use this technology. In the education field, any age is appropriate for using the interactive whiteboards.

Want to learn more about this tool?

Visit Johnny Chung Lee's website.

Read the offical discussion forums.

More step by step instructions.

What is my opinion on the usefulness of this tool?

I personally really like this tool! I think it is very beneficial to the classroom. It is very hard to get students engaged and excited about math. The interactive whiteboard gives students the opportunity to get hands on experience with the various math programs, while their peers watch what they are doing. Also, this allows a teacher to access these various programs while standing in front of the class teaching. More broadly speaking, this allows for any teacher to get notes to students who miss class. The Wiimote whiteboard also is more available to all teachers, since money seems to be such an issue.

By: Amanda