Educational software for the Wii remote digital whiteboard with IR LED pen HOWTO

Educational software for the Wii remote digital whiteboard with IR LED pen HOWTO

NOTICE!!:

This text is OUTDATED and INCOMPLETE! Please visit:
http://wyxs.net/web/wiiscan/ for a complete and updated version.

Author: Dirk Schouten, schoutdi (at) knoware (dot) nl, Public Primary School Rosa Boekdrukker, Amsterdam, the Netherlands http://rosaboekdrukker.net.

1. Introduction
1.1 Credits and acknowledgements
1.2 Warning!

2. What is needed in hardware & skills
2.1 Hardware
2.2 Skills

4.
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4 Testing the basic pen

5.
5.1
5.2
5.3

6.
6.1
6.2
6.3

7.
7.1.
7.2.

9. Useful links

10.

1. Introduction

when you have sucuccessfully performed the digital electronic wihteboaard project with the Wii remote controller, the next step is getting useful software for your school.

This page presents an annotated overview of software that seems usefull for classroom use. That does not sound very convincing and so it is. We cannot observe what's going on in your classroom or yor school. We do not know your way of teaching or the conditions that are set by your board or education inspetion.

However, a few things can be said about the usefullness f tools in education. In order of importance

Exchanging learning materials is really important. It's a waste of time and energy to redo what someone else has already done. Exchange asks for well defined standards and platform independent software.
Collaboration is important. Teachers have little time and the more teachers work cooperative on educational material, the sooner it's peer reviewed, finished and usable on the workfloor. Collaboration also diminishes the power of educational publishing houses that dominate the market, at least in the Netherlands.
The use of Open Source Software and learning materials, published under licenses that do not prohibit the usage or modidification is the best guarantee for sustainable learning materials.
...more?

We hope you find useful matrerials in this list.

1.1 Credits and acknowledgements

We thank Johnny Chung Lee for his inspiring demonstration "Creating tech marvels out of a $40 Wii Remote". It can be seen on: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/245. Johnny's marvel is a great step forward for the use of helpful techniques in the classroom.
Lukas from Külsheim, Germany http://www.2style-graphics.de/index2.php?show=about did a great job in making a program to easily connect the Wii remote controller via Bluetooth. This program facilitates the day to day use in the classroom of Wii digital whiteboard softeware.

Thanks are due to many participans in the Wiimote Project Forum on: http://www.wiimoteproject.com/.

And, last but not least, all the people who put their time and effort in creating the software. By using that software, institutes and schools can save tons of money. It must become normal that, when using this software, to donate to the projects. It not only keeps your concience clean, it is also vital to the sustainability of the software your school and your pubils use and with wich you earn your money. Another good way of payment is helping a project of your choice. For example, making translations or helping with documentation (you are good at it;you are the teacher!).

1.2 Warning!

Neither the author, nor the Public Primary School Rosa Boekdrukker can be held responsable for any damamage, neither direct, neiterh inirect, neiter consequential, etcetera, when using the software or materials we write about. No support, help or whatsoever is given.

The above words of warning should not prevent you from trying the software.

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2. What is needed in hardware & skills

2.1 Hardware

The main purpose of this project is to find good software to use with the Nintendo Wii remote controller. So it's a good idea to obtain one and to have created a setup as described in the chapter Wii remote digital whiteboard with IR LED pen for schools HOWTO.

2.2 Skills

For the PC part of this project you need basic computer skills like creating directories, downloading and saving software, unpacking and copying files, installing simple software and creating icons. Some software might need a bit of configuring. As your ICT coordinator for help if necessary.

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3.

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4.

4.1

4.3

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5.

5.1

6.

6.1

6.2

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7.

7.2.

7.2.2.

8.

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9. Useful links

Uwe Schmidt created a Mac version in Java of Johnny Lee's original WiimoteWhiteboard program. It can be found at http://www.uweschmidt.org/wiimote-whiteboard.

Linux electronic whiteboard - This is an effort to make a GNU/Linux port of Johnny Chung Lee's program http://code.google.com/p/linux-whiteboard/

Boonjin's "Wiimote Smooth Board". Also based on Johnny's software with lots of useful features and a good manual. See http://www.boonjin.com. You need the WiimoteSmoothboard0.2.rar version and not the 0.2.2. Use 7-Zip to unrar.

A teacher compares the Wiimote interactive whiteboard versus a commercial interactive whiteboard: hhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSDxc2kFjms&feature=related

Kindlelab says their whiteboard software is free and open source. I don't know if it is that free when it's not GPL licensed but has a 'Ning' license. You must enter a 'social network' to download it at: http://kindlelab.com/

Edusim blurb says: "Edusim is a free opensource 3D multi-user virtual world specifically for your classroom interactive whiteboard. Edusim is extendable allowing multiple classrooms to connect their interactive whiteboards for collaborative learning session". The software is in alpha stage. See http://edusim3d.com/alpha/">http://edusim3d.com/alpha/">http://edusim3d.com/alpha/
See also their download site at: http://www.classroom20.com/profiles/blog/show?id=649749%3ABlogPost%3A116931

Moodle's OSS/GPL E-learning system is world famous. Better than Blackboard. Go to: http://moodle.org/log in as guest and go to: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=37248 to follow a discussion on whiteboard software. You can dowload whiteboard.swf, a Flash drawing program.

Eduribbon, from the blurb: "EduRibbon is a universal tool for creating interactive presentations and explanation support". They have a free version: http://www.dosli.eu/eng/products/eduribbon. Seems usable feeeware.

The Wiimote Forum http://www.wiimoteproject.com/ offer valuable information, ideas, solutions for problems and help.

Loose ends:
Magic Whiteboard ?, SubEthaEdit ?, Jabber client ?, Zengobi Curio ?, MSN Messengeers whiteboard, http://www.imaginationcubed.com — it’s Flash based a ... ?, Notatelt ?, PhotoNote ?, Magic Whiteboard ?, Whiteboard Reviewer Edition ?, Firedoodle ?, Wboard ?, ClearBoard (Win + Lin) ?, VirtualBoard, Returnstar ?, http://www.bluechillies.com/list/whiteboard.html

Boekje open standaarden info pakket: normen voor ontwikkelen edu software en software suggesties.

Facetop http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2004/07/64129

How to draw transparent text on Windows Desktop. http://delphi.about.com/cs/adptips2004/a/bltip0104_5.htm

Transparent video overlay over desktop. http://www.codeproject.com/KB/audio-video/TransparentDesktopVideo.aspx

Samurize? http://random-tech.com/2006/12/todotxt-desktop-overlay.html

CapTrue http://www.batchconverter.com/CapTrue-download-73132.shtml

Desktop Pen: looks ok

Free Desktop: lijkt wel wat

Sticky notes

Free Post it notes

Annotate Pro V2: http://www.annoatepro.com

Ritepen3.0: http://www.ritescript.com/Products/ritePen.aspx

Scientific Calc: http://my.hrw.com/math06_07/nsmedia/tools/Sci_Calculator/Sci_Calculator.html

Firedoodle: http://firedoodle.com/

ZScreen: Ronald, hoe maakt ik makkelijk screenscots, i.sm. Smoothboard?

Screen Captor van donationcoder.com. Iets voor Ronald?

Cocchinella: cocchinella.org en http://www.linux.com/articles/58326 voor wat uitleg. Matige documentatie.

v2Whitebaord: http://www.version2software.com/v2whiteboard.html

http://lightools.fredisland.net/index2.htm
Looks great!

Links van Matthijs:

Edusim - Inventing the future, one classroom at a time http://edusim3d.com/alpha/

moodle: Op de site inloggen http://moodle.org/login/index.php

KlasCement.net http://www.klascement.net/

Crickweb | Flash Page http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=Toolkit%20index2a

Digibord :: digibord.Yurls.net - Your Favorite Websites http://digibord.yurls.net/

Leidster -- Leidsterstartpagina.jouwpagina.nl http://leidsterstartpagina.jouwpagina.nl/

Digitaal schoolbordonderwijs: Leermiddelen http://www.digitaalschoolbordonderwijs.nl/materialen/

Jouw Wereld Mijn Wereld http://www.jouwwereldmijnwereld.nl/

Digitaal schoolbord? Digibord op School http://www.digibordopschool.nl/default.asp?target=1

- - - ALLES OVER VERKEERSBORDEN - - http://proto.thinkquest.nl/%7Eklb019/

JigZone.com Jigsaw Puzzle Games http://www.jigzone.com/

Welcome to MirandaNet http://www.mirandanet.ac.uk/index.htm

Kent NGFL ICT Website http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/index.htm

kleuters http://www.nldata.nl/laurentius/piramide/cgi-oic/pagedb.exe/show?no=627&fromno=506

SMART Board Podcasts ? RedbridgePrimaryICT http://redbridgepict.wordpress.com/category/smart-board-podcasts/

PO 34 | Groep 3-4 in de praktijk | Wereldori?ntatie http://digischool.kennisnet.nl/community_po34/indepraktijk/pagina

EINDE LINKS MATTHIJS

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10.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Netherlands License.

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		Introduction

Author: Dirk Schouten <schoutdi at knoware dot nl>

Last updated: 2008-07-19

NOTICE!!:

Contents

2.1 Hardware

2.2 Skills

4.1

4.3

5.1

Links van Matthijs: