Inter-Write+Pad

This seems like a very versatile piece of technology. There is a news video clip on "You Tube" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AkAeGmcqiw This technology allows the teacher to interact with the computer from any where in the classroom and project the information on a screen for the students to see. According to the news report it helps to keep student more engaged, and helps with classroom management by allowing the teacher to move around the classroom at will with out disrupting the process of instruction.

Information on the interwrite pad can be found at GTCO CalComps website http://www.gtcocalcomp.com/interwriteschoolpad.htm

The interwrite pad is an interesting and dynamic teaching tool, however, it is really an extension of the electronic Whiteboard. There is an article "Interactive Whiteboards: Some Lessons from the Classroom" in summer 2002 Micromath, which goes through the many uses and innovations of the whiteboard in the classroom. Remember that now everything that can be done on a whiteboard can be done on the interwrite pad, and from anywhere in the class room. On example would be that a student could run a presentation that incorporates excessing the internet, running a power point, and writing on the class white board all from his/her seat. It may also be possible to have students (upto seven) conduct a 5 minute internet research project and then each present their findings from their own interwrite pads.

http://www.monroe.k12.fl.us/curriculum/ese/AssistiveTechnology/ATdevices.htm this web displays other devices used for assistive technology that we have covered in class.

The Inter-Write Pad would be a very good thing to have in a classroom today. So much is done on the computer and displayed with a ceiling projector, it would be nice to do it from anywhere in the room. This would help with controlling classroom behavior by allowing the teacher to walk around and still work on the computer. I would not say it is a replacement for the whiteboard but if a teacher cannot get funded for whiteboards, he or she may be able to buy one of these on their own.