Here goes – a Livescribe trial run

Some time ago I watched my colleague and friend Adrienne Webb demonstrate how she uses her LiveScribe pen in her teaching of mathematics. I was intrigued, but sort of let it go into the “must try that sometime” net.

Recently we took up the conversation again when we both attended a conference together, and the “what happens with your classes when you’re away from school” conversation came round. Adrienne informed me that she had prepared some maths lessons on vectors with Livescribe, uploaded them, and had informed both students and cover teacher where the files were to be found. 

That kick started me again, and this time I am going to go for it when covering genetics with my 6th year students. Its a huge skills based topic for us (a topic I love), and takes a lot of practice for the students to become proficient in working out the Mendelian heredity of characteristics. I’m going to offer them the pencasts I will make so that if they are stuck at home, frustratedly tearing their hair out because they can’t remember the next move or how to get from A to B, they’ll can go to our Edmodo VLE and find something to remind them of what we discussed in class.

Well that’s the theory anyway. I’ll introduce it (both genetics and the idea of the pencasts) tomorrow with a lightning revisit to mitosis (maiden pencast below!! I can see the mistakes in it already). Keep your fingers cross and I’ll keep you posted