ConSTAWA

This week has be very hectic with stuff flying at us from all directions.

I have been preparing for ConSTAWA which is the Science teachers of Western Australia conference. I will be demoing all the usual stuff as well as the new Epson Visualiser which I think will be the next big thing in schools - if we get the price right.

I will be presenting a workshop on new technology and how close we are to Star Trek Technology. I get to bring my toys as well so it should be a lot of fun.

Ebeam Vs Traditional Whiteboard

Sorry I don't mean to post twice on the one topic but....

I was at a primary school today, the deputy got me in to demonstrate this eBeam she had heard about from another school. I set up my projector on a precarious stack of chairs and stuck the eBeam on a staff room whiteboard that looked a lot more like a notice board. I calibrated and started to use the eBeam and do my regular presentation...

Half way through she told me to stop -

You mean we can have an interactive whiteboard on any ordinary whiteboard? Yes
It does all the stuff an interactive whiteboard does! Yes
It is less than a thousand dollars? Yes
Excuse me I have to go get someone.. show him what you just showed me - I'm going to take over his class.

So she leaves - a few minute later a bloke walks in and introduces himself...
I start my presentation over again - he has used a fixed board before so I show him all the same features plus the video capture and shared meeting and the pen capture....

At the end he said something along the lines of -
"I was so against this type of IWB, I was only going to just look at this and still get a fixed board, but your software is clearly better and the technology clearly works well - and I can put this anywhere in my classroom. That software is clearly superior to what the others have."

I pointed out that, to be fair the "others" have a lot more pre prepared resources - His response was that when he had his other board the only thing he used was the grid paper - everything else he had made himself. - Fair call I said and then showed him the flickr integrated search.

He went back to class - by then the school day was at an end - And the deputy had gathered a few more - so the presentation was done again. One of them mentioned that they had seen a brochure but weren't convinced that it was up to the job - they were selling it for me at the end. Eventually I packed up and left.

The main take away I got from this is that people don't believe this technology is as good without seeing it. This means I have to get in front of a lot more people and do the demo more and more - or they can go to the luidia website and see the videos.
http://www.luidia.com/