What's the best software to use with Wacom tablet pen ?

What's the best software to use with Wacom tablet pen ?

by Andrew Hamel -
Number of replies: 8

Hi, I would like to know what the best software to write mathematical formulas using a wacom tablet and pen ? Thanks

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In reply to Andrew Hamel

Re: What's the best software to use with Wacom tablet pen ?

by Livia Spini -
Hi, Andrew!
I'm a math teacher and I've a wacom tablet too!
I'm trying to make (very little) math lessons with my wacom tablet. I'm using inkscape (a vector Graphic editor) as a whiteboard, I record what I write and what I simultaneously explain in flv file and I public it on my moodle site.
The lesson isn't really interactive, my students can only watch it at home.
If you know tools to make lessons more interactive, I'm very interested.
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In reply to Livia Spini

Re: What's the best software to use with Wacom tablet pen ?

by Andrew Hamel -

Thank you very much Livia for your information. I will look for inkscape but if you have a link to it that would be great. What recording software do you use? camtasia or something ? I'm still looking for an interactive whiteboard that can be used with a pen. Thanks

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In reply to Andrew Hamel

Re: What's the best software to use with Wacom tablet pen ?

by Livia Spini -
Hi, Andrew!
You can found inkscape here. It's a graphic (vector) multiplatform editor; it isn't specifically designed to work as whiteboard, but I use it because I seem me to write better with it then with other similar software.
I work on Linux and I record with recordmydesktop. On Windows I know CamStudio; it's open source software.
When you found interactive whiteboard, tell me!
Have you tried DimDim?

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In reply to Livia Spini

Re: What's the best software to use with Wacom tablet pen ?

by Andrew Hamel -

Hi Livia,

Thanks for the links. I haven't tried DimDim yet but I have tried gotomeeting and I found it average. If there is enough interest in an online whiteboard to integrate with moodle I might program it. Thanks

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In reply to Andrew Hamel

Re: What's the best software to use with Wacom tablet pen ?

by Cristina Berisso -

Hello Andrew and Livia,

I am another math teacher with a wacom tablet. I use it to create brief explanatory videos with "Jing" (free software by Techsmith). I can make up to 5 minute videos, so long procedures I split in parts.

I am extremely interested in a "white board" with voice over IP to offer office hours in my Internet classes. At the moment I have to use the limited services that my school provides with "interactive TV." Since I do not teach Interactive TV courses, I am left with whatever time slot has not been requested or is not being used (normally 2 hours late Friday which are not very popular with any student).

For actual interactive contact with students I used some time ago the (office hours) website of CCCcOnfer (for California Community Colleges)

http://www.cccconfer.org

but the system they used was recently purchased by "Blackboard", so I do not know if it will be available for free to California teachers any more.

It will be ideal if someone can come with a white-board that works within moodle to teach math interactively!!

Cristina Berisso

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In reply to Cristina Berisso

Re: What's the best software to use with Wacom tablet pen ?

by Andrew Hamel -

Hi Cristina, Livia,

I stumbled upon this site which provides a commercial whiteboard http://www.dabbleboard.com/  It is free for a single student. It looks very smooth for math typing. The good thing about it is that it has an API which can be accessed by third parties web sites. This means it should be easy to integrate it with moodle. Their pricing is not expensive at all. Hope this helps 

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In reply to Andrew Hamel

Re: What's the best software to use with Wacom tablet pen ?

by Gina Bennett -

Hi Andrew,

I see it's been a couple of months since this thread was active but maybe you are subscribed... like the others, I'm VERY interested in an integrated whiteboard within Moodle. Our current most pressing need is for a totally online linguistics course that we're running. The instructor needs her students to do some drawings (syllable diagrams & the like) & use a lot of IPA symbols that are time-consuming to type in. But we also have math & chemistry instructors who would appreciate this feature. Here's my 'wish list' for how it would work:

  • the instructor adds a new activty to her moodle unit
  • she chooses 'whiteboard' from the activity list
  • she tells the students what to do, assigns grading criteria etc. just like an assignment
  • the students click on the whiteboard assignment, do their drawing, save their work. The file is stored as a jpg somewhere in the bowels of moodle
  • the teacher goes in & marks the work etc. Moodle will allow her to re-save the diagram with her mark-up comments & squiggles.
  • it would be most lovely if the whiteboard could also be accessed in a collaborative way so 2 or more students could work together on a diagram.

OK, that's about it for now!

Gina

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In reply to Gina Bennett

Re: What's the best software to use with Wacom tablet pen ?

by Sam Mudle -
For OSX (and windoze) Uniboard is just about the best whiteboard software. Use FTP to upload the movie into your moodledata directory and then only registered students will be able to view the movies.
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