Projectors

You can't have an interactive whiteboard without a projector and it is important to make yours work for you as well as possible.

Unless you use a rear projection screen, when you use your whiteboard you will cast a shadow.

There are models out now that can project a useful sized image from as little as 8cm from the screen! The catch is that these 'short throw' projectors are very expensive at the moment and schools in particular struggle to find the funds for them. However, all is not lost, there are a few simple things you can do with an 'average' projector to maximise its potential.

The first and most useful thing that you can do to minimise that shadow, is to mount the projector as high as possible while still being able to use the keystone function to square up the image. I saw an installation in a classroom today that followed this principle and the result was hardly any shadow at all!

We also recommend keeping the image to approximately 1.2 - 1.5 wide as this gives the wiimote an easy view that keeps the tracking accuracy high ( remember the wiimote placement rule of thumb - twice as far back as the image is wide).

Height of image is also important. If the system is to be truly interactive it needs to be able to be reached by all users. If children are going to use it (and they should!) you may need to provide something to stand on, but even for adults, it is important to keep the top at a comfortable height.

What do you do with the thing?

Many people like the idea of getting a bit of "interactivity" into their classrooms via the wiimote project and a 3pi pen. But just as many people ask for more ideas to enhance the interactivity once the system is all up and running.
Here goes a wonderful music website that not only will help you with a bit of interactivity but also give you and your class a dash of creativity. All made better with your wiimote system.
Try out http://www.jamstudio.com/Studio/index.htm and give your music lessons a lift. This is a great site for beginners and experienced musicians alike.
This site even lets you write music in the style of your favourite musician; from Fergie to U2, Eric Clapton to Lenny Kravitz!
Go on, knock yourself out!

Holding the pen

It might come incredibly second nature to the more experienced users of the wiimote/interactive whiteboard experience, but to many novices simply holding the pen and getting the thing to work can be troublesome.
The most important thing to remember is that the wiimote has to see the IR light on the end of your pen. If you're holding the pen in such a way that your hand blocks the natural line/view of the wiimote then you won't have a lot of luck getting the system to work.
It doesn't take long to get used to this however, and with a little bit of practice everything works brilliantly well.
Of course one way to minimalise all this is to position your wiimote up high, ideally beside a ceiling mounted data projector. With this wiimote positioning I've successfully used the system with my back to the dataprojector! Still, that's hardly good teaching technique with your back to the audience though is it!

Fake Wiimotes

To make the system work you obviously need a Wiimote (more correctly called a Nintendo remote controller). You can buy a genuine one from any electronics retailer for around $100nzd ($48usd) and sometimes a little cheaper on special. However, people are always looking for a bargin and several 'unofficial' brands are available at a reduced price.

Well, our advice is not to waste your money on the fakes. Have a look at this thread from the Wiimote Project http://www.wiimoteproject.com/annoucements/fake-wimotes-be-warned/ .
The consensus is to stay clear of them. This is a key reason why 3Pi took the trouble to become authorised resellers of genuine Nintendo wiimotes. The performance of the originals is simply better!

Fluorescent Lights

Stray infrared light can cause problems with the wiimote whiteboard.Strong sunlight is the most common culprit, but another source that can be annoying is fluorescent lights.

These type of lights are very common in classrooms and offices - exactly the same
environments that the wiimote is usually found in!

The symptons of this type of interference often include difficulty in calibrating, the cursor jumping around and programmes opening by themselves. Our 3Pi term for this is "crazy mouse"!

There are two easy things that you can do to stop this problem:

1. Open the software control panel and reduce the sensitivity settings (by default they are set
fairly high). Make sure that you are using a quality ir pen with a fresh battery that can be
tracked at the new, lower sensitivity setting.
2. Turn those lights off!

Creative use of the Wiimote

A very interesting use of the wiimote system is to mount the projector and wiimote above a table and project the image onto it. The possibilities for co-operative group work is outstanding.

It's absolutely perfect for using software such as Inspiration http://www.inspiration.com/ to mindmap a new topic.

It also looks to be an excellent way to run a staff planning session - all thoughts and notes are digital and as such are easily shared or stored for future revision.

One practical way to mount the projector is using a solid tripod with a universal projector mount attached to it. Some commercial ceiling mounts also allow you to swivel them down.

We would love to hear of your experiences if you give this idea a go!

Connecting the Wiimote to a Computer - Part Two

Now that you've established that your computer has Bluetooth, you need to make sure it is enabled. (This is only necessary the first time you use it.)
You'll know if it is, because in the system tray at the bottom right of your computer, there will be an icon that looks like this:

If you don't see it, or the white lines are red, you will have to enable it.
The process to do this varies from computer to computer, and it may be a good idea to use the help function on your computer to find out what to do. However, there will probably be a utility in Control Panels (Windows OS) that will do it.

Once the blue icon is in your system tray you can click it to bring up the Bluetooth options.
Choose 'connect' and follow the steps. If the programme talks about a password or pairing, click 'skip' and continue. Now THE BIG THING - your Bluetooth will only be able to find the wiimote and connect to it if it is in 'discovery mode'. To put a wiimote into this mode you can, a) push buttons 1 & 2 at the same time, b) push the red button inside the battery cover, or c) push the remote synching button in our classroom kit.

You'll know you've put it into this mode because the row of blue lights on the wiimote will start flashing. They will keep flashing for around 20 seconds. If you haven't established the connection by then you will have to push the button(s) again.

When successfully connected, the lights will stop flashing and one will remain on. Also the Bluetooth icon in the system tray will turn green. This is good!


Just to recap:

1. Enable your Bluetooth
2. Open the Bluetooth programme
3. Put your wiimote into discovery mode
4. Push 'connect' in the Bluetooth programme
5. Follow the steps inthe programme (choose 'skip' or 'ignore' if it asks for a pairing
code or password)

Note: If you are not successful, it is likely that the wiimote came out of discovery mode before
you finished connecting. This can happen when you first try the process, but don't worry, it will become second nature after a couple of goes.


Please post a comment if you need any part of this process explained more fully.