‘Smart Pen’ Will Enable Collaborative Education

What’s the Latest Development?

A Texas technology company has introduced a collaborative, electronic pen which, by functioning like an interactive whiteboard, will make creating a collaborative classroom easier and more cost-effective. Called Penvue, the new device allows teachers to make a whiteboard on any surface, such as a wall or a traditional projector screen, and then write digital notes on that surface, passing the pen to students who can then interact with the content. The technology is set to be tested in Los Angeles’ Unified School District, the nation’s second largest with 770,000 students. 

What’s the Big Idea?

Educational studies suggest that young students learn better in dynamic classrooms where teachers, for example, engage students by moving around the room. When it comes to Penvue, “Warren Dale, who makes technology recommendations for Los Angeles schools, is an early enthusiast. He said this generation of hyper-connected children are used to a much higher level of stimulation: “Today’s kids are all about collaboration, Facebook, taking and sharing pictures, making and sharing movies,” he said. But should it be the responsibility of educators to conform knowledge to today’s entertainment platforms? 

Photo credit: Penvue