E-beam: How to Facilitate Classroom Activities

by Christina Charalambidou & Angela Kleanthous

What Does it Do?Very briefly…

How to Connect to E-Beam

You just need:① The E-beam Receiver with the Wireless Stylus

(pen)② The USB cable that connects the Receiver with the

PC③ A projector, either portable or wall mounted④ A white wall surface (or white board)⑤ The software that can be downloaded and it’s free.

http://www.e-beam.com/support/ebeam-education.html

Let’s Start…

① Turn the projector on

② Set the projection area and place the E-Beam Receiver at the upper left or right corner (use adhessive stickers if it is on a wall)

③ Insert the battery into the Stylus and press the tip. You should hear a buzzing sound. Once you finish, remove the battery from the Stylus

④ Start the software on the computer

⑤ Calibrate the Receiver

Palette Differences on PC

How it Facilitates Language Teaching in the Classroom

• You can make your lesson more interactive, engaging and fun (i.e. text reading)

• You don’t need to be stuck behind your computer in order to make changes

• In most cases there is no special preparation for the use of E-beam

• It promotes student spontaneity by writing directly on the slide using the Stylus and saving all the changes in the end (see example)

• With the help of ScrapBook, you can use it as a simple board only to be able to save all your work from the beginning to the end

• Students will no longer waste time (and valuable information) while taking notes.

• You can go from one document to another and easily make transformations on the spot.

• You can record the whole lesson using the recording button, save it, and upload it on Blackboard for example.

• You can facilitate group work and easily involve students in the process.

• Examples of activities…

PPT activity• What are the students doing?

Examples of ActivitiesPositive and Negative Connotation

Study these pairs and find the word that carries a positive connotation:

slender/ skinny

stingy / thrifty

cowardly / cautious

practical/ unimaginative

fat /heavy

trusting/ gullible

proud/ conceited

imposter/ phony

touchy / sensitive

noise/ racket

sly / clever

Error correction

Error Correction Activity:

• Prepared weekly field payroll

• Material purchasing, expediting, and returning

• Recording OSHA regulated documentation

• Change orders

• Maintained hard copies of field documentation

Activity on Culture

Subject: Products in the different regions of France.

1.Open one map of France from the Web.2.Annotate the map on the Web and then save

it as a picture.3.For example…

http://congres.cnra.free.fr/html/federations.html or http://www.geotheque.org/docs/france_agri.html or google

Different exercices online• Class work using exercices online on different topics or

grammar points taught in class.i.e.

http://platea.pntic.mec.es/cvera/hotpot/exos/index.htm

http://platea.pntic.mec.es/cvera/hotpot/cuisiner.htm (vocabulary exercise)

http://platea.pntic.mec.es/cvera/cine/cinema/cannes.htm

(WC + grammar: prepositions, relative pronouns, etc.)http://platea.pntic.mec.es/cvera/hotpot/ecoutes/debutant/cecr/inscriptions.htm

(OC: understanding basic personnal information)

Activities on mind mappingEither by using a mind mapping software, or by using the designing options the E-beam palette gives us. i.e. www.mind42.com

Using a film

• Using a film, video-clip, documentary on Youtube or elsewhere etc. 1. Manipulate video (pause, fwd, etc.)2. Write directly on the image when paused3. Move back and forth between a film and a blank

scrapbook page (or other programs) for notes, comments, etc.

4. Have students on the board to write their ideas5. Save all your actions

Work on an authentic article

• Example: Use a newspaper article on a specific subject. Especially useful for specific purpose language courses.

http://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2012/05/23/des-voix-s-elevent-pour-soutenir-les-euro-obligations_1705678_3234.html Question on the text: Define using words from

the article, the lexical field of the word « économie ».

A Few Limitations…

• Wasting class time setting up the equipment• Carrying the projector, receiver and stylus• Dealing with technical problems that may

arise• Time-consuming when designing activities to

use with this tool• Feeling it is difficult to operate if not

comfortable with technology