It's been hard to wait this long before writing about one of my favorite pieces of educational hardware. The Livescribe Pulse Pen, while only about two years old, is setting itself to be a game-changer for many students. I'm especially familiar with this device not only because of its potential, but because I own one and am a very frequent user.
The Pulse Pen must be handled in a demo to really understand but let me try to describe its usefulness. About the size of a normal pen (maybe a bit thicker - which tends to help one's grip), it records everything written onto internal pen memory. Every word, diagram, drawing, or list is kept. Text can be recalled by placing the pen in its docking base attached to any computer. Notes can then be archived, modified or shared. The second feature is what gives this pen its power...audio recording. With a tap of a label in the special notebooks (which are priced competitively with regular notebooks and available at Best Buy and Target for easy resupply), the Pulse begins recording all audio in the classroom. Think of the possibilities now....A teachers lecture is now linked to the notes a student is taking. That night, the student can tap the notebook wherever there is text and the exact phrase the teacher was saying at that moment is replayed through a small speaker on the pen. Notes can then be updated or modified. For slow writers or students who struggle to keep notes organized, this is a fabulous feature.
The Pulse Pen does so much more (language translation, math help, musical instruments) but check out the website fora demo. www.livescribe.com The pricing has changed recently but it's still a great deal. $149.99 or $199.99 depending on memory capacity and this comes with notebooks to get you started.
Again, I have the Pen and would love to give any members of the Summit community a demo if you're interested. Just email me...
