eBeam Smartmarker 2- Second Time is a Charm

eBeam SmartMaker 2

Two years ago, I did a review of the Equil Smartmarker from Luidia and was impressed with the capabilities. The Equil Smartmarker allows creative groups to capture and share whiteboard drawings and brainstorming sessions with remote groups. Since that time, the product has been re-branded by the parent company as eBeam Smartmarker 2 with some really outstanding features and capabilities. The hardware which includes an oval capture bar and whiteboard marker in a special housing has remained the same from the users

perspective, but under the hood a lot has changed. The Basic eBeam Smartmarker 2 Kit comes packaged in a plastic case that fits the eBeam Smartmarker 2 and the Marker housing (holds standard dry erase whiteboard marker) which also serves as the charging base station -which is accomplished with a micro usb cable that is included. You will also receive a digital eraser should you want to remove any graphics from your whiteboard session. Everything you need to get started with comes inthe Basic kit.

eBeam Enterprises was good enough to send me the basic eBeam Smartmarker 2 kit to review, which included the capture bar, and whiteboard marker in the special housing, digital eraser, and a Bluetooth receiver for a Windows computer. The eBeam Smartmarker 2 can capture a 16 ft by 5 ft area giving lots of space to draw and sketch. The eBeam Smartmarker 2 has a great look and feel in that classic high gloss white finish. No matter how good tech looks- the out of the box experience is essential for users to want to use the device. In this regards, the eBeam Smartmarker 2 did not let me down. eBeam Enterprises has spent considerable time getting the device to make the Bluetooth pairing child's play. Prior to using the device you will instructed to go to the Apple Store or Google Play to download the Beam Marker app which then is used to pair to the eBeam Smartmarker 2. Windows and Mac users can download the eBeam Marker software app from the eBeam Enterprises website. Once you launch the eBeam Marker app it automatically goes out and looks to connect to the eBeam Smartmarker 2 without the need to have to manually pair it using the Bluetooth settings. In every case, I was able to seamlessly pair the eBeam Smartmarker 2 to my IPhone 7S, iPad Air and Surface Pro running Windows 10. In fact eBeam Enterprises went so far to use audio to alert you when the device has paired which is outstanding. eBeam Enterprises did ship me a USB Bluetooth key for use with my Windows 10 computer which made connecting the eBeam Smartmarker 2 a breeze.

Using the eBeam Marker app is rather straightforward and as you write on the whiteboard, eBeam Smartmarker 2 will capture your ideas seamlessly which can be shared out to remote groups for viewing. Once you have captured your first whiteboard, it is easy to erase the contents and pressing on the Add Page button on the eBeam Smartmarker 2 you are now ready to capture additional whiteboard screens during your session. One of the really exciting features from my perspective is the ability to invite others to your whiteboard session. I had the opportunity to trial this feature with my graduate students who installed the eBeam Marker app on their smartphones. From my iPad Air was able to invite them to my whiteboarding session- which enabled them to view the contents on the whiteboard. One of the new and outstanding features available when using the eBeam Smartmarker 2 is being able to give certain students permission to annotate and interact with the whiteboarding session. Using the various tools in the app students could draw and type and actively participate in the whiteboard session which makes this a very powerful team collaboration tool. In the latest version of the eBeam Smartmarker 2 individuals who do not have the  eBeam Marker app installed can access the session via the web which ensures that anyone with a computer or mobile device can jump into your whiteboarding session without the need to install any software. Once the session has ended you can save your session to a PDF file and quickly share it with others. 

For those of you who don't have access to a whiteboard in your school or classroom you may want to try using the Think Board, which is whiteboard film with an adhesive backing that you can adhere to most flat surfaces. For my testing I used a small Think Board which I affixed to a wall in my office to test out the eBeam Smartmarker 2. The Think Board

eBeam SmartMarker 2 with Think Board

surface was great to write on and was just as easy to erase the contents, without leaving and residual whiteboard marker ink behind.  The Think Board and eBeam Smartmarker 2 combination worked flawlessly and gave me the freedom to place the whiteboard in a small area in my office. The Think Boards come in various sizes and price points giving educators lots of options. 

In this day and age of STEAM and Makerspaces school districts should definitely consider the eBeam Smartmarker 2 as a means to share and collaborate one another's ideas when using whiteboards. Many schools are redesigning their classroom spaces to include large areas with whiteboard spaces for students to brainstorm and draw. Now imagine being able to take these ideas and capture them in real time with remote groups of students with opportunities for feedback. For school districts who are looking to take whiteboarding to the next level, then having access to a eBeam Smartmarker 2 is essential. With the latest iteration of eBeam Smartmarker 2 you can now have remote groups jump in and provide live feedback and be part of the session. What better way for students to learn about the power of team work and collaboration then by having them have access to real world tools and technologies. 

While the eBeam Smartmarker 2 has a unique space in STEAM and Makerspaces it also could play a critical role when helping teachers to being able to make accommodations for students on home bound instruction or those with visual

eBeam Marker Software

impairments, or learning issues. The eBeam Smartmarker 2 gives teachers in classrooms the opportunity to capture notes for students who may have this as an accommodation in their I.E.P. The eBeam Smartmarker 2 does support hand writing recognition which would allow teachers to go from hand written whiteboard notes to traditionally typed notes which can be edited-right within the software. The eBeam Smartmarker 2 is an ideal tool especially in math and science classrooms which rely on numbers and formulas which are much more difficult to access from a keyboard. Similarly, using the eBeam Smartmarker 2, teachers could stream the whiteboard notes to students with visual impairments at their desk, which would enable them to enlarge it on their mobile device. Of course this is an ideal tool for students who are on home bound instruction, who could see the contents being written in real time and be able to interact with the contents. For students on home bound instruction the school would just need to add audio  conferencing capabilities. 

The eBeam Smartmarker 2 is a powerful and well implemented technology that has lots of application in the schools. Whether just capturing notes or working with remote teams you will find the eBeam Smartmarker 2 a joy to work with. For more information about the eBeam Smartmarker 2- visit their website.