For a long time I have watched the Boogie Board by Improv Electronics, but it just didn't do enough to justify the cost. I recently, seen a post of the the newest Boogie Board, the Boogie Board Sync 9.7. In addition to being electronic etch-a-sketch with a stylus, it can now sync those notes to a computer or phone. For $99, it's not going to appeal to a lot of people, but I thought it would be great.  Thus, after begging my wife to let me get one, I ordered it from Amazon (with 2-day shipping, no doubt).

Arrival
    My Boogie Board Sync arrived exactly two days later as Amazon had promised.  In my haste to play with my new toy, I did not take any pictures.  The packaging is a plastic container with the Boogie Board Sync eWriter, microUSB cable, and quick start sheet.   When I turned it on, I was pleasantly surprised to find it charged. (The quick start said to plug it in for four hours to fully charge.)  I downloaded the app for iOS to my phone, but I had to open the manual PDF to see how to connect it to my phone.

Writing and Syncing
    Using the stylus to write on the Board feels like writing with pen and paper.  The contrast is low so it does not look like ink, but it is visible enough with light.  You wouldn't want to try to take notes in a movie theater or even a dimly light room.  For me and where I take notes, it works great.
    Syncing the notes to your phone is as simple as opening the app while the Board is on.  Also in the app, you can set it up automatically upload notes to Evernote. (Only Evernote is supported at this time.)  The notes can be sent as a PDF or an image. I tried both and prefer image because it shows up in my Evernote and Evernote OCRs it.  When using a PDF with Evernote, the PDF shows as a link to download rather than showing a preview.  Also, Evernote did not OCR the PDF. (I read that Evernote does, but it didn't appear to work for me.)

First Impressions
    After using my Boogie Board Sync 9.7 for a few days, I am very happy with it and would purchase it again.  I would like for the notes to be automatically synced to my phone and Evernote without having to open the app, but that is minor and may be a limitation of iOS. I plan to puchase another stylus in case I misplace my stylus.   I will revisit this review and update it after I have used the Board for about a month.

First Introduction
    I don't remember exactly when, but it had to the early 1980s.  My uncle purchased a Commodore VIC-20. Luckily after he got bored with it, he loaned it to my brother and I.  While it did little to enchant my brother, I was fully amazed by it.  My uncle had also purchased a Commodore Datasette which used a cassette to save files. While I longed for a Commodore 64, I fully enjoyed the Vic 20.  I don't remember what I was able to do or what I saved etc, I remember vividly being able to change the color of the screen. I'm not sure why that stuck with me, but it did.

Apple IIc
    My second computer was an Apple IIc purchased by my Grandpa for our family. He felt that his grandchildren needed to know about computers and purchased each family an Apple IIc.  He purchased it as a Christmas present for us. I believe it was 1985 or 1986.
    The Apple IIc had it's own monitor so no more using the television as the monitor.  This meant I was able to use the computer more as it didn't interrupt anyone's tv viewing. My school had TRS-80s and I had seen 5 1/4" floppies but I'm not sure I used one before the Apple IIc. In addition to Space Invaders (which I don't think it was the actual game but a knock off of it, which I could play for hours), it was my first introduction to an office suite, AppleWorks.

College
    The first college class I took was a Pascal programing course during the summer after graduating from high school.  College was my first introduction to IBM and MS-DOS.  As exciting as college was, my greatest thrill was in discovering the library had a freely available computer lab that was open everyday.  (Okay, so I might have been a touch nerdy.) I went to the second floor computer lab every day.  It was there that I learned how to write batch files, use WordPerfect and use Lotus 123.  Louis L'Amour had nothing on Lotus and their manual for Lotus 123.

486SX 25
    In late 1992 or early 1993, I purchased my first computer. It was an IBM compatible 486SX 25. The 486s were the newest at the time, but the SX 25 was the slowest but the fastest I could afford.  I also purchased a Panasonic 24-pin dot matrix printer.  Shortly, after I purchased it, I added a 9600k modem to it. Welcome to the online world!  (Well, BBSs for sure.) I wasn't introduced to the internet until the Animal Science Capstone course in the fall of 1994. (I remember the professor having us use gopher and Veronica (gopher search engine) and barely discussing the WWW.)

Fast Forward
    The years since my introduction to computers have seen me spend countless hours using a computer.  Today, the technology that I typically have within an arm's reach is my iphone, ipad, and pebble.  Their abilities are truly amazing to me especially when I think about that Vic-20 plugged in the tv in the living room so many years ago.

Welcome to Project 2014! As the new year starts, I have decided to start a blog.  I have had blogs in the past and even have one other current one, but my problem is typically my posts are few and far between.  To combat this problem, I have defined my blog goals to make me more accountable and more likely to succeed.

Who Am I
    This is my 13th year teaching and my first year to teach computers to 3rd through 5th graders.  In the past, I have taught PreKindergarten, Kindergarten, 2nd grade, and Computer to PreK through 2nd grade.  Technology has always fascinated me.  The first computer I used was a Vic 20 attached to our television.  I can vividly remember how good that blinking cursor looked to me and how it amazed me to be able to change the color of the screen.  To this day, new technology brings joy to me.  While I don't have a pair of Google Glasses or a 3D printer, they are on my wish list.

To Blog or Not to Blog
    Why another blog by another teacher?  There are many good blogs and resources out there, but I feel I have something to offer too. I don't claim to be a great writer. In fact, I find writing to be challenging. In discussions with my colleagues, I find that I used technology a little differently and/or have used a certain piece of technology, thus a blog gives me a vehicle to share my knowledge (and opinions).  

My plans
    To help facilitate my blog writing, I have constructed a framework. 

• One post a week
• One book review a month (counts for my weekly post)
• One post discussing how I use a online resource or tool a month (again, counts for my weekly post)
• Reviews on any new devices I purchase
• Anything else that strikes my fancy
  

    I will write one post a week, thus for Project 2014 there will be at least 52 posts. Once a month, one post will be a book review. I started this school year, with the goal of reading one educational book a month. To date, I have done pretty well. I have read 4 educational books in the last 5 months. Although I typically have more time to read during the summer, I feel it is important for my learning from books to continue year round.  This ties in well with a blog and a book review will count for one of my weekly blogs. Also, I plan to post about the online tools and resources I use and how I use them as well as any new devices I purchase.

Please join me on this journey.