An application that faculty may be interested in is Air Sketch. The free version of Air Sketch provides a somewhat-wireless whiteboard and marker function. In addition, the $9.99 version that includes the whiteboard also allows annotation on JPGs and PDFs in multiple colors. The Marker utility can also switch from a traditional marker to a highlighter for use in annotations.
How does it work? Air Sketch will generate a live, updating URL for the document being manipulated. This URL can be viewed on any device with an HTML 5-compatible web browser.
The HTML 5 requirement is a significant limitation, as any K-State technology classroom being used needs to have a computer connected to the display (projector or large LCD) to be able to project this app on the display in the classroom.
While the computer requirement is a limitation, it can also provide a side benefit — any of your audience members with a web browser device (laptop, tablet, smartphone) can view the presentation on their device if you share the URL with them. You can also password-protect the URL, so visitors going to the site are required to put in a password before they can view the page.
Another drawback to Air Sketch is that while you can zoom in on the document within Air Sketch on the iPad, it will not zoom in on the external displays. So, if you are using a PDF, it needs to have an appropriate font size for display in the room. The zooming feature only provides you with the ability to annotate with smaller drawings and finer lines on the display.
For more information, see www.qrayon.com/home/airsketch.
