Share the Love; Get FREE PointScribe

Yeah. You got it. A contest. But with fifty luck winners, the odds are pretty good so I hope you'll consider diving in...

  FREE PointScribe!

That's right, you could have PointScribe for

FREE just by telling others about it!

 Not only are we offering PointScribe this holiday season

for the lowest price ever (Just $295 per license!),

50 lucky people 

will win FREE PointScribe

just for sharing the love with others!

Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Twitter 

 

Here's the scoop...

Using eMail or social media (see easy details below) contact others who would be interested in PointScribe and our holiday sale. We'll enter you in a drawing to win a full license of PointScribe for FREE. WOW!
(And anyone you tell is also eligible to do the same).    
We'll notify the winners on January 9th 2012.

 

...and the details:   

SHARE PointScribe via email:   

Send an email message to at least ten associates who have an interest in teaching handwriting. (You may also forward any of our sale-related emails.)

• Copy us on that email: news@pointscribe.com.
• Email must include link to the PointScribe website and mention of sale.
• You may also mention this contest and urge participation.
• Distro list MUST be visible and reflect "school" or work email addresses for recipients. We will NOT capture these addresses.
• We will confirm receipt and enter your name into the drawing.  

SHARE PointScribe via Facebook: 

Share PointScribe's with a post on Facebook.

• Sign up to follow us on Facebook; share one of the weekly posts we will make through the end of the year with your friends list.   

 

• Send us a screen shot or photo of your post, or print out and fax to us.
  • Email = news@pointscribe.com, fax  = 719-685-7885
• We will confirm receipt and enter your name into the drawing. 

SHARE PointScribe via Twitter: 

Tweet about PointScribe and our sale.

• Sign up to follow PointScribe on Twitter, retweet one of the weekly tweets we will send through the end of the year.

 

• Send us an email so that we can confirm our retweet.
  • Email = news@pointscribe.com 
• We will confirm receipt and enter your name into the drawing. 

SHARE PointScribe via LinkedIn

Make a posting in your education-related Linked in Groups.   

• Posting include link to the PointScribe website and mention of sale.
• Group must be education-related.    
• Follow the PointScribe page on LinkedIn

 

• You can also mention this contest and urge participation.
•  Send us a screen shot of your post, fax us a print out.
  • Email = news@pointscribe.com, fax  = 719-685-7885 
• We will confirm that you follow us, and that we have received your email or fax, then enter your name into the drawing.

 

Visit our website: www.pointscribe.com

Download a 30-day FREE Trial: click here! 

 

Observations from NAEYC

The first week in November, I had the opportunity to exhibit PointScribe at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) annual conference in Orlando. If you have ever exhibited at a tradeshow, you know that after not much time, the conversations you have provide and confirm  information on your audience segments, perception of your product and the state of your industry overall.

Some things I learned at NAEYC:

• Classroom teachers highly value the teaching of handwriting and the benefits it provides to students for fine motor and cognitive development. They are disheartened that so many schools are de-emphasizing or removing it from the curriculum. They themselves are seeking ways to keep it in the classroom for their own students. 

• Attendee were surprised to learn that Handwriting Without Tears and PointScribe are NOT competitors---the two products work beautifully in concert, with PointScribe providing a valuable data collection and assessment function to the process of teaching handwriting. 

• The concept of teaching handwriting on the computer continues to fascinate to people.  

• The most surprising thing I observed:  The age at which educators feel it is appropriate to introduce handwriting varies wildly. We heard as many people say "I teach three year olds, they love learning to write!" as we heard "I teach five years olds and they are no where near ready for handwriting!"

I met many dedicated, interested educators at NAEYC and thank all for their interest and thoughtful conversation.

We've Dropped PointScribe Pricing for the Holidays

Allow us to show our

thanks (by) giving you

$200 Savings Per License
through the end of 2011.

Simply include a unit price of $295 on your purchase order
and have it in our offices by close of business 12/31/11.
Volume discounts do not apply. 
Happy Thanksgiving.

We are grateful for the enthusiasm and support of educators, therapists and parents for making PointScribe the method of choice for teaching handwriting in leading school districts across the country.

.......................

PointScribe for the iPad: Market Research

As I've mentioned, we are developing PointScribe as an app for the iPad.  Would you be willing to help me with some market research?

Based on how you use iPads with your students or children at home, what is a reasonable price for PointScribe "the app"???

Please visit our company FaceBook page to answer (see post 10.20.11):
http://www.facebook.com/pages/PointScribe/192441061671

or eMail me directly: gmrichards@pointscribe.com


Many thanks for your thoughtful consideration.

Closing the Gap Wrap Up

I'm back now in Colorado Springs following a productive trip to exhibit PointScribe at Closing the Gap in Minneapolis. I learned a lot from both educator attendees and vendors:

• General Ed classroom teachers are scrambling---desperate for easy, cost effective ways to keep handwriting in the classroom now that states adopting the Common Core Standards no longer require them to teach it. Many Special Ed professionals were grabbing our info for their General Ed counterparts.
• The iPad is a continued source of contention. Educators like many aspects of it---ease of use, portability, captivation... but don't like fighting a prevailing mood from parents that it is a magic bullet that can "fix what's wrong" with their child.
• Vendors waffle on the iPad App issue---many have robust software already built using Flash---which the iPad does not support.  Reworking their software from the ground up is a daunting prospect.
• Transitioning existing software to an App is also especially when many express trepidation that the kinks for overall deployment within a school system using iPad have not been fully worked out. Many are waiting for those who "were the first to stampede through that door" to make the mistakes and thus define best practices. 

I also want to give a shout out to  to two vendors who have been around for while---familiar faces at Closing the Gap---for a reason:  their products and services work: 

• Laureate Learning:  Laureate offers more than 50 computer programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), language impairments, developmental disabilities, Down syndrome, aphasia, and traumatic brain injury.
• AAC Tech Connect:  A valuate source for toolkits, online resources, and workshops that simplify the augmentative communication evaluation process.  

 Next stop for PointScribe:  NAEYC in Orlando! (National Association for the Education of Young Children.

PointScribe Field Dispatch from Closing the Gap

I'm writing this post from Minneapolis where I am exhibiting PointScribe at Closing the Gap. The first night of the conference brought almost all new faces to our booth so that was great to spend the evening introducing PointScribe to people for the very first time. 

During set up earlier in the day, it was great to see old friends in the the form of many vendors who were also getting their booths ready:  Proxtalker, Vizzle, and Tap-It to name a few. All fantastic people with fantastic products. The folks at Tap-It were also generous enough to put PointScribe on one their demo machines and it looks sensational. 

The buzz from the first night of the show was varied---lots of people asked about our drive to point PointScribe on the iPad, others were lamenting that their districts had taken handwriting instruction out of the official curriculum. Many people were surprised to learn that PointScribe does run on a whiteboard/smartboard. (And that always surprises me!)

Tomorrow the show runs throughout the day an I expect more time for more in depth conversations. Tonight, people were getting the lay of the land, enjoying appetizers and thinking about dinner. It was productive, but tomorrow, we'll all get down to business.

PointScribe Fundamentals

It's ten days into our KickStarter campaign and things are heating up. Thanks to everyone who has pledged in these early days and to those who are considering participation. We see the momentum in terms of traffic and contact: we are grateful for your enthusiasm and interest.

In our KickStarter profile we have the opportunity to talk about our mission and meeting the demand for development of PointScribe for iPad/Apple operating systems. We talk about PointScribe's appeal across all student populations and how WELL it works. We want to take this opportunity to show you HOW it works so well.

PointScribe is based on Four Fundamentals:

1.  PointScribe never allows a student to write a shape incorrectly.

2.  PointScribe always responds with positive reinforcement when students:

• Begin writing a shape from the correct start position.
• Continue to write each stroke in the correct direction.
• Write a shape following the correct sequence of strokes for that shape.
• Complete the shape at the correct end point of the final stroke in that shape.

3.  PointScribe consistently responds by requiring the student to re-write a stroke when it detects that a student:

• Attempts to write the stroke in the wrong direction.
• Inappropriately lifts the stylus (or finger) from the screen while completing a stroke.
• Writes outside of the shape outline.

4.  PointScribe continually analyzes handwriting data to provide detailed
reports for more effective teaching, assessment, and intervention.

Watch PointScribe in Action. Understand.

It's day #2 of our KickStarter campaign.  We  now have 3 backers!

We have begun to put the word out to our contacts and connections, asking them in turn to share the news so that as many people as possible can be a part of bringing PointScribe to the Apple platform. 

To understand PointScribe's true power and why so many people are anticipating its introduction on the iPad and Apple computers, consider its origins. PointScribe was originally developed as a tool for use in Special Education students. It became a big success at teaching handwriting to the most challenged and challenging students.  

The young student in the video at right previously would not handwrite and now asks for time using PointScribe. PointScribe unlocks learning for this student. Listen as he surprises everyone by saying out loud a word that begins with the letter he is writing!

General education teachers, observing PointScribe in their schools, quickly saw how effectively and efficiently the program would translate to mainstream students as well.

All educators are quick to note that although there are other handwriting programs and applications available, only PointScribe collects, analyzes, and reports data, then uses that data to automate a cycle of teaching, assessment, and intervention. It may play like a game and be an activity that kids love, but above all, PointScribe has the depth and breadth that educators demand from educational technology. 

PointScribe for the iPad and Apple Mac

Everyday we get calls and emails from people asking us WHEN PointScribe will be available for the iPad and Apple computers.

Here's the plan:
PointScribe is fast building momentum in the educational marketplace. However, even though sales are growing, they are not growing fast enough to fuel software development for iPad and Apple computers right now.

It's simple math:
The demand for PointScribe on the Mac/iPad platforms is loud and clear, but we don't have the capital on hand to respond aggressively. As we were pondering how to address this situation in a way that would meet the demands of our customers, and be fiscally responsible, we found out about KickStarter.com.

If you are genuinely interested in being a part of making the world's greatest handwriting software available on the Mac and iPad, we hope you'll consider getting involved with our Kickstarter campaign.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/pointscribe/pointscribe-for-the-apple-mac-and-ipad-platforms

Please help us spread the word about our 45-day campaign! The clock is ticking.

It's ALL or NOTHING:  If we are fully funded via pledges, we get the funding, if not, we get no funds.

Where Video Gaming Meets Handwriting

I'll admit, when my boys were young (they are now in college) I tried to steer them away from spending "too much" time in front of the computer or TV playing video games. My motto, "everything in moderation" was tough to enforce and I didn't always do a stellar job. Today, they seem no worse for wear.

That said, now that I work with a software intended for use with children, I see the flip side.  While I would never advocate for anyone to plan themselves for hours in front of any software including PointScribe, I can say without a doubt, those video game developers completely understand how to captivate and engage their audience.

Many of their techniques are now built into PointScribe and arguably are essential pieces of what has made it so successful. Yeah, there's an awful lot of learning and skill development going on, but that's all made possible because kids like "playing" PointScribe.

• Dynamic music and animations provide cues for proper letter/shape formation.
• "Players' can customize elements of their digital environment. 
• Reward and alert sounds give instant feedback.
• On-screen scoring graphics show achievement, and, progress toward goal.
• Challenge level automatically advances as "player" proficiency increases. 

For as much bad press as videos game with respect to certain aspects of child development, I believe that there is a lot to be learned.  In the digital age of the 21st century, video game developers unequivocably succeeded at capturing the attention of their audience. We'd be remiss if we didn't learn from their success.

If you can't beat 'em ...learn from 'em.

My Favorite Quotation About Handwriting

My favorite quotation about handwriting, isn't actually "about" handwriting. It's more about what handwriting represents:

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. 

It's a well-known Chinese proverb, and what I have printed on the back of my business cards. 

Every single day, I sit down in front of my computer to step through what "Google Alerts" has captured for me. And every single day, there's at least one article with the phrase "death of handwriting" in the title or first line. 

Really? Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves? Cursive writing is no longer a required element in many schools. Is that really the death knell for handwriting?

• Learning your ABCs. Learning to read.
• Notes left on windshields or co-worker's desks.
• Greeting cards, thank yous, love letters.
• Signatures on forms, applications, legal documents.
• Essays for the SATs, ACTs and other entrance exams.
• Notes passed in class. Homework assignments.
• Writing your name for the very first time.
• Great ideas that come when you don't have a "device" handy.
• When the power goes out.
• When the power stays out.
• Board games. 
• Grocery lists, plans.
• Decorating a cake. 
• Notes to self. 

Well, you get the idea. If you are only able to communicate within the confines of electronic devices, how much are you missing?

What's in a Name? Everything!

Sharpening fine motor skills. Forging connections in neuro-pathways. Thinking things through more clearly. All these are benefits of learning to hand write in young children.  As I watch all of the little kids parade past my house each morning on their way to the neighborhood elementary school, I can think of one more: self-confidence and identity.

There's just nothing like watching a young child write his name for the first time. What an accomplishment. Congratulations to all of our young students and their teachers who are making this journey for the first time!

PointScribe's Back to School Sale: $100 Off Every License, Any Quantity

The title pretty much says it all...

Here's how to take advantage:  

Simply send us your PO marked "Back to School Sale" reflecting unit pricing of $395 per license on or before September 30, 2011.

FAX:  719-685-7885

eMail:  sales@pointscribe.com

US Mail:  3595 East Fountain Blvd. #E2 Colorado Springs, CO 80910

Questions?  866-566-7819 x3

  

Measurable Handwriting Data

I spent some time exploring some of the special interest groups in the area of early elementary education in LinkedIn over the weekend. Who knew there were so many specific niche areas of interest? (Well, okay, the people in those groups, but...)

I was particularly interested in a group called "Edubloggers" and a post there:  Being Responsible means Evaluating the Effect of Technology in the Classroom. 

This article really made me think about measurable data. I've been working with PointScribe now for a while. I can recite (and probably do) our marketing messages and product benefits in my sleep. But this article gave me a new understanding of one of them:  measurable data. 

We are now at a point where the evaluation of technology-based instruction should be mandatory when introducing it into a classroom. To date, this kind of practical work has been limited – especially when it comes to the younger grades. I am at a loss when trying to think of any other field where we introduce new tools without rigorous empirical consideration on their effect. So why would it be acceptable in the only field that directly and indirectly affects each and every member of society – education?

The author of the article calls for accountability and evidence based evaluation. I never realized what teachers of handwriting had to do before technologies like ours to measure not only student progress, but the effectiveness of their teaching methods... in a classroom of say, 25 kids, that's 25 times 26 uppercase letters, 26 lowercase letter and ten numbers to keep track of:  1,550 shapes to monitor, assess and measure. 

Wow. I have new appreciation for the product I've been in love with for three years! 

Teach Handwriting with PointScribe for 6 Months in your District

As the school year begins, I am going to get up on my soap box and use this blog space as marketing space. Not something I plan to do often, however, our company, PointScribe,  has just  launched an incredible new promotion and I'm working hard to get the word out: your district can now have PointScribe to teach handwriting with for 6 months, no strings attached!  

As I now have enough statistics to know that people are actually reading our blog, I am going to use it today to shout from the rooftop a little bit.

If you've been to our website, you already know that we have 30-day free trials available for download. Our experience shows that 30-days is more than enough for people to determine if PointScribe is a fit for the students and classroom. In truth, 30 minutes typically  does the trick...

That said, we are aware that every school and district does things differently and some require more evaluation, more data, more red tape and more hoops to jump through. For those organizations we  have created our 6-month Pilot Program.

The 6-month Pilot Program isn't for everyone. It is an opportunity designed for implementation at the district level, under the guidance of curriculum directors for GenEd and SpEd student populations.  We work with your district to strategically place licenses in both environments simultaneously for all those involved in the decision making and procurement process to monitor over a 6-month period.

PointScribe is fast becoming recognized as the most advanced, intelligent, and effective way to teach handwriting.  Years of development have positioned PointScribe light years ahead of other programs. Click here for a list of schools that have already made PointScribe a part of their curriculum.

PointScribe will make a difference to your students, teachers, and district. Be the hero and share this information with the appropriate individuals in your district, and suggest that they watch our video on the Evolution of Handwriting Education. 


Everyone wins. Our software gains exposure.  Your students enjoy learning while improving their handwriting proficiency and early literacy skills.  We simply want you to try it-- No strings attached.

Interested?  Click here for more information, or dash me an email. 

Handwriting Unlocks and Unblocks

I recently joined an Elementary Education group in LinkedIn and was absolutely delighted to see a posting on the relevance of handwriting to brain development, fine motor skills and other essential components to growth in young children. The posting, by Rhonda Cratty capsulizes recent research on the topic and netted an enthusiastic reaction from readers. I was heartened to hear that educators are resoundingly passionate about the role of handwriting in education.

I've posted research findings previously in this blog. Today, the anecdotal side of things. 

In my travels to conferences, in emails and calls, I am fortunate to be on the receiving end of so many stories of how the act of learning to hand write has reached a child that was previously deemed shut down or uncommunicative.

(And yeah, I'll blow our horn here, I am honored to be on the receiving end of these stories because of my work sharing PointScribe with the world).  PointScribe is designed for use in both GenEd and SpED, but it's those children who face learning challenges and for whom handwriting does not come naturally or easily that come to mind today. )

For the children I hear about, the act of forming letters successfully in a positive, engaging way has tapped into something deep inside and opened them up to learning letters and more.  For many of these children, the act of writing a few letters is never something they will take for granted. The success they experience gains momentum and spills over into other areas of their learning,  lives, and relationships.

I'll admit, I've been moved to tears on more than one occasion as a parent describes watching their child write her name for the first time or say the alphabet out loud while engrossed in writing the letters. (We caught one boy on film. Click here to view.)

Cursive may be leaving curriculum but the act of writing by hand is here to stay, especially if the educators and children I have the honor of connecting with have anything to say about it. 
 

Kudos to Massachusetts...

...and other states that are not so quick to dismiss cursive handwriting...states that actually plan to keep it around as a core standard!

With nearly all 50 states having adopted the Common Core State Standards,   I was happy to note that the State of Massachusetts actually added in their own standard for retaining instruction in basic cursive, considering it to be a foundation skill. 

From an August 14 article by Brian Benson in the MetroWest Daily News:

The Common Core State Standards, a series of curriculum guidelines adopted by 44 states, do not address handwriting. When Massachusetts adopted the Common Core last year, it amended them to ensure that fourth-graders can "write legibly by hand, using either printing or cursive handwriting," according to the state's curriculum.

School leaders said cursive writing is easier for many students than printing, improves the neatness of handwriting and is needed for writing checks and signing legal documents.

The article indicates that while schools in Massachusetts acknowledge it is challenging to teach handwriting with limited resources, they still feel it is important to retain as part of the curriculum.

Hmm... perhaps I should introduce them to PointScribe to actually lighten their load, save money, and, oh yeah:  teach handwriting!

Some Ideas Won't Wait for a Laptop or a Spreadsheet

I'm often asked about research about handwriting and research done using our product, PointScribe. All research aside, this Friday afternoon, after a crazy busy week defined by details and direction changes, I'm all about the practical side of things. I don't need documentation and data to prove to me how valuable hand written communication is, even in this day and age of technologyl

As I look at my desk---littered with checklists and brainstorming notes and voice over scripts and flow charts from a week of video editing, it's clear to me that being able to capture ideas quickly and fully in real time was my saving grace this week in terms of both productivity and creativity. And yeah, I was making a video about handwriting:  the evolution of handwriting education which was ironically inspired by notes scrawled on the back of a napkin--the kind of notes you just have to take in the moment. The kind that refuse to wait for a lap top or a spreadsheet.

In her article "The Pen & Paper: the most underrated creativity and productivity tool",  Nancy Messieh muses:

Whether it’s a mundane to-do list or the beginnings of a best-selling novel, using a pen and paper can be very satisfying, if not a little messy. The act of putting pen to paper, of making an effort, together with your inherently personal handwriting has both practical and emotional benefits.

I couldn't agree more. 

Handwriting is Healthy (and Research Says So!)

On June 15, 2011, the LA Times ran an article titled:  "The Many Healthy Perks of Good Handwriting."  Since then, my Google Alerts for topics related to "handwriting" regularly snag iterations of that same article running in syndication around the country and around the world.

Handwriting is on people's minds right now and it should be.

The article, by Julie Deardorff, discusses not the future of handwriting, but something more important: its relevance to the future in terms of developmental and literacy benefits experienced by young students as they learn to hand write.

Benefits of learning to hand write detailed and backed by years of research by renowned exports reported in the article include:

• Handwriting can change how children learn and their brains develop.  
• Good handwriting can mean better grades.  
• Handwriting is faster.   
• Handwriting proficiency inspires confidence. 
• Handwriting engages different brain circuits than keyboarding.  

I strongly recommend you click the link above and read about the research and findings---it's concise and captivating.

The other topic my Google Alerts captures regularly is the current wave of schools removing cursive handwriting from their curriculum. While the cursive form of handwriting may no longer be a standard requirement in our schools, handwriting and written communication are not going away any time soon and Deardoff's article clearly explains why.

Handwriting (Really Does) Matter

Welcome to the first post in PointScribe's Handwriting Matters blog where our goal is to start a dialogue exploring matters relating to handwriting and why they matter.

I know I'm not the only one thinking about handwriting and its future these days.

Much has been in the news and commentary lately about Indiana's decision to not only remove (cursive) handwriting from state education standards but to include keyboarding proficiency as a standard as part of transitioning to new national learning guides, the Common Core State Standard Initiatives.

The memo to Indiana educators announcing this change did include a caveat: individual districts, schools, and educators may continue to teach cursive if they would like and feel its relevant.

Visions of the metric system, the paperless office, and Y2K come to mind---all touted as no-turning-back revolutions that would change the way we approach fundamental aspects of life and work. None of those really panned out to the degree forecast.

Is the role of handwriting changing in the digital age? Absolutely. Is handwriting going to become obsolete? Never. But we can talk about that, and much more in the posts and comments that follow.

Thanks for stopping by.