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PointerStick

Use case · Teaching

A digital pointer stick for teaching

The classroom pointer stick works because it's big, obvious and a little bit theatrical. Your mouse cursor is none of those things. PointerStick puts a pointer stick on screen, and students actually watch where it goes.

Updated

The PointerStick pointer: a cartoon glove on a telescoping stick tapping the screen

Why students lose track of your cursor

When you teach from a computer, whether on a projector, an interactive display or a remote session, students are trying to follow two things at once: what you say and where you are on screen. A small cursor on a busy worksheet, map or code editor is easy to lose, especially for students sitting far from the screen or watching on a laptop at home.

What changes with PointerStick

  • Big and obvious. A cartoon glove on a telescoping stick is visible from the back row and in a small video window.
  • Clicks you can see and hear. When you click a link, a cell or a button, the hand taps the screen with a ripple and a sound, so students notice the action.
  • Works in every app. Slides, browsers, spreadsheets, PDF readers, coding tools, maps: the pointer is the same everywhere.
  • Fun, on purpose. Younger students love it. A gesture like Peace or a rubber duck squeak turns “look here” into a tiny moment of delight.

Ideas for the classroom

  1. Guided reading. Follow along under a line of text with the fingertip, like you would with a real pointer.
  2. Maps and diagrams. Tap each region or part as you name it. The impact effect marks the spot for a moment after you move on.
  3. Live demos. Teaching software, spreadsheets or code? Visible clicks make it much easier for students to repeat your steps.
  4. Remote lessons. Share your entire screen in Zoom, Teams or Google Meet so the pointer is included, and students at home get the same view as the classroom.
  5. Hand it over. Let a student take the mouse to show their answer. The pointer makes it a bit of an occasion.

Keeping it classroom-friendly

The default skins are calm: a white glove, a soft ripple and a quiet glass tap. You can mute sounds entirely, turn off trails and pick a smaller size in the Locker. Toggle it on only when you're pointing at something, and off again with the same hotkey (Ctrl + Alt + P).

Pricing for teachers

PointerStick is free to download and use. Premium, with every style plus screenshots and screen recording, is $12.99 once, with no subscription and no account to manage. It runs on Windows 10 and 11. See the pricing details or download if you already have a key.