This program is fantastic! I personally use the program during school time and for setting homework tasks. I don’t use worksheets because they aren’t interactive, they can only be completed once, they don’t provide immediate feedback and most importantly they don’t ENGAGE nor MOTIVATE students’ learning.
Study Ladder is a free Australian online resource for teachers and students which provides interactive activities related to Mathematics and Literacy. You can register your class, or you can even email multiple class lists and they will register your students for you. Once students have been registered they will be provided with log in details and a password. Each student has their own avatar which they can change to create their own identity. Students receive points for completing tasks which they can then use in their reward room. They have unlimited access at school and access to three activities per night at home.
What I really like about this program is that the teacher can select specific tasks for students to complete which is directly related to their classroom activities. Teachers are then provided with detailed student results which include the number of times a student attempted the task, their score and competency level.
Students who don’t have internet access at home, are given priority use of classroom computers upon arrival, can complete tasks during a negotiate time or at after school care. It’s worth having a look at.
There are some problems which can occur when useing Notebook 10.6 and running Windows. Inserting multiple flash files can cause the flash files to run slowly or you Notebook document may even stop and say, ‘Notebook Not Responding’. I’ve also found that when you try to save a large Notebook file, the same message will appear, ‘Notebook Not Responding’. SMART are aware of these issues and are tying to resolve them. Notebook version 11 was soon to be released. However, until they resolve such issues they will soon be releasing Notebook version 10.7.
Here are a few tips to avoid problems with flash and Notebook 10.6:
- try not to insert more than 5 or 6 flash files per document
- try not to insert more than 2 short video files per document
- when you move between pages on the side tab, go a bit slower, allowing Notebook to load each page (especially those with a flash file)
- if you try to save and ‘Notebook Not Responding’ appears, just wait, it responds in the end, it just takes a little longer
- save your working document regularly
- if you go to a page and the flash file is taking too long to load, close the document and then re-open it. Before you close the document though, go to a page without a flash file. Otherwise, you are closing the document with a flash file that is trying to open.
Please note, if you are running Notebook 10.6 and XP, you shouldn’t have any of these problems.
Inter-tech Education began 2011 with an Early Years SMART board PD (Music, drama and health focus). Here are some of the comments given by participants on a feedback form at the end of the day:
“Excellent presentation, clear and organised with many examples. Presenter always available for personal help during session” (Di).
“Fantastic and very comprehensive. I’ve taken in a lot today and learnt lots of new skills. It was easy to understand and follow along. Lovely fresh food and a great venue” (Anonymous).
“Wow, what a lot of fantastic resouces. Not sure where to start now…Very inspiring..” (Anonymous).
“It was good, as we could watch, then try it ourselves and learn by doing it and having a go (not just listening and watching), and take it home with instructions to play and practice. The venue was very comfortable” (Anonymous).
“A fabulous session once again! My mind is spinning and lots of stuff is now planned for my class!” (Evelyn).
“Really hands on and friendly, set at a good pace and really appreciated prompt attention from the presenter when unsure of what to do” (Anonymous).
Two teachers who have another brand of IWB attended the session for content and Interative ideas. They commented:
“Very informative, thank you for all your extra information so we can transfer to our IWB. Nice balance of information, demonstration, breaks and hands on. Great choice of food” (Vicky).
“Excellent, great music presentation. The presenter was vibrant and enthusiastic” (Rosie).
If you were unable to attend this session and would like to see it repeated at another date, please contact us via email and we can see what we can do.
Inter-tech Education have created a range of ‘how to’ hand outs for teachers who attend Inter-tech Education Professional Development sessions. Hand outs provide teachers with step by step instructions related to SMART board tools and or applications. Screen shots have also been included as a visual reference. Examples of hand outs include:
- Notebook toolbar and side tab names
- Downloading clips from Youtube and your copy right obligations
- Creating and linking sound files
Electro board have updated their website. Visist http://www.interactivewhiteboard.net.au/lessons/ for pre-created Notebook units which can be downloaded for free. You can search by subject or year level which reduces the time you need to spend searching. After you have viewed or downloaded a Notebook you also have the option to rate the Notebook, according to how good you think it is. Additionally, the SMART Notebooks have been specifically created for the Australian Curriculum.
