The next training session will be April 14 at 3:15 in Mrs. Batten's room in the East wing. We will start with a review of projector and SmartBoard basics, then move on to SmartBoard Intermediate skills.
Looking for a volunteer to bring refreshments or we can order pizza/breadstix (Mary says she loves these, as do I if I can handle the heartburn).
Showing posts with label Master Teacher Class. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Master Teacher Class. Show all posts
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Session 2 Notes: Projector and SmartBoard Basics
Session 2 was held Wednesday, March 30th, at Mrs. Berry's room. Many thanks to Patricia Miller who brought some awesome snacks. We went over projector use and SmartBoard Basics.
Using a projector in class is often a teachers' first step toward tech savy. When you have a projector, you have an inexhaustible buddy..paired with one or two other items and you are well on your way to a tech-savvy approach. It is the second most important piece of equipment in a classroom, after the pc or laptop.
Let's have a look at the back of a typical projector. There are lots of holes to plug lots of things into, and it can be a bit confusing. Two colors are most important: Blue and Gold, yes, like the sausage from the FFA.
Blue ports are generally where the computer monitor port goes--if there are two. Yellow, round single prong plugs are perfect for a camcorder or digital camera, which when combined with a desk lamp give you a home made "elmo" or document camera. And dont forget the power source cable, three-prong typical looking power cord, this is missing from the graphic at left. Sometimes the powercable attaches at the side instead of from the back.
A projector can be used for alot of things, not just death by powerpoint. Just because you have a projector does not mean you should show an endless stream of powerpoint slides or neverending graphics. Mix it up, if you have alot of still photos to share, at least keep the pace upbeat. Make sure your slides are not too wordy, and that you aren't reading it verbatim. Check out this funny video to learn more....
Later!
Using a projector in class is often a teachers' first step toward tech savy. When you have a projector, you have an inexhaustible buddy..paired with one or two other items and you are well on your way to a tech-savvy approach. It is the second most important piece of equipment in a classroom, after the pc or laptop.
Let's have a look at the back of a typical projector. There are lots of holes to plug lots of things into, and it can be a bit confusing. Two colors are most important: Blue and Gold, yes, like the sausage from the FFA.
Blue ports are generally where the computer monitor port goes--if there are two. Yellow, round single prong plugs are perfect for a camcorder or digital camera, which when combined with a desk lamp give you a home made "elmo" or document camera. And dont forget the power source cable, three-prong typical looking power cord, this is missing from the graphic at left. Sometimes the powercable attaches at the side instead of from the back.
A projector can be used for alot of things, not just death by powerpoint. Just because you have a projector does not mean you should show an endless stream of powerpoint slides or neverending graphics. Mix it up, if you have alot of still photos to share, at least keep the pace upbeat. Make sure your slides are not too wordy, and that you aren't reading it verbatim. Check out this funny video to learn more....
Later!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Session 2 Resources: SmartNotebook Basics Online Training
Hardware: SmartBoard, Projector, Camera
Software: SmartNotebook 10
From SmartNotebook, Online Training-most videos are two minutes and very to the point.
(Test Post)
Software: SmartNotebook 10
From SmartNotebook, Online Training-most videos are two minutes and very to the point.
Getting Started
A summary of what’s new in SMART Notebook 10. View each tutorial individually, or watch the entire 30-minute overview.
- Tutorial 1: Activation
- Tutorial 2: Finding What You Need
- Tutorial 3: The Ink Layer
- Tutorial 4: Managing Pages
- Tutorial 5: The Properties Tab
- Tutorial 6: The Lesson Activity Toolkit
- Tutorial 7: New Tools in SMART Notebook 10
- Tutorial: What’s New in Notebook 10 – A 30-Minute Overview (Flash file – 113 MB)
Basics
Overview of the Notebook software interface, writing in Notebook software and converting handwriting to typed text.
- Notebook Basics Learning Resource (PDF 1 MB)
- Tutorial: SMART Notebook Software Basics (Flash file - 1.4MB)
- Toolbars - Windows | Mac
- Collecting and Sharing Content - Windows | Mac
- Tutorial: The Notebook Gallery (Flash file - 2.1MB)
- Tutorial: Objects in Notebook Software (Flash file - 2.4MB)
- Working with Gallery Collections -Windows | Mac
- Tutorial: The Page Sorter (Flash file - 2.1MB)
The Lesson Activity Toolkit 2.0
The recently updated Lesson Activity Toolkit is a Gallery collection of customizable tools and templates, including activities, games and graphics, and tools that you can use to create professional-looking, interactive and engaging lessons.
- The Lesson Activity Toolkit (PDF - 251kb)
Lesson Planning and Delivery
Learn how to create lesson material with Notebook software. Add interactive elements to get students involved.
From my training with the Oklahoma State Department of Education, below is a template with the top ten tools. Copy the page into your own presentation and run with it: SmartNotebook 10 Tutorial File including the ten tools for SmartNotebook, opens with the SmartNotebook program. An excellent template/first tool for your SmartToolbox(Test Post)
Session 2 Schedule: SmartBoard Part 1
Seven Essential SmartBoard Skills will begin Wednesday in Mrs. Berry's Room. I will post the file, but you wont be able to open it if you have not loaded the SmartNotebook Program.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Session 1 Notes: Hardware Basics
Gaining an understanding of Hardware Basics is key when you are preparing to use technology. Sometimes I find there is a complete misconception about what a piece of hardware is capable of doing or not doing.For the purpose of this master teacher class, our biggest subject is really the SmartBoard itself, and the rest of technology use falls into place around this tool we have available to us.
One of the most basic questions I hear on hardware: "Do I need an Infocus for the Smartboard to work?"
The answer to this question is Yes. The smartboard is basically a really big mouse, and honestly not any smarter than a mouse either. It is a large blank touchpad, like you find on laptaps. It does not generate a picture on its' own.
How does it work? In a nutshell: There is a large white sheet, then a pocket or layer of air cushion, over a large array of pressure sensitive plates. When you touch the white sheet, the SmartBoard reports the XY coordinate to the computer, moving the cursor accordingly. To get the most out of your SmartBoard, you really need to think of it as a mouse on steroids that takes up a good portion of your room and is quite captivating to your students. Your goal as a teacher is to use software to build or find software applications for this giant mouse on steroids that harnesses that attention in a productive way. But that comes later, first lets understand the hardware requirements to just get it set up so we can then play with it and come up with ideas on how to use it in a later session.
So this SmartBoard (think Really Big Mouse) is just a pointing device to guide and activate activity on your computer, and if it is not plugged into a computer that is working properly it is nothing but an ornament.
To use a SmartBoard in the classroom requires a Technology Triangle. You need three things:
What gets connected to what?
Turning that mouse on steroids into an educational tool is really not that hard, but first get used to it as a really big mouse. Use it, enjoy it. The kids will love it. Next Week's Post: How to Use the SmartBoard.
.
One of the most basic questions I hear on hardware: "Do I need an Infocus for the Smartboard to work?"
The answer to this question is Yes. The smartboard is basically a really big mouse, and honestly not any smarter than a mouse either. It is a large blank touchpad, like you find on laptaps. It does not generate a picture on its' own.
How does it work? In a nutshell: There is a large white sheet, then a pocket or layer of air cushion, over a large array of pressure sensitive plates. When you touch the white sheet, the SmartBoard reports the XY coordinate to the computer, moving the cursor accordingly. To get the most out of your SmartBoard, you really need to think of it as a mouse on steroids that takes up a good portion of your room and is quite captivating to your students. Your goal as a teacher is to use software to build or find software applications for this giant mouse on steroids that harnesses that attention in a productive way. But that comes later, first lets understand the hardware requirements to just get it set up so we can then play with it and come up with ideas on how to use it in a later session.
So this SmartBoard (think Really Big Mouse) is just a pointing device to guide and activate activity on your computer, and if it is not plugged into a computer that is working properly it is nothing but an ornament.
To use a SmartBoard in the classroom requires a Technology Triangle. You need three things:
- Projector (Think Infocus if you must, I prefer Toshiba)
- Interactive White Board (SmartBoard or Promethean are popular, but homemade WiiBoards work great too).
- A computer, which can be the teacher's tower or a laptop as part of a media cart.
What gets connected to what?
SmartBoard <=USB Cable= > PC <= Monitor Cable => Projector
The Smartboard plugs into the pc just like a mouse, using a USB cable. The other end of the USB cable then plugs into a dongle located on the lower right of the board, and the cable is about 10 feet long. The PC also needs to be connected to the Projector, typically by using the monitor out port from the pc and the Computer In port on the projector.Turning that mouse on steroids into an educational tool is really not that hard, but first get used to it as a really big mouse. Use it, enjoy it. The kids will love it. Next Week's Post: How to Use the SmartBoard.
.
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