Students can download, for free, software from SMART called Notebook Viewer which will allow them [...]]]> You’ve reached a new height in creative SMART Notebook lessons, and you’ve posted all your glorious work on your teacher website (or moodle site), but your students are complaining that they cannot open the files at home.  What can they do?

Students can download, for free, software from SMART called Notebook Viewer which will allow them to see and use your Notebook files, but that is a software download, and (shh, here’s a secret: SMART will not be supporting it for long) there is something better.

SMART Notebook Express is the way of the future!  Yes, it is in Beta (test mode) right now, but it’s certainly worth promoting to your students.  This application runs within a web browser, so there is no need to install anything.  Students can easily open and use your Notebook files online.  You can even allow people to edit a Notebook file online if you are working on a lesson activity collaboratively.

Make-a-Flake has been a favorite in my classroom for years, but it’s only one of [...]]]> Snow is on the way!  If your students are thinking about zooming downhill on snowboards, skis, sleds, or saucers (hey, they all begin with S), then they might like to create some snow themselves one snowflake at a time at Make-a-Flake.

Make-a-Flake has been a favorite in my classroom for years, but it’s only one of many Christmas and winter websites that are wonderful to use with your SMART Board.  There is a comprehensive list at Teachers Love SMART Boards.

You might be familiar with the clock in the lower-right corner of your screen, but did you know that area is officially called the “Windows Notification Area”?  There isn’t much to look at down there, but if you see the SMART Tools icon (the white circle looks like a peppermint LifeSaver), then you are [...]]]>

You might be familiar with the clock in the lower-right corner of your screen, but did you know that area is officially called the “Windows Notification Area”?  There isn’t much to look at down there, but if you see the SMART Tools icon (the white circle looks like a peppermint LifeSaver), then you are only a few clicks away from some fabulous presentation tools you can use any time.

Let’s start with the Screen Shade: This puts a shade over your entire screen, so you can selectively reveal whatever you like.  Using the handles, pull the shade from the top, bottom, left, or right.  Close it with the white and red X button.

Next is the Spotlight.  Imagine that you are showing your class a website, and you want to highlight only a certain area of the page.  Select Spotlight and you can use a circle/ellipse, rectangle/square, or star shape to highlight a certain area of the screen.  Use the spotlight icon itself to move the bright area, and use the dropdown (to the right of the spotlight) menu to change the transparency and shape.  Click and hold on the blue frame to adjust the shape and size.

The Magnifier is a big help when you are trying to enlarge the web address for a site you are demonstrating, but it also allows you to enlarge any area of the screen to show details.  Be careful of the amount of magnification you use–too much, and you only see big pixels.  I like the button with the red rectangle in it.  That button allows you to easily see the area being magnified.

Calculator is just a link to the Windows calculator (nothing too fancy); Pointer is a relatively unimpressive arrow, and Screen Capture Toolbar is the same toolbar you have in Notebook.  If you capture something using this toolbar, Notebook automatically opens and the image is pasted on a blank page.  From there you’ll have to copy to another program if you wish.