Scholastic SMART Lessons Collection

Hey K-12 teachers!  Did you know that Scholastic offers pre-made Notebook files for you to download?  The activities available from Scholastic's SMART Lessons Collection are under the following categories: Back to School, Math and Science, Earth Day, Famous People, or Phonics Lesson Activities.  There are activities under each of these for students K through 12.  You can download them and use them as is or tweak them for your own specific uses.  There is also a link to the SMART Exchange.  Check them out!

Dr. Amber says, "Don't forget to do your upgrades!"

Ok, so I'm not really a doctor, but you will definitely want to do this update!

SMART has released an update for the Notebook software that is awesome.  Especially if you're a math teacher.  With the new update, you get some new features such as the transparent notebook that allows you to write anywhere on your screen without having to open the ink layer.  You also get the clear page button which will clear everything off a notebook page that is not locked in place.  Then there are the measurement tools, which include a ruler, two protractors, and a compass!

Finally, you also have the option to add in a 30 day trial of the math notebook software which includes the irregular polygon tool, the XY table, and graphing tool.  There is also a function in the trial that allows Notebook to work with the TI Graphing Software, TI-Nspire, TI-Smartview 84, or TI-Smartview 73.

So, there's my sell for the update.....now here's how to do it:
1. Down in the toolbar at the bottom right of your screen (you may have to extend it to see the icon), look for the SMART icon.  It looks a lot like a powdered donut on a square blue plate.
2. Click on it once and choose "Check for Updates...."
3. The SMART Updater will come up and say that Notebook needs an update (version 10.6.94.0). Click on Update.
4. Click Yes to continue.
5. Now the Updater will download the installer file.  This should take about 5-10 minutes.
6. Now you will see the Installation Wizard pop up.  Click Next to continue.
7. Accept the terms and click Next.
8. Click Next again (this step lets you know that the program will be installed in Program Files, which is where you want it.)
9. Click Next again (this step just confirms your user name registration....you do not need to put in an organization name or activation code.)
10. Now you have the option to install a 30 day trial of the Math Tools.  I DO recommend this for math teachers, but it is not necessary for others.  But hey, if your curious, check it out! No harm done either way.  Just check or uncheck the box based on your decision.
11. Click Next (this just makes sure that your Lesson Activity Toolkit and Gallery Essentials are updated as well....leave them checked!)
12. You can now choose from a list of languages to add to your handwriting recognition.  Unless you are a foreign language teacher, I would just choose Next.
13. Now click Install!
14. Let it go on it's own and you will see when it's done when the Finish button is click-able.  Just a note though....the installer is not able to proceed if any Microsoft Office application is open or web browsers, so make sure these programs are closed. 

One last thing....if you want me to come in to do a demo of the new features of notebook, I would love to!  Just send me an email and we can schedule a time!! agooshaw@sllboces.org

The SMART Exchange

Sorry for the late start today.  It was a busy day at the office!

Today's site is a great tool for finding (and uploading) great work. At the SMART Exchange, you can search notebook files that have been uploaded by teachers all over.  Tweak what you find, or use it as is!  You can even click on the "Share a Resource" tab to upload a notebook file that you think could benefit someone!  Happy hunting!

The SMART Exchange

Oh! I forgot to mention that there is a standards-correlated search feature that will browse files based on the New York Core Curriculum.  How cool!

Teachers Love SMART Boards

If you take only one thing from this blog, it should be the site I'm going to share with you today.  This site is a blog in itself, dedicated to the sharing of K-12 SMART lessons, resources, ideas, and activities.  You could spend hours looking at new and archived entries with hundreds of ideas and downloads available for your use.  I would also recommend subscribing to the site's newsletter: The Smart Insider.

Teachers Love SMART Boards