Teachers Love SMART Boards

SMART Notebook Challenge #11 - Random Number

This week's Notebook challenge is to create your own custom random number generator.

To complete this challenge, you will have to use one item found in your Gallery. Your random number generator can generate random numbers using any range of numbers. My example gives random numbers between 1 and 36.

The purpose of this challenge is to encourage you to modify existing objects in your Gallery to make them look and work exactly the way you want. Remember, you're in control; if you don't like something, change it so it suits your needs!

Here's a video that demonstrates how my random number generator looks and functions:

If you're having problems viewing this video, you can watch it on YouTube.

(The solution for challenge 10 will be posted soon!)

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SMARTBoards and the Voyage of the Mayflower

Want some more U.S. Thanksgiving Resources?

Here's another custom word search riddle for your SMART Board interactive whiteboard created in Notebook 10. This word search riddle supports The First Thanksgiving website from Scholastic.com. You can click on the picture to download the file.

If you're looking for additional resources for the holiday, you can check out my U.S. Thanksgiving Holiday Resource page that includes a new link to a fantastic Thanksgiving resource page created by Amy Oberts!

Gobble, gobble.

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SMARTBoards and the Double-Trouble Feedback Challenge

Here's a great little challenge that shouldn't take too much of your time but is sure to make your Notebook applications twice as fun!

The challenge is called Double-Trouble Feedback and the objective is to create an activity that uses both sound and animation to provide student feedback when an object is touched. I'll be looking for some really great feedback sounds!

Here's an example of the double-trouble feedback:

If you're looking for some sounds to use, I have a few you can download. These sounds were downloaded from the website SoundSnap.com. They are all mp3 files and should work great in your Notebook application.

Download He-s a chirpy little fellow- isn-t he
Download If that-s all you can do then that-s all you can do
Download That doesnt apply here
Download The best baby -froggy throat
Download What a shot- what a goal
Download Whoa- i didn-t think you had that in ya

It would be wonderful if you could include some fun sound files (mp3 format only) to share with others.

Please send your challenge entries to me using this email address.

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SMARTBoards and Solutions for Evenly Spacing Objects

This is the solution for Challenge #9: Precise Object Spacing. This was definitely a fun challenge and I received some outstanding submissions for completing it.

Ann White is this week's extreme challenge winner and she definitely deserves the title "Faster than the Master" (or at least, as fast as the master) for completing the challenge in approximately 19 seconds.

I had two techniques that I used to complete this challenge. The first one was very similar to Ann's technique. It used a spacer object and the alignment guides to evenly space objects on a page. Ann improved on my idea in the sense that she used a rectangle instead of a line as her spacer object. Another submission cloned one of the smiley faces, resized it and used it as the spacer object. Ingenious!

Here's Ann's submission video.

My second technique used an spacer object that I created and placed inside the Gallery. The object consisted of 6 evenly sized rectangles that were grouped together. My technique was to drag the object to the work area, expand it according to how much space I wanted in between my objects, ungroup it back into six rectangles and then use the alignment guides to set my objects on the page. Using this technique, I was also able to evenly space my objects in approximately 19 seconds.

Here's a video of using a spacer object consisting of rectangles

I think the best and easiest technique is the one Ann uses.

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SMARTBoards and Student Feedback Using Flashing Text

 

If you touch me, do I not flash?

Be one of the very first to take my new and exciting Notebook 10 course called "Providing Student Feedback Using Flashing Text."

I am providing free enrollment to the course for the first 20 people who fill out a TrainingYES request.

Here is more information about the course:

Notebook Technique - Student Feedback Using Animation

This short-course will guide the participant through the process of using object animation to make text objects flash when they are touched on the SMART Board. In addition to learning how to apply the animation property to objects, participants will practice/learn how to duplicate objects, change text color, and make minute adjustments to objects using the keyboard.

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Exciting News!

Your school can now access my courseware on their very own Personalized Learning Management System branded with your school's information.

This is by far the most effective and affordable (and fun) way to receive SMART Board related professional development. For more information about the system including how your school/district can receive a free two-week trial, send me an email right away.

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SMARTBoards and Another Thanksgiving Word Search Riddle

 

Do you know the name of the Indian Tribe that celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims back in 1621?

You can find the answer in my latest U.S. Thanksgiving Holiday word search riddle created in Notebook version 10.

I created this word search riddle to be used as an introductory or follow-up activity for The First Thanksgiving website from Scholastic.com.

You can find additional U.S. Thanksgiving resources for your SMART Board on the SMARTBoard and U.S. Thanksgiving Holiday Resource Page.

If you know of any other U.S. Thanksgiving resources that work great on the SMARTBoard, please send them to me so I can share them with others.

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SMARTBoards and Placing the U.S. States is a Capital Idea

One of the things I do on this site is pass along great interactive websites when I find them. Lately, I've been getting some great suggestions from the Interactive Whiteboards in the Classroom group on Diigo.

Caroline O'Bannon passed along two outstanding websites for learning and practicing U.S. geography.

The first site is called State Capitals and it allows you to practice identifying the U.S. capitals using a highly engaging interactive site.

The second site is called Place the State and it challenges students to drag and drop states to the correct location on a map of the United States. It even calculates how far off you are.

The Place the States site comes from Sheppard Software and is just one of many great flash applications. This is one of those sites you'll have to bookmark and explore on your own since it has way too many great activities to list here. It appears all the activities work great on your SMART Board interactive whiteboard.

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SMARTBoards and the "Picture This" Challenge Solution

Here is the solution for Challenge #8 - Picture This.

The response to this challenge was incredible and many of the people who submitted entries mentioned how much fun they had and how amazed they were when they figured out how to complete it.

The objective of this challenge was to transform a Notebook page containing a picture and an object (top image) using only the items in the toolbar. The image of the girl needed to be placed behind the desk and eating the apple that used to be on the table. The chalk is moved from the chalkboard and placed in the teacher's hair and the words "I love SMARTBoards" are written on the blackboard (bottom image).

This challenge was initially created to help teachers understand object layering although I would imagine that many teachers are much more adept at using the screen capture tool and the "set picture transparency" option.

The Gold Medal winner for Challenge #8 is Jennifer Gibson and the Silver Medal winner is Stu Smith.

Here's the solution video:

If you're having problems viewing this video, you can watch it on YouTube.

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SMART Notebook Challenge #9 - Precise Object Spacing

For those of you who find my challenges a little too easy, I have an extreme challenge for you called "Precise Object Spacing." Don't worry, you don't need any special Notebook skills or knowledge to complete this challenge, you just need to be a little creative.

To take part in this challenge, you will need to download the challenge #9 Notebook file. If you can complete the challenge, then write a brief description for how you completed it and send back the Notebook file with your completed solution and a description for how you did it.

This challenge also has an Extreme Challenge portion called "Faster than the Master." If you decide you want to compete in the Extreme Challenge portion, then you'll have to send a video to prove you did the challenge and that you were faster than the master.

Here's a video with more detail:

The first person to submit a video that demonstrates a technique for spacing objects precisely and can beat my best time will receive the first ever Faster than the Master award.

The challenge Notebook file has further instructions.

SMARTBoards and the Thanksgiving Resource Library

 

I love the Thanksgiving Holiday because it reminds me to be thankful for all the wonderful things in my life. That being said, I can only say "thank you" to all my wonderful readers who find value in my blog and use it to help children learn.

I created a special Thanksgiving Holiday (U.S.) page full of resources that work great on a SMARTBoard interactive whiteboard. Right now, it only contains a few resources that I shared from last year but I would love to build up this library over the next few weeks and I can really use your help!

Please email me your favorite U.S. Thanksgiving Holiday resource so I can share it with all the readers on my blog. Since most of the resources I find are passed along to me from other educators this should be the best way to build a great holiday library of resources. Please make sure the resources you send are easy to use on the SMARTBoard (avoid any keyboard input), age-appropriate, and interactive. Also, please avoid any sites that contain too many advertisements. Lastly, before sending me your resource, please check the Thanksgiving Holiday page and make sure it is not already listed. If I include your resource in my library, I will send you a free enrollment key for one of my self-paced Notebook courses as a way of saying thank you!

I will also continue to search for Thanksgiving resources and include them on my Thanksgiving Holiday page. I've already created my first Thanksgiving Word Search Riddle using Notebook (version 10) and I will continue to create others and we get closer to November 27th.

I offer schools live, online training in how to create your own word search riddles in Smart Notebook 10 so please fill out a training request form if you think your school would be interested!

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