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Here's my Top Five List for best SMART Board Flash Game Resource for 2008
#5 - Blox
#4 - Bubblewrap
#3 - Uncross the Lines
#2 - Snow Line
#1 - Blobs 2.0
All of these are flash files and can be downloaded directly to your computer by right-clicking. You can even insert these files into Notebook!
Have a wonderful New Year!
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Here's my Top Five List for best SMART Board Science Resource for 2008
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Here's my Top Five List for best SMART Board Mathematics resource for 2008:
#5 - A Math Dictionary for Kids
#4 - Interactive Coordinate Plane (right-click to save to computer)
#3 - Math TV Video Word Problems
#2 - New Zealand Math's Animations
#1 - Algebasics
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I’m extremely honored to have Teachers Love SMART Boards win the 2008 Edublog Award for Best Educational Technology Support Blog.
This blog’s only purpose is to help teachers use their SMART Boards more effectively in the classroom. I try to achieve this objective by following one simple rule…”Sharing is Caring!”
The secret of success is not in the hording
of information but rather in the sharing of information.
I would like to take this time to “share” with you who I voted for in this year’s Edublog Awards. It was quite difficult to pick a single blog (or wiki) in a few of the categories since so many outstanding blogs were nominated. For example, in the Best Resource Sharing Blog, choosing just one is extremely unfair!
Here were my votes for the 2008 Edublog Awards (Actual winners are in parenthesis):
1. Best individual blog – The Generation YES Blog (The English Blog)
2. Best group blog – Youth Voices (SCC English)
3. Best new blog – Angela Maiers (Angela Maiers)
4. Best resource sharing blog – Langwitches (Free Technology for Teachers)
5. Most influential blog post – Be an elearning Action Hero (Order for Closure)
6. Best teacher blog – ICT in my Classroom (The Cool Cat Teacher)
7. Best librarian / library blog – Hey Jude (Hey Jude)
8. Best educational tech support blog – Teachers Love SMART Boards (Teachers Love SMART Boards)
9. Best elearning / corporate education blog – Britannica Blog (eLearning Technology)
10. Best educational use of audio – Ed Tech Talk (Ed Tech Talk)
11. Best educational use of video / visual – The Common Craft Show (Steve Spangler blog)
12. Best educational wiki – Digitally Speaking (Flat Classroom Project 2008)
13. Best educational use of a social networking service – Classroom 2.0 (Classroom 2.0)
14. Best educational use of a virtual world – Literary Worlds (Discovery Education Second Life)
15. Best class blog – Extreme Biology (Extreme Biology)
16. Lifetime achievement – David Warlick (David Warlick)
In addition to the blogs I voted for and the blogs that won an award, I would also like to mention the following blogs that are on the top of my Google Reader list:
Finally, I would like to give a special thanks to Silvia Tolisano who nominated my site on her wonderful blog Langwitches. "Thanks Silvia!"
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For a limited time, I am offering teachers free enrollment for the course Notebook
Applications - Custom Word Search Puzzle. This is a great way to learn how to use Notebook while creating an authentic learning tool for the classroom. To request your free enrollment key, just fill out this short form and I'll send you an email with the enrollment key within 24 hours.
The Teacher Online Training site has lots of other great courses to learn how to use the SMART Board and Smart Notebook 10 and it is by far the most effective (and least expensive) method for teachers to receive professional development.
New Course: Notebook Application: Custom Word Search Puzzle
This
course will guide the participant through the process of creating a
custom word search puzzle that includes a hidden answer to a question.
The instructions for the course use vocabulary words from the book
"Holes" by Louis Sachar. Participants
may use the same words as described in the video tutorials or they may
use their own unique question and list of words.
Participants
will learn how to apply page background colors, set default fonts, use
fixed-spaced fonts, apply the fade-out animation type, and create links
to other pages in your Notebook file. In addition, participants will
learn how to clone pages, align objects on a page, and lock all objects
on a page in a single step.
There is only one more day to cast your vote for Teachers Love SMART Boards as Edublog's Best Ed Tech Support blog for 2008.
Sharing is Caring!
Those wacky guys over at Teaching With SMARTBoard have a wonderful gift for their video podcast viewers this holiday season.
Each week, Scott and Dave create a fun and informative video podcast that demonstrates how to use your SMART Board and Smart Notebook more effectively. Their videos have a Math emphasis but much of the information can be applied to other subject areas.
So why not spend a few seconds and check out their video library which includes all their past videos including a 4-part series on the Lesson Activity Toolkit as well as an a 4-part introduction to Notebook 10? You may have to sit through a corny Math joke or two but you'll be glad you did!
Thank you Scott and Dave for sharing such a wonderful gift this holiday season!
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I've had a wonderful time creating custom word search puzzles for my readers this holiday season and I would like to thank all the wonderful teachers out there who work so hard to make a difference in the lives of their students.
I've worked in various jobs throughout my career and I can honestly say that being a teacher is by far the most challenging job I've ever had; however, it was also the most rewarding job I've ever had. While I love helping teachers learn how to use technology in the classroom, I definitely miss my eight+ years as a classroom teacher.
In addition to creating free word search puzzles, I'm also offering free enrollment keys to my new self-paced, online course being released this Friday that walks you through how to create your very own custom word search puzzles inside Notebook 10. If you're interested in taking the course, please send me an email and I'll put you on my list.
Here are some of the of word search puzzles I created this holiday season:
How many reindeer guide Santa's sleigh? (eight)
Polar Express: What advice does the conductor give? (Believe)
*Recommended* What do all these words help us achieve? (peace)
How long should a reindeer's legs be? (Just long enough to reach the ground)
Who sang praises from on high? (the heavenly host of angels)
Who are the "Six White Boomers" (Kangaroos pulling Santa's sleigh)
Who led Santa through the Wintery Snow to deliver packages to young children? (Rudolph)
Qu'est-ce que le Père Noël aime manger? (les buscuits)
What does Santa have that's red as a cherry? (his nose)
Wie heißt der Abend vom 24. Dezember? (Heiligabend)
In what country do people write letters to Father Christmas? (England)
Why is a SMART Board smart? (It's smart because no one is bored)
Something to think about other than gifts during the holidays (Your health)
One last resource is a ESL/ELL Christmas Flash-Card application created in Notebook 10. I also put in a custom word search puzzle on the last few pages. Enjoy!
Don't forget to cast your vote for Teachers Love SMART Boards as Best Educational Tech Support Blog!
Sharing is Caring!
Today I received an email from one of my readers that said...
Remember...
How many reindeer guide Santa's sleigh? (Requester: Jim Hollis)
Polar Express: What advice does the conductor give? (Requester: Lori Reed)
*Recommended* What do all these words help us achieve? - Peace! (Requester: Nina Glime)
How long should a reindeer's legs be? (Requester: Cynthia Venberg)
Who sang praises from on high? (Requester: Wendy Greve)
I almost forgot! If you would like a free enrollment key for my new online self-paced course on how to create your own word search puzzles using Notebook 10, please send me an email. The course should be released early next week!
Remember...
I have a Christmas Holiday Resource Page that is growing daily. Today, I'm adding a wonderful site called Finding Rudolph that was shared on a school IT blog recently. I'm also adding another holiday clip art site containing some fun winter holiday clip art for you to use in your Notebook (or other) applications.
Remember...
That you can still vote for Teachers Love SMART Boards in the 2008 Edublogs Awards for Best Educational Tech Support Blog.
Remember...
This holiday season is a great time to experience how wonderful it is to share with others.
Sharing is Caring!
So where do you go if you want to explore Christmas resources to see if they would work good on the SMART Board? You go to Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...for Teaching ELL, ESL & EFL.
Here are some great holiday resources for the SMART Board that I found on Larry's site that I'll be adding to my already extensive Christmas Holiday Resource Page. To access the websites, simply click on the pictures!
One last resource is a Notebook 10 application that I created from a PowerPoint Christmas Flash Card application found on the mes-english website. It can be used for young readers and/or ESL/ELL students. I also put in a custom word search puzzle on the last few pages. Enjoy!
Remember that I will create your own custom word search puzzle in Notebook 10. Just enter in nine words and a fun holiday riddle into this form and I'll get the puzzle back to you in less than a day!
Sharing is Caring!
I'm keeping my eye out for more SMARTBoard ready interactive activities for the holiday season to add to my Christmas Holiday Resource page.
Here are a few recent additions (Thanks Anna Marie, Danny, Barbara, & Christine for sharing):
New Holiday Word Search Riddles for Notebook v10 by Jim -
How many reindeer guide Santa's sleigh? (Requester: Jim Hollis)
Polar Express: What advice does the conductor give? (Requester: Lori Reed)
*Recommended* What do all these words help us achieve? - Peace! (Requester: Nina Glime)
How long should a reindeer's legs be? (Requester: Cynthia Venberg)
Who sang praises from on high? (Requester: Wendy Greve)
If you would like me to create your very own Christmas Holiday word search / riddle puzzle, just come up with nine words and a riddle that the students will try to solve. Then fill out this form and I will do my very best to create your custom puzzle in a few days and post it to the Christmas Holiday Resource page of my blog.
Sharing is Caring!
(Remember to vote for Teachers Love SMART Boards for Best Ed Tech Support Blog!)
A few days ago, I realized that Teachers Love SMART Boards was nominated for a 2008 Edublog award for Best Ed Tech Support blog. No one notified me but I saw a lot of traffic coming from the Edublog website so I decided to check it out.
Teachers Love SMART Boards was nominated by the author of one of my favorite blogs called Langwitches but somehow I missed Silvia's post that nominated my blog for Best Ed Tech Support Blog. Sorry Silvia!
The Langwitches blog (The Magic of Learning Through Technology) is also nominated in the ed tech support blog category. However, it's also nominated in the best resource sharing category. These are two well deserved nominations; Silvia's blog is simply outstanding!
This gives me a great idea! I have two favors to ask...
What's great about these nomination sites is that you're sure to find some great blogs that you'll soon find invaluable. I subscribe to about 1/4 of the blogs nominated in all the categories and I can't wait to explore the others!
Sharing is Caring!
Custom Christmas Holiday Notebook Word Search Puzzles Just For You!
As a way of sharing with others this Christmas Holiday, I will
create your very own custom word search / riddle puzzles for your classroom.
The word search / riddle puzzle consists of nine words and a riddle that will reveal itself when the students find the words in the word search area.
To see how the puzzles works, I've created a Christmas Word Search / Riddle puzzle that you can download now that contains nine words (chimney, Christmas, holiday, ornament, presents, reindeer, Santa, sleigh, and stocking) in the word search area. When the students find the words, it will reveal the answer to the riddle "How many reindeer guide Santa's sleigh?" Notebook version 10 is required for these puzzles.
If you would like me to create your very own Christmas Holiday word search / riddle puzzle, just come up with nine words and a riddle that the students will try to solve. Then fill out this form and I will do my very best to create your custom puzzle in a few days and post it to the Christmas Holiday Resource page of my blog.
Great news! I am creating a Notebook course that teaches you how to create your own custom word search puzzles using Notebook v.10. If you're interested in taking this course when it's completed, just send me an email and I'll make sure you receive a free enrollment key when it's ready!
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Science teachers will love the interactive Science lessons found on Harcourt's Science Up Close site. The site has interactive explanations and demonstrations covering a variety of topics in Science for grades 1 through 6. The graphics are amazing and the explanations are very clear and easy to follow.
The site is organized by grade level and contains multiple topics for each grade. For example, Grade 3 contains 16 interactive resources covering a wide-variety of topics including photosynthesis, fossils, water cycle, lunar eclipse and even how a door knob works.
Teachers and students can easily control all aspects of the demonstrations including turning on and off audio explanations and starting and stopping videos. Another great thing about the these activities is that you can zoom them to fit your entire screen which is extremely useful for using them with your SMART Board.
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This week's challenge is to create a moving solution to an anagram using Smart Notebook v10.
To complete this challenge, you will have to use one of the new features of version 10 called the Page Recorder.
The Page Recorder records the actions you make on a page and allows you to play it back as a movie. It's a great way to demonstrate something inside the classroom.
Here's a video demonstration of this week's challenge:
Please submit your challenge Notebook file to my email at jim@teacherslovesmartboards.com.
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I hope you'll be as amazed as I was with the submissions for this week's challenge - Random Number. The challenge was to create a custom random number generator that you could use inside the classroom using your SMART Board interactive whiteboard.
I created this challenge as a way to encourage teachers to modify Gallery objects to fit the needs of the lesson. What I received in response to this challenge far exceeded my expectations.
The Gold Medal winner this week is Jennifer Gibson and the Silver Medal winner is Hanse Madsen. Congratulations!!! Keep reading for how you can see both Jennifer and Hanse's random number generator submissions!
Because I received so many amazing solutions to this challenge, I decided to create an entire Gallery Collection of the random number generators and share it with my readers.
Here's the solutions video that also highlights some of the submissions for this challenge:
You can download the Random Number Gallery here. When you open the file, it should import the Gallery into your My Content folder. You can also go to your My Content folder in the Gallery and right-click on the folder and then select "Add to My Content."
If you like any of the custom generators, please leave a comment in the comment area for this post and let that person know. The page title of each random number generator contains the name of the person who submitted that entry.
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Okay, since Christmas is sneaking up on us fast, I thought I would share with you a few new Christmas Holiday resources to use on your SMARTBoard.
The first one is a flash application called Create-a-snowman (right-click on the link to download) that you can download to your computer and even import into Notebook.
[WARNING: The application has been removed due to inappropriate language found in the instruction area. If you have already downloaded the application, please be aware of this before using.]
It's a simple application that lets the kids move various items around to build their own custom snowman. Not much educational value here but a lot of fun for the younger kids. My Christmas Holiday Resource page also has a couple Build-a-Snowman applications that are also a lot of fun.
You may also want to check out the collection of interactive Christmas resources from Ideal
Resources. A lot of these activities require a keyboard but you may
find something you like.
Keep checking back because I'll be sharing lots more Holiday resources in the days to come including some custom Notebook applications.
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This is the solution for Challenge #10 - Double Trouble. The challenge was to provide both an animated visual feedback and a audio feedback to students when they touched either a correct or incorrect answer on the SMARTBoard.
The purpose
of this challenge is to try to encourage more teachers to use audio in
their lessons to increase student engagement.
Here's the solution video for Challenge #10:
Here are a few resources (thanks Carlynn!) for finding audio files to use with your lessons:
MovieWavs
Soundsnap.com
Wavecentral.com
Partners in Rhyme - Human Sound Effects
I highly recommend using mp3 files inside Notebook. If you have a different format, you can always convert it to mp3 using the Zamzar website.
If you have difficulties viewing the video, you can watch it on YouTube
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Pssst. I have a secret!
Did you know that I have some helpful SMARTBoard resource pages that contain listings of my favorite web resources all in one place?
While I don't necessarily keep these pages a secret since they are listed on the left side of every page, I don't often mention them.
Here are a few pages that might be helpful...
Sharing is Caring!
I recently sent a message to Danny Nicholson over at The Whiteboard Blog about the Teacher LED website to see if he had seen the site or knew the author.
The author is a teacher from the UK named Spencer Riley and he has created an outstanding collection of resources perfect for the SMARTBoard interactive resources.
Here is Danny's blog post about the TeacherLED website:
Spencer has also created a overview document for his resources. It's definitely worth checking out.
Thanks Danny for the great write-up and thank you Spencer for sharing such outstanding teacher resources! Don't forget to subscribe to Danny's great blog.
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