Tequipment: Blogging About SMART Boards, Resources, Lessons, Training, Games

As August draws to a close, it’s time to start considering professional development opportunities for the upcoming school year. We’re offering our popular certification course, SMART Boards in Today’s Classroom.

The course meets on Thursdays, from September 23 to January 6, and runs from 4:30 to 7:00 pm. The cost is $350. For additional information, see our PDF.

This course is available for P-Credits for NYC DOE teachers. There is a seperate registration process for those interested in this offering. Please consult the PDF for information on signing up for the P-Credit course.

One of the most requested features that teachers want in SMART Notebook is the ability to play sound automatically when a page is entered.

Only MP3 sounds can play within Notebook when embedded onto an object.  MP3′s can only play/pause and restart when you leave and re-enter a page. If  a teacher wanted the sound to play again, he or she would have to either wait for the sound to end or leave the page and return, then click on the object again.

Flash files (either FLV or SWF) are the only type of files that play when a page is entered.  So, if you want sound to play automatically when entering page, what kind of audio file would you like?

You guessed it, an FLV or SWF file.  The subtle difference between the two is that the FLV version has a controller bar to stop/play/rewind/fast-forward, and to drag the timer to any part of the file and the SWF does not have the controller bar. Another bonus to using Flash here is that MP3 sounds cannot be controlled, only paused.

But there are free audio converters out there that will allow you to create FLV and SWF files,  such as  Sofonica, and Format Factory.

In the two videos below, we use Format Factory to convert a sound into an FLV file and a SWF file.

Converting to an FLV

Converting to an SWF

Episode 4: Showcasing the SMART Tools Icon, TeqCast viewers will learn quick tips and engaging new features all with just a few clicks. Watch as we discuss this commonly overlooked feature.

The SMART Lesson Activity Toolkit is now available in French, Spanish and German, and the English version now works with SMART Response LE and CE interactive response systems.

To download the latest version of the toolkit, visit the SMART Notebook software page.

Food based math for the SMART Board.

Math teachers have long enjoyed using food in their lessons.  Whether we use M&M’s to discuss fractions, or pizza to learn about circles,  food can be a fun part of the lesson.  Subway’s recent decision to arrange their isosceles cheese slices in a more “geometrically satisfying pattern,” is the latest opportunity for teachers to integrate food into math lessons.  With the websites below, your SMART Board can be the perfect conduit to make the final connection to the curriculum.

We recently heard back from one of our poetry contest winners, Denise Langley (dowload her accrostic notebook) from Frostburg, MD.

Denise wrote us to say, “I LOVE the SMART Response clickers.  I am still learning, but have had great success with them already–the kids love them too.  Thanks so much–there are not enough words to say thanks!!!”

She was also kind enough to send us a couple of pictures. A funny aside, Denise said she used the Random Name Generator from the Lesson Activity Toolkit (download here) to help her determine which students where chosen for the picture w/ the SMART Board.

We want to say thank you to Denise and her students for the great pictures!

The Teq Summer SMART Board Academy is less than two months away (sessions start July 26) and courses are filling up quickly. So, it comes as no surprise that we have been fielding some great questions related to individual teacher’s existing SMART Board knowledge and which course(s) would be most appropriate.

Folks are asking questions such as:

“I’m a beginner SB user, what classes would you recommend?”

“I teach Social Studies and I’ve been using my SB for about a two years, do you think the SB for elementary social studies, SB and Web 2.0, and Google Earth and SB would be of benefit to me?”

“We just received our SMART Doc Cam and Response clickers. Should, we take the SMART Peripherals course or the SMART Response & SMART Response LE course?”

“I’ve had a SB in my room for the past three years and I teach accelerated 8th grade mathematics. Would you recommend I take the Utilizing Math Software on the SMART Board?”

We hope the following will help you plan your summer academy experience.

This years Academy covers a wide range of topics and there is a little something for everyone. While there isn’t a specific class for new SB users there are classes we think you will benefit from and enjoy. So, here’s a breakdown of how our courses will align with your interests.

New SMART Board Users: All of our courses are hands-on, so you will be interacting with the SMART Board — getting more comfortable using the hardware and software. We recommend the following courses:

• How to Organize and Most Effectively Use Your Computer (for Teachers) is a great choice for those who are just receiving their SMART Board and still feel a little nervous around computers.
• Bells, Whistles, and Balance explores how to create well-designed SMART Notebook lessons and will provide a great review of the Notebook software.
• Mac & Me is a great choice for anyone looking to start using a SMART Board with a Mac.

For the best experience, we recommend beginners register for Teq Certification. This four-day course will cover everything from the connection of the SMART Board and basic use through planning and designing lessons.

More experienced SMART Board Users: All of our Subject-specific courses are perfect for those who have been using their SMART Board for a little while and want to learn how to integrate the SMART Board and SMART Notebook software into their daily lessons. And, since you are probably teaching the same concepts in class, you can use what you learn right away.

We would also recommend SMART Peripherals because this course will include other products to enhance the use of your SMART Board.

Créme de la créme SMART Board Users (just kidding): More advanced users who teach math will enjoy Utilizing Math Software on the SMART Board. The course gets into math-specific software and how to integrate them with your lessons. It will also cover the new Notebook Math Tools. Those who teach social studies should checkout Google Earth for SMART Boards. Experience using Notebook is recommended.

Our course on SMART Response will also benefit teachers already familiar with the SMART Board and SMART Notebook as it will cover how to create dynamic classroom assessments with sound, video, and Flash. SMART Boards and Web 2.0 explores online applications that can enhance existing lessons and foster more collaboration in the classroom.

Whether you are just starting to use your SMART Board or have a few years of experience, we have something for everyone in our Summer Academy. Don’t miss this opportunity to build your skills and improve your lessons for next year. Register online now!

Teq is partnering with the New York Jets and The Pencil Program to provide SMART Boards for PS 46 in Bayside, Queens. The Jets selected PS 46 because the school has demonstrated a commitment to quality educator support and to creating a barrier-free environment for students with special needs.

A donation of SMART Boards is a great way to contribute to your community. If you would like information on how to make a donation of technology to your school, contact Teq’s sales team.

How many of us have tons of word lists already typed into Microsoft Word?  Bringing them into Notebook one at a time, so they will move as independent objects, is — pun intended — a drag!

To save time, I have started using my new favorite Lesson Activity Toolkit interactive item, the Text Splitter. Simply copy and paste your text from Word into Notebook and then drag and drop it into the Text Splitter. It will split your list into words or break them down even further, by letter.

This is a great time saving device!

Summer is the perfect time to gain new skills and to brush up on your technology know-how. At the Teq Summer Academy, you’ll have the opportunity to do both, while creating meaningful, interactive lessons for the upcoming school year. In addition, our Instructional Technologists will help you link your lessons to state curriculum standards and develop scoring guides to measure student achievement.

The cost of each session is $25.99, and courses begin Monday, July 26, and run through Friday, August 20. Dates are available at our Long Island, New York City, and Central New York locations.