promethean

Next Tip for Promethean Boards

Mrs SLeave a comment

This prezi was made to explain one way of creating name labels that can be used as objects in Activinspire. I have found that although I can create name labels as objects in Activinspire I have created better ones, that resize more easily, by using other software.

This method uses MSPowerPoint and MSPictureManager to create a set of objects with each student’s name on it plus an image. These can be dragged into yes/no surveys or sign in flipcharts.

 

One point that I forgot to mention in the Prezi is the universal suggestion when working with images, especially when resizing, and that is to use a copy of your originals rather than the originals themselves. If something goes wrong you can then just make another copy and try again. Simply copy the folder and paste it on your desktop or somewhere away from the originals.

I have also used Paintshop Pro and Inkscape to make labels but using the Save and Send JPEG option in MSPowerPoint or MSPublisher can be quite effective and is less intimidating for those just beginning to learn about manipulating images and using a combination of software to achieve an end point.

There would be other software that could be used in a similar fashion.

What would you use? Leave a comment to share your ideas.

Missing Your Browsers Toolbox?

Mrs SLeave a comment

A Prezi with the steps to rediscovering your Browsers Toolbox if you think that it has disappeared. This is a quick tutorial for those just beginning with the Activinspire software that runs with a Promethean interactive whiteboard. Remember you can click on the enlarge button at the bottom right of a Prezi to watch it in full screen mode and then use the escape key to return to the embedded Prezi at the end.

 

What would you need to know if you were just starting out with exploring a new Promethean board? Please leave a comment with some suggestions.

ActivInspire Tips

Mrs SLeave a comment

At my current school we are using Promethean™ interactive whiteboards in our classrooms and this year we will have almost all teachers using a board with their class.

There will be staff at all stages of board use. Some at the very beginning, some having used SMART board™ interactive whiteboards and some having used their Promethean boards for a period of time. Part of my ICT role is to provide support for our staff as we learn to make the most of our interactive whiteboards.

I have started creating some Tip of Day images and will add them to posts here on my blog as they may be of use to others who are travelling the same learning curve.

Looking at the Browsers Toolbox

 

Looking at the Shared Resources Tab

 

Sometimes the Notes tab will have useful information
What would you find useful as a tip when starting to use a Promethean interactive whiteboard? Have you any tips to share? Please leave a comment.

 

Professional Development – my responsibility

Mrs SLeave a comment

Part of my role as an educator is to also be a learner. One way that I do this is make sure that I keep reading texts, articles, blog posts and tweets about education. This helps me to consider how I teach, the effectiveness of my teaching and to find other ways to approach the teaching tasks I have. Over the school holidays I have touched base with my favourite blogs through my RSS reader – Google Reader – and I have dipped into a few books now and then. Today I came across this little gem and found a few things to inspire me. That included this piece of advice about rules:

Never have more than three rules for your media
center.

These are mine:
™ Be doing something productive
™ Be doing it in a way that allows others to be productive
™ Be respectful of other people and their property.

from Machines are the easy part; people are the hard part: Observations about making technology work in schools: Second Edition by Doug Johnson

Great little reminder to keep things simple.

School is nearly back for me and I have enjoyed creating my on PD throughout the holidays. I will need to keep creating my own PD opportunities as I move through another teaching year. My first new step was to accept the opportunity to run a PD session for some senior secondary teachers. Not something that I would have considered without being approached. We had a fairly relaxed session exploring the Promethean software that goes with the Promethean Activboards. What did I gain from this?

  • An insight into how hard it can be to learn new software.
  • Confirmation of the range of approaches to technology use by teachers.
  • How PD does need to be very personalized for teachers to gain the most benefit.
  • To slow down with my explanations!
  • That technology hiccups are always there and that finding the solution is easy afterwards but then it is too late.
  • I like talking about and sharing technology ideas with others.
How do you organize your personal PD?