Teachers Love SMART Boards

SMART Boards and Google Earth

Sometimes I receive emails asking what I think about a particular software application and whether it could be used with the SMART Board. Other times people just come right out and ask what I think is the coolest software program to use with the SMART Board. When it comes to coolest, that's a very difficult question to answer.

The first application that I thought of (actually, I didn't spend any time at all thinking) was Google Earth. That being the case, here are a few things to acquaint teachers with Google Earth.

1. First let's take a look at Google's description of the free version of Google Earth:

Google Earth lets you fly anywhere on Earth to view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings and even explore galaxies in the Sky. You can explore rich geographical content, save your toured places and share with others.

2. Next, I suggest that you get some ideas of how to use Google Earth in the classroom by viewing Tom Barrett's wonderful Google Earth slideshow:

3. I highly recommend The Google Earth Lessons website for ideas of how to use Google Earth in the classroom.

4. Lastly, let me show you a fun video called "Where in Google Earth is Matt" from "Where the Hell is Matt." Here is the link to get Matt's Google Earth kml file. This is not to be missed! (By the way, if you've never seen Matt dance around the world, you're in for a big treat!)

Please send comments if you use Google Earth in the classroom and let everyone know what you think!

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SMART Boards and 1st Grade Mathematics

I found a great website created by a third grade teacher by the name of Christopher Wright. He's done a great job gathering and sharing education eLearning resouces. While browsing through his links, I found that most of them worked very well with interactive whiteboards since kids only needed to touch and/or drag objects to answer questions or interact with the information.

Here is a list of Mr. Wright's 1st Grade Math resources. I like almost all these links although the Elementary Test Prep link did not work for me and the aaamath site has a few too many ads for my taste. I absolutely love the Willy the Watch Dog game!

Rolla Public Schools: First Grade Links via kwout

Thanks Christopher for putting together such great resources!

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SMART Board and Animoto

I'm really excited to tell you about an opportunity for educators to get an all-access pass to Animoto. If you're not familiar with this amazing video Web 2.0 tool, get ready to be impressed!

The education program provided by Animoto provides educators with an all-access pass to create full-length videos. To learn more about the program, you can read an overview of the Animoto Education Program. I remember the first time I created an video using Animoto. It was the most impressive web application I had ever seen. It's really easy to use and it's guaranteed to impress you.

Here's an intro to math video I created in about 2 minutes:

Obviously, the SMART Board is a perfect tool to display your Animoto project videos, however, it is also a great tool to use while creating your videos.

Please pass this along to your fellow educators!

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SMART Boards and Villainy, Inc.

I love fun and creative ways to introduce math concepts to kids. I just spent the last 30 minutes playing around with a Middle School (grades 5 thru 8) math site called Villainy, Inc. that lets kids play a game to learn about various mathematical concepts. The site is very well organized, it has a standards guide, and it has a very good teacher guide. I think this would be a fun way for the kids to spend a Friday afternoon. The site would be great for kids working in pairs in the computer lab or teacher could guide the class and play these games on the SMART Board. The kids will love working together to help thwart world supremacy.

Here's a screen shot of the main page. Go ahead and click on the links in the black menu bar below.

Villainy, Inc. | Maryland Public Television via kwout

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SMART Board and Screencasts: Using FreeScreencast.com

I have become a very big fan of the FreeScreenCast.com website that allows you to record, save, and view screencasts quickly and easily. Best of all, it's free!!

I will demonstrate how to create a screencast video using the FreeScreenCast.com website and Screencast Recorder application that you download from the FreeScreenCast.com website.

This first video takes you through the process of how to record your screencast. The second video shows you the actual screencast.

Video: Recording Screencasts Using FreeScreenCast.com and the Screencast Recorder:

                      

Video: How to use the Screen Shade in the Smart Notebook software:

I hope you enjoyed this demonstration. Please share this with other teachers!

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SMART Boards: What the heck has Jim been up to?

Hi everyone!

I want to thank everyone who has inquired as to my whereabouts. While I haven't posted in a month, I'm still alive and kickin'.

Initially, my blog updates stopped due to me catching the flu. I then took a vacation that involved no Internet activity what-so-ever (Boy is that a difficult thing to do). When I got back, I had a lot on my plate with some cool training initiatives centered around the new version of Office 2007 (awesome update). I also started a job search to see if I could find that perfect match.

I should be resuming my daily updates very soon!

Oh, if you want a fun new SMART Board resource, check out Anne Marie's blog called: Talking SMARTBoards & Much More! Sharing Ideas to use the SMARTBoard in a Special Education Classroom.

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