EdCompass - Differentiating Instruction Sept 2008

8/14/2019 EdCompass - Differentiating Instruction Sept 2008

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September 2008 | PG 1

IN THIS ISSUE NaNcyS NoTES

a NoTE from THE EdITor

Expectations

Welcome to the September

issue of EDCompass

newsletter!

Dierentiated instruction has certainly

become a hot topic over the last ew years.

How can you design your curriculum to

meet the diverse learning styles o your

students and create more success stories

in your classroom? In this issue o the

newsletter, youll ind best practices, tips

and lesson activities to help you do just

that. Youll also learn about the SMART

Board interactive display rame, a new

product that adds interactivity to yourplasma display.

As always, i you have any comments

about the newsletter or any o the articles

eatured in this issue, wed love to hear

rom you. Please e-mail your eedback to

[email protected].

Nancys Notes .......................................... 1

Classroom Content ...............................24

News ....................................................24

Feature Article ......................................... 3

SMART Showcase School Proile .............. 4

Product Spotlight ..................................56 At SMART, we start each day with the objective o meeting our customers expectations.This extends all the way rom product design to product assembly to service and support or

new and not-so-new products. We care about your experience, with our products and with

us as a company.

Over the last ew months, the volume o products we have shipped to customers around the

world has exploded.

Thats a good thing, because it means our customers have ound value in our products and

that they are rushing to put them in as many classrooms as they can.

Thats a bad thing, because this volume explosion was unseen. It has let us reacting to an

immediate need or our products and then responding to our customers questions as they get

their classrooms up and running or the new school year.

Thankully, the length o time it takes to put our products in your hands is now back to normal

even as demand remains high. New orders are shipping rom our plant with minimal time or

normal processing.

We are still not where we want to be on the service and support ront, but our team has a planand is working hard to get back on track. Wait times on calls have been signiicantly reduced,

and we will reduce them even urther.

We take heart that our customers love our products and the experience they provide. You can

be assured that we are working hard across the company to meet your expectations.

Nancy Knowlton is the CEO of SMART Technologies.

NEWS AND RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS USING SMART PRODUCTS

September 2008

Dierentiating instruction

newsletter
mailto:[email protected]://smarttech.com/executivehttp://smarttech.com/executivemailto:[email protected]


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Youve no doubt experienced the ways SMART Notebook sotware can transormyour lessons into interactive learning opportunities.

Now, with the SMART Notebook Student Edition beta, this powerul and intuitive sotware isavailable or your students. SMART Notebook SE will enable them to organize their projects

and complete assignments in a personalized and nonlinear way. This new sotware has

an intuitive interace that allows students to quickly ind and categorize their notes and to

manage due dates.

Whether collaborating on shared computers, using PDAs, working on in-class activities or

completing homework assignments, SMART Notebook SE will ensure your students spend

less time organizing and taking notes, and more time processing and analyzing their lessons.

Complete this form to download the beta at no charge. The ull version o SMART

Notebook Student Edition will be available winter 2009. For more inormation, visit

www.smarttech.com/notebookse.

Students can share their creativity with the world!

Were offering your studentsa chance to make a permanent impact

on SMART Notebook SE. They can

enter now to have their personal My

Home creation added to the My Home

templates, which will be included in

the ull version o the sotware when

it is released next year.

My Home is a personalized home

page or your students computers.

Its a creative and customizable space

that they can adorn with their own

pictures, thoughts, doodles, notes or

drawings. The ull version o SMART

Notebook SE will contain several student-created templates.

Students can share their templates by uploading their submissions on the SMART

Exchange. All images that students use must be copyright ree.

The top designs will be announced on the Exchange on December 15, 2008, and willbe eatured in the January 2009 issue o the newsletter. These winning entries will

be included in the ull version o the sotware so students around the world can use

them. All students in the winning classrooms will also receive SMART Notebook SE USB

arm bracelets, so they can take SMART Notebook Student Edition with them to each

computer they use!

Visit the SMART Exchange now to ind out how your students can participate.

claSSroom coNTENT

Did you know you can ind teacher-created lesson activities or SMART Notebook

sotware on the SMART Exchange?

Weve included a ew in this issue that you

can use in your classroom. Try them out, and

then try posting your own. You never know,

we might eature it in an upcoming edition

o the newsletter.

Dont orget, i youre not already a member

o the SMART Exchange, youll need to

sign up to be able to access the site and

share your lessons, best practices and tips

with other educators around the world.

Here are a ew science, ESL and math

lessons to try with your students.

Even and Odd Numbers

Second-grade math students can learn how

to identiy numbers as even or odd by using

pairing and place value strategies.

Comparatives and SuperlativesK12 ESL students learn to use adjectives

in their comparative and superlative orm.

Global Warming and Our World

Science students in grades 710 learn about

greenhouse gases and how global warming

is aecting the earth and its habitat.

Teacher-createdlesson activities

NEwS

Try the SMART Notebook Student Edition beta
http://smarttech.com/notebookse/download.asphttp://www.smarttech.com/notebooksehttp://smarttech.com/ShareYourCreativityhttp://smarttech.com/ShareYourCreativityhttp://smarttech.com/ShareYourCreativityhttp://exchange.smarttech.com/files/10/default.aspxhttp://exchange.smarttech.com/files/10/default.aspxhttp://exchange.smarttech.com/user/CreateUser.aspxhttp://exchange.smarttech.com/files/folders/primary/entry2577.aspxhttp://exchange.smarttech.com/files/folders/secondary/entry2408.aspxhttp://exchange.smarttech.com/files/folders/earth_day/entry937.aspxhttp://exchange.smarttech.com/files/folders/earth_day/entry937.aspxhttp://exchange.smarttech.com/files/folders/secondary/entry2408.aspxhttp://exchange.smarttech.com/files/folders/primary/entry2577.aspxhttp://exchange.smarttech.com/user/CreateUser.aspxhttp://exchange.smarttech.com/files/10/default.aspxhttp://smarttech.com/ShareYourCreativityhttp://www.smarttech.com/notebooksehttp://smarttech.com/notebookse/download.asp


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claSSroom coNTENT

You can find a database o Senteoquestion sets on our education website.

Each question set includes 10 questions

that are correlated to local curriculum

standards and are compatible with a

matching SMART-created lesson activity on

the same topic.

Here are some o our newest Senteo

question sets that you can use with your

math, social studies and science students.

Try them out today!

Rounding to the Nearest

Whole Number

Math students in grades 46 can test their

ability at rounding decimals to the nearest

whole number.

Acid Rain, Effects

Social studies students in grades 79

can test their knowledge o the eectso acid rain and its signiicance or the

environment.

Fractionation of Crude Oil

Science students in grades 1012 can test

their knowledge o the products that are

created rom the ractionation o crude oil.

Senteo question sets

NEwS

Reaching every learner

If you ask Bruce White, dierentiated instruction is just good teaching. White is alearning technology coordinator based in London, Ontario, who supports 33 schools in theThames Valley School District. Much o his time is spent encouraging and assisting teachers to

dierentiate their instruction by making ull use o the technology tools in their classrooms.

Dierentiated instruction is making sure that every student is engaged. It means that as a

teacher you look at the needs o your students and you try to modiy your course and your

instruction to match those needs, White says. Read the full article.

fEaTUrE arTIclE

In last months issue, we highlighted the passion that our services team brings to makingevery customer interaction extraordinary. In addition to providing high-level technical support

and training services, the team is committed to empowering our customers to help themselves

as much as possible. How does SMART do this? One way is by providing a readily available,

unrivaled source o SMART product-related inormation our online knowledge base.

The extensive knowledge base on the support section o www.smarttech.com provides easy

access to a vast library o technical documents that cover virtually everything you need to know

about SMART products and their installation, administration and use. This resource includes

product and quick-reerence guides, technical bulletins, how-to articles and a series o highly

ocused troubleshooting articles.

O particular note is Top troubleshooting tips, which you can ind in the popular downloads

section o the support site. This document oers ast and simple solutions to minor issues you

may be dealing with. Its regularly updated to cover the most current questions customers have

and can be regarded as your irst source o inormation when seeking a quick answer.

I you dont ind your answer in this particular document, you can easily search the many other

resources on the site. Simply go to the Search the knowledge base section on the right-hand

side o the support site main page and enter a relevant keyword (or a document number i you

know it) into the search tool.

The knowledge base does more than just help you solve problems quickly it also adds urther

value to every SMART product you use. In much the same way that in-depth knowledge

and previous experience enables master artisans to get the very best out o their tools, the

knowledge base can help you maximize your products ull potential.

Helping yourself and adding value withSMARTs knowledge base
http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/http://www.education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/USA/Elementary/4-6/Math/Rounding+to+the+Nearest+Whole+Number+Question+Set.htmhttp://www.education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/USA/Elementary/4-6/Math/Rounding+to+the+Nearest+Whole+Number+Question+Set.htmhttp://www.education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/USA/Secondary/7-9/Social+studies/Acid+Rain+Effects+Question+Set.htmhttp://www.education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/USA/Secondary/10-12/Science/Fractionation+of+Crude+Oil+Question+Set.htmhttp://education.smarttech.com/common/education/pdf/EdcompassFeature_Sept2008.pdfhttp://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Supporthttp://www2.smarttech.com/kbdoc/129043http://www2.smarttech.com/kbdoc/129043http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Supporthttp://education.smarttech.com/common/education/pdf/EdcompassFeature_Sept2008.pdfhttp://www.education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/USA/Secondary/10-12/Science/Fractionation+of+Crude+Oil+Question+Set.htmhttp://www.education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/USA/Secondary/7-9/Social+studies/Acid+Rain+Effects+Question+Set.htmhttp://www.education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/USA/Elementary/4-6/Math/Rounding+to+the+Nearest+Whole+Number+Question+Set.htmhttp://www.education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/USA/Elementary/4-6/Math/Rounding+to+the+Nearest+Whole+Number+Question+Set.htmhttp://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Senteo/


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TeachersFirst.com oers a range o

resources and interactive activities or all

grade levels and subject areas that you can

use with your SMART Board interactive

whiteboard or Senteo interactive response

system. The activities address the needs o

your struggling and gited students with

tips on how you can tailor the instruction

or both.

Here are a ew activities to get you started.

Save the Apples

Math students in grades 15 can use

this activity to practice their addition,

subtraction, multiplication and division skills.

You can change the diiculty level to easy,

medium or hard to dierentiate the lesson

or each o your students.

Learning Resources

English students in grades 812 canimprove their reading comprehension o

noniction text. This online activity uses

actual CNN news stories to strengthen

students abilities to make inerences and

draw conclusions.

Visit the site today and see what you ind!

SmarT SHowcaSE ScHool ProfIlE

This year, Richard Sheetss students scored 1416 percent higher in American historythan they did last year. And that, he attests, is because the implementation o SMART

Board interactive whiteboards at Oak View Middle School in Newberry, Florida, has

helped his eighth-grade students become engaged and excited to learn.

Only one year beore the 20072008 school year, Oak Views ranking had slipped rom

a B to a C, according to Floridas Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Administrators

at the school ound this grade unacceptable and committed to improving students

assessment scores. Just one school year later, FCAT scores at Oak View have risen rom

a Cgrade to one point away rom anA. This success garnered Oak View Middle School

SMART Showcase School status in May 2008.

We are in a generation o students trading textbooks or text messaging, says Sheets.

Kids learn everything visually through games and interaction, and SMART Board

interactive whiteboards present lessons in a language that they understand. That has

made a tremendous improvement in our scores across the board. Read the full article

claSSroom coNTENT

Lesson activities offerideas for differentiation

SMART Board interactive whiteboards shapelearning at Oak View Middle School

Sharing best practices

Do you have any helpful tips or best practices to share with other educators about

how you acquire ICT unding? What advice would you give to your peers? Send your story inabout 150200 words to [email protected], with grants and unding story in

the subject line.

Be sure to read next months issue to see i your story is eatured!

Note: All entries submitted become the property o SMART, and you agree and grant your permission to allow SMART, in its sole

discretion, to print or reproduce your entry as it sees ft.

NEwS
http://www.teachersfirst.com/index.cfmhttp://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=8979http://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=6435http://www.teachersfirst.com/differentiate.cfmhttp://www.sbac.edu/~ovms/http://education.smarttech.com/common/education/pdf/edcompassshowcase_sept2008.pdfmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://education.smarttech.com/common/education/pdf/edcompassshowcase_sept2008.pdfhttp://www.sbac.edu/~ovms/http://www.teachersfirst.com/differentiate.cfmhttp://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=6435http://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=8979http://www.teachersfirst.com/index.cfm


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Pencil enables you to write and erase in

digital ink. You can also perorm mouse

unctions with your ingers.

Lightweight rame weighs 911 lb.

(45 kg), depending on plasma screen size

Frames small ootprint adds less than 1"

(2 cm) to the width and 2" (5 cm) to the

height o the plasma panel

Glass-ree rame lets you touch the

display surace directly, enabling precise

touch control

Native wide-viewing angle o the plasma

panel ensures that students clearly see

inormation on the screen, regardless o

where they are in the room

Projector-ree system eliminates shadowscast on the screen and light in the

presenters eyes

Inexpensive initial installation and no

ongoing or costly consumables makes

or low maintenance and total cost o

ownership

System needs to be calibrated once only

at time o installation

Frame supports most commercial plasma

display sizes ranging rom 42" to 65"

(107165 cm)

SMART Notebook sotware ships with

the unit

The SMART Board interactive display

rame creates learning spaces or next-

generation whiteboarding and classroom

collaboration. This is the frst product o its

kind or classroom environments. With the

rame, teachers can create learning stations

or small group work within the classroom,

or they can also use it as the primary

interactive display in small classrooms. Its

also ideal or special needs students whohave limited mobility because they dont

have to worry about casting shadows on

the screen.

Jhn ck

Put ne

SmarT Tehnies

ProdUcT SPoTlIgHT

SMART Board interactive display frame

You can now transform your plasma display into a SMART Board interactivedisplay, enabling you to interact with SMART Notebook lesson materials or access the

Internet. Weighing a mere 11 pounds (5 kg) or less, the slender rame attaches easily to

most commercial plasma displays to make them interactive, while retaining their high-

resolution, brilliant images.

The SMART Board interactive display rame can increase productivity and improve

learning outcomes in large classrooms, where additional displays can enable students

to work in small groups to complete assignments. Its also ideal or smaller classrooms

which some state governments have regulated and special needs classrooms, where

having unobstructed visibility o the board is essential. With this projector-ree solution,

you never have to worry about shadows cast on the screen or light rom the projector

shining in your eyes. The interactive display rame dramatically extends the application o

your existing plasma displays.

Multiuse pencil toolThe SMART Board interactive display rame comes with a new

innovative pencil tool. With it, you can use one end to write on

the board and the other end to erase your notes, and you canstill use your inger to interact with material on screen. You

never need to return the pencil tool to its tray, making it

even easier or you and your students.

You can ind more inormation on the

SMART Board interactive display frame

on www.smarttech.com.

Fast facts
http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Products/SMART+Boards/Overlays/display+frame/Default.htmhttp://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Products/SMART+Boards/Overlays/display+frame/Default.htm


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ProdUcT SPoTlIgHT

Flat-panel displayshave hit their stride and are ast replacing the old cathode ray

tube (CRT) televisions.

Flat-panel technology was once out o reach or all but a ew well-unded schools and

districts. But with prices dropping 2030 percent each year, educators are now inding

that lat-panel monitors are a viable replacement or old, bulky TVs and a logical choice

or new classroom deployments. Any CRT TV is going to take up a sizable chunk o

space, sometimes in classrooms that are already crowded. But other than the obvious

space-saving advantage o lat-panel displays, educators are attracted to their long-term

investment value. When teachers have lat-panel displays in their classrooms, not only

are they getting a superior product with enhanced image quality, the costs associated

with cleaning ilters or replacing expired lamps are eliminated.

Plasma display technologyPlasma displays deliver unsurpassed image quality and reliability in any viewingenvironment and oer adaptable, cutting-edge technology in a sleek, lexible design.

They have a lie span o 50,000 hours or more to reach hal lie, they have no

consumables (bulbs or ilters), and they can be integrated into a simple wall or loor-

stand installation. Attaching the SMART Board interactive display rame to a plasma

panel enables you to transorm learning and provide unparalleled interactivity and

spectacular image quality.

Flexible classroomscenarios

With the SMART Board interactivedisplay rame, teachers can

Facilitate small group work with a

combination o SMART Board interactive

whiteboards and displays

Turn existing plasma displays into

interactive learning centers

Use a single interactive display or small

class sizes

Mount the interactive display on a loor

stand and share it between classrooms

Accommodate special needs learners with

a shadow-ree display and intuitive pencil

Whats the deal with flat-panel displays?

2008 SMART Technologies ULC. All rights reserved. EDCompass, Senteo, SMART Board, smarttech, the SMART logo, the EDCompass logo and all SMART product logos and taglines are trademarks or registered trademarks o SMART Technologies ULC in the U.S. and/or other countries.

All other third par ty product and company names are or identifcation purposes only and may be trademarks o their respecti ve owners 11027 08

Watch for the next issue oEDCompass newsletter that will highlight

grants and unding opportunities to purchase

and implement education technology products

or your classrooms. This issue will also

introduce our new SMART Table prototype.

Up next

Documents

EdCompass - Differentiating Instruction Sept 2008