April 2008 | PG 1

IN THIS ISSUE NaNcy’S NoTES

a NoTE from THE EdITor

A Perfect Ten

Welcome to the special Notebook software 10 issue!Over the past several months, we’ve tantalized your taste buds with bites of information on some of the new lesson-creation features in Notebook™ collaborative learning software. Now it’s available and better than ever!

In this issue, watch Adobe® Flash® demos on how to jazz up your lessons with version 10, and discover other teaching resources like the new Lesson Activity Toolkit and the next generation of the Teachers’ Hub. We’ve also included eight new SMART-created lesson activities developed in Notebook software 10.

As always, if you have any comments about the newsletter or any of the information featured in this issue, we’d love to hear from you. Please e-mail your feedback to education@smarttech.com.

Nancy’s Notes ........................................... 1

Classroom Content ...............................2, 4

News ........................................................ 2

Contests ................................................... 3

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

SMART Showcase School Profile ............... 4

Notebook Spotlight .............................. 5–6

That’s what we hope this latest version of Notebook collaborative learning software proves to be for our customers. Releasing version 10 of any software is not an everyday occurrence. Version 10 typically means more than a decade of work on increasingly sophisticated versions of the software. For us, it represents 17 years of development effort.

Notebook software 10 reflects our strongly held belief in the value of standard interfaces. Over the last 17 years, teachers have grown accustomed to Windows®, Mac and Linux® conventions. The Notebook interface builds on these standards, making it easy for teachers to learn and then progress rapidly to a level of comfort and mastery. Our sparing use of icons also makes it easy to access functions without getting bogged down in a series of toolbars.

A number of resources support version 10, so teachers can get the most out of it right away. New lesson activities take advantage of the software’s features and tight integration with Senteo™ interactive response system. Training materials are available on our website, and live instructor-led sessions are available online. We also have new tools that allow teachers to easily aggregate and share content in the Gallery.

So take a look at Notebook software 10, and explore its features and functions. You’ll find many great tools and resources for you and your students.

In the end, what version 10 really means is commitment – commitment to making your experience using our products extraordinary today and in the future.

Nancy Knowlton is the CEO of SMART Technologies.

NEWS AND RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS USING SMART PRODUCTS

April 2008

Notebook software 10

newsletter

April 2008 | PG 2

claSSroom coNTENT NEwS

Notebook software lesson activities

Hundreds of high-quality K–12 lesson activities can be found on the education solutions website. Each lesson is correlated to local curriculum standards and created by classroom teachers or SMART’s team of curriculum resource developers.

Try out some of the lessons activities we’ve created using Notebook software 10.

The following are some elementary lessons to get you started, including one for Mother’s Day. There’s more on page 4 of the newsletter.

Dressing for the Season K–3 science students learn about the 12 months of the year and the clothing most suitable for each season.

Mother’s Day Math K–3 math students answer questions based on real-life occurrences.

Getting Things in Order K–3 language arts students learn how to arrange sentences in sequential order.

Grid References Social studies students in grades 4–6 learn how to use a grid and practice using the grid reference for finding objects.

Discover the new Teachers’ Hub

We’ve redesigned the Teachers’ Hub so it’s even easier for you to find the resources you need to get the most out of your SMART products. There’s something for everyone – whether you’re just starting out with SMART Board™ interactive whiteboards or you’ve been using them for years.

If you’re a beginner, easy-to-follow training resources will quickly teach you the basics of incorporating your SMART Board interactive whiteboard and Notebook software into your daily routine.

For experienced users, the Teachers’ Hub offers a variety of training, content and networking resources to help you improve your skills. From one convenient location, you can learn how to enhance your use of Notebook software, the SMART Board interactive whiteboard and other SMART products so you can create and teach high-impact, interactive lessons. You’ll also find links to lesson activities and question sets for the Senteo™ interactive response system.

Creating lessons was never easier

We listened to your feedback on the pilot version of the Lesson Activity Toolkit and worked to make it even better. The full version is now available and is directly accessible from the Notebook software 10 Gallery. The new Toolkit is full of customizable tools and templates to help you create professional looking lessons that have all the appeal and interactive power of SMART-created lesson activities, as well as engaging content like word games, quizzes and sorting tables.

Try out the Toolkit to easily develop sophisticated lesson activities of your own.

April 2008 | PG 3

coNTESTS

fEaTUrE arTIclE

Digging deeper

Wesley Fryer, an Oklahoma-based educator, author, blogger, speaker and long-time advocate of technology integration in schools, is a firm believer that layering lessons with digital content makes learning authentic. And when that happens – when a teacher brings meaningful content to the students, or has them seek it out and manipulate it to make a concept come to life – that’s when learning goes beyond the surface of the facts. That’s when learning becomes authentic. Read the full article.

Share, vote and win

Congratulations to Jo Ann Molnar from West Potomac High School in Alexandria, Virginia, for receiving the most peer votes for her lesson activity, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” in last month’s contest on the SMART Exchange. Jo Ann will receive a SMART Board 600i interactive whiteboard system and a one-year subscription to the SMART Learning Marketplace, for an approximate combined value of US$3,500.

You still have a chance to win! We are hosting two more lesson activity contests on the SMART Exchange. Submit your best lesson activities for the back-to-school season, and be entered to win the same prize pack for your school.

For our second contest, the deadline for submissions is June 3, 2008. The top 20 lessons will be selected by a panel of judges and highlighted on the SMART Exchange until August 1, 2008. During that time, members of the SMART Exchange will be able to vote for their favorite entries. The winner will be the lesson activity with the most peer votes.

If you are not already a member of the SMART Exchange, sign up today and start posting your lessons, then get ready to vote for your favorites!

Visit the SMART Exchange for contest details.

Congratulations to our winner!

Thanks to everyone who filled out our reader survey. Your feedback will help us make the newsletter meet the needs of thousands of educators across North America.

From the hundreds of educators that participated in the survey, Paula Jasper-Hall from Pacific Junction School in Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been randomly selected as the winner of a SMART Board 600i interactive whiteboard system. Congratulations!

Visit a Showcase School and win!

If you visit a SMART Showcase School before May 31, you could be eligible to win a SMART Board 600i interactive whiteboard system for your school. The winner and their designated school will be selected by random draw on June 2, 2008, and announced in next month’s issue. For full contest details, please read the contest terms and conditions.

Enter now for your chance to win a 600i.

April 2008 | PG 4

SmarT SHowcaSE ScHool profIlE

All hands up for Notebook software

A few years back, teachers at Norwood Elementary School were finding it difficult to capture and hold students’ attention. Now, lessons at the school in El Monte, California, are engaging, interactive and fun. As a result, students are more interested in what they’re learning and are excited to participate.

It was two years ago that Darice Wallace, principal at Norwood Elementary, began implementing interactive whiteboards in classrooms and noticing a difference in the way students participated. “Whenever our teachers were using the SMART Board interactive whiteboard, the intensity of the students paying attention dramatically increased,” Wallace explains. This school year, all 21 teachers have a SMART Board interactive whiteboard, Notebook software and an AirLiner™ wireless slate in their classrooms. This was the first step toward transforming the learning experience at Norwood and the way teachers interact with their students.

“Prior to using a SMART Board interactive whiteboard, fifth- and sixth-grade students sometimes seemed disinterested in their studies and were hesitant to participate,” says Carolyn Uchiyamada, a fifth-grade teacher at Norwood. “With Notebook, they can write on the SMART Board interactive whiteboard and every student wants to participate.”

Notebook software is a valuable tool not only for day-to-day work, but it can also help to ensure students are continuously improving. Where problem areas are apparent, teachers use the SMART Recorder to podcast Notebook software lesson activities that review content correlated to California state standards. These lesson activities are posted on the district’s website so students and parents can go over lessons that cover difficult subject matter at home.

Robert Moore, third-grade math teacher at Norwood, says since he’s been podcasting Notebook software lessons for his students to review at home, it has improved their overall performance. “My students were having trouble with conversions,” says Moore. “Since they love technology and using Notebook software, I thought that if I combine the two by podcasting the lesson, it would really get their attention. Now, my students are understanding conversions that they were having difficulties with in the past.”

All of this has really made Norwood a leader and pioneer in technology for the El Monte City School District and community. Since becoming a SMART Showcase School last year, many administrators and technology coordinators have visited Norwood to observe how teachers and students are interacting with SMART products.

If you would like to visit Norwood Elementary School to talk with educators about their success and see firsthand how they’re putting SMART products to work, visit the SMART Showcase School section on the education solutions website. From this page, you can also find a Showcase School or District in your area.

claSSroom coNTENT

Notebook software lesson activities

Try these lesson activities created in Notebook software 10 with your secondary students.

Roman Gods Social studies students in grades 7–9 explore the meaning of polytheism and monotheism, and learn about the gods and goddesses of ancient Rome. This lesson activity also contains questions that integrate with the Senteo interactive response system.

The Structure of a Leaf Science students in grades 10–12 learn about the functions of various structures in a leaf. This lesson activity also contains questions that integrate with the Senteo interactive response system.

Mean, Median and Mode Math students in grades 10–12 learn about mean, median and mode, and practice finding averages.

Forming Paragraphs English students in grades 10–12 learn how to construct meaningful paragraphs by combining and connecting sentences with transitional words and phrases.

April 2008 | PG 5

NoTEbook SpoTlIgHT

Did you know?

The Welcome Center instantly opens •when Notebook software 10 is launched and puts SMART Tools, the Teachers’ Hub and technical support right at your fingertips

You can now access and insert Senteo •question sets directly into Notebook software, even if you don’t own a Senteo interactive response system

You can use the new Properties Tab to •change an object’s line style, fill effects and animation options, all from one accessible location

The spell check feature is even better. Just •like when you’re in the editing mode of a Word document, the software automatically scans text, objects and documents

You can separate Notebook pages into •groups. You can also add new pages, show one group at a time and drag pages around to organize them

Notebook software 10 now available

You’ve been anticipating the launch of the most powerful version of Notebook software yet, and now it’s here. With over 30 new lesson-creation features, you can transform your lessons into exciting learning opportunities.

With so many new features in version 10, there just isn’t enough room to talk about them all. Here are five favorites that will make teaching even easier and learning more exciting and fun. Click on the name of each feature to watch a quick Flash demo on how you can use it in your lessons.

Table Tool Create a table from the Notebook software toolbar, then insert or drag text, images and objects into any table cell with ease. You can also add or delete individual cells to create asymmetric tables.

Magic Pen Use this three-in-one tool to spotlight or magnify any image, and write notes that will disappear in 10 seconds. Draw a square to magnify an object or draw a circle to add a spotlight.

Object Animation Animate any object in Notebook software with fun effects such as fading in, flying in or spinning.

Themes Create themed pages using elements such as fonts, background colors and images, and apply them to Notebook pages.

Shape Pen When you draw a freehand shape, Notebook software will recognize it and perfect it.

Learn more about these and many other features for creating and teaching lessons in the Notebook software 10 section on SMART’s website.

Upgrade today and start creating extraordinary moments in your classroom.

NOTE: To upgrade your software, you’ll need to enter the serial number of a SMART hardware product and fill in a form. Then, we’ll e-mail you a product key to activate your software.

April 2008 | PG 6

NoTEbook SpoTlIgHT

Up next

Watch for the next issue of EDCompass™ newsletter, Gearing up for NECC, coming out mid-May. In this issue, you can get a sneak peak at what SMART has planned for the National Education Computing Conference (NECC) in June.

Teacher testimonials

We spoke with two educators who have been testing Notebook software 10 over the past few months. Here’s what they had to say about it:

“When I first saw Notebook software 10 being demoed at a SMART users’ group in Arlington, Virginia, I knew the teachers at my school would be thrilled to start using it.

The number one reaction that I hear is that teachers love the new Table tool. It’s so easy to create a table, whether you’re preparing a lesson ahead of time or on the fly in class. And when you drag objects or words into the table cells, you never need to resize them. They click into place perfectly.

The Magic Pen is a hit with the students. In our second-grade social studies classroom, the teacher went on the Internet to pull up a photograph from the Library of Congress American Memory Collection. The students came up to the SMART Board interactive whiteboard and used the Magic Pen to draw squares around objects that Native Americans had created. The students loved how the Magic Pen magnified the objects they were drawing attention to. It really helped to engage them and they had a lot of fun with the exercise.”

Tammi Sisk, technology specialistHalley Elementary SchoolFairfax Station, Virginia

“We are using Notebook software 10 all the time in every subject, and we’re having a lot of fun with it. I’m using it with the Senteo system and my students love it.

I use the Themes feature when I’m creating lessons. I save all of my themes in the Gallery so that I can use them again, which is a great time-saver. I also use the Eye Dropper to match colors and to make the Notebook page more uniform.

So much has been added to Notebook software 10. SMART is always doing something new and always improving the product, and I think that’s a real benefit for teachers. Educators can always count on SMART to produce a product that is feature rich and easy to use, which is exactly what this new version of Notebook software is. The new interface is clean and easy to navigate, and the Welcome Center is a big highlight for teachers because it puts everything in one convenient location.”

Brad Nikunen, fourth-grade teacherEdgerton Elementary School Kalispell, Montana

© 2008 SMART Technologies ULC. All rights reserved. Notebook, SMART Board, Senteo, AirLiner, EDCompass, smarttech, the SMART logo and all SMART product logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SMART Technologies ULC in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other third-party product and company names are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. 10318-08

Quick Notebook software tips

Customize your toolbar by adding the •tools you use most, and then move it to the bottom of your page for easy access

After selecting a tool, scroll through a •horizontal menu that doesn’t interfere with your Notebook page and stays open until you have finished

Create a transparency layer over your •desktop that functions like a Notebook page. Capture your work and insert it into Notebook software with the click of a button.

Prevent students from altering lessons •by locking the SMART Board interactive whiteboard, AirLiner wireless slate and Sympodium interactive pen display

Modify settings and share them across •a network of computers with the new Administrator Toolkit

Have you registered?Whether you’re using the software for the first time or upgrading to version 10, you will have to register to activate your software with a product key. The first 10,000 people to register for their product key will receive 60 MB of free digital content from the SMART Learning Marketplace.

Fill out the registration form now to upgrade to Notebook software 10 and for a chance to get a free trial of the SMART Learning Marketplace.