SMART Amp Spotlight Sessions

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SMART amp™ collaborative learning software

Created with the input of teachers from around the world, SMART amp is designed for the pedagogical needs of today’s classrooms. It connects a variety of different devices to a collaborative workspace where students can work together and teachers can upload lesson material and conduct real-time assessments.

In response to the high level of interest in SMART amp, SMART Education Leaders will host a special series of SMART amp Spotlight sessions from February 18 – March 27, 2014.

Tuesdays at 10 AM & Thursdays at 11 AM Eastern Standard Time

Tuesday, March 11 10 am EST, 8 am MST, 7 am PST
Thursday, March 13 11 am EST, 9 am MST, 8 am PST
Tuesday, March 18 10 am EST, 8 am MST, 7 am PST
Thursday, March 20 11 am EST, 9 am MST, 8 am PST
Tuesday, March 25 10 am EST, 8 am MST, 7 am PST
Thursday, March 27 11 am EST, 9 am MST, 8 am PST

Contact our training department to find out more about SMART amp and other SMART Resources!

 

 

 

SMART Winter Workshop Courses

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Presentation Products, Inc. in partnership with Léman Manhattan Preparatory School will conduct a series of mini-workshops for SMART users who are looking for more ways to introduce interactive activities into their classrooms. These workshops will best serve individuals who have experience with the SMART board and Notebook software, but who may want advanced instruction on how to create more engaging lessons with the technology (like the ones you saw at that conference somewhere). At the end of each session participants will have access to shared items from the Mini-workshop and will be able to use what they created in the classroom right away.

 

Quick Info:

WHAT:  A series of SMART mini-workshops that will enable  teachers to get hands on time to practice and create fun, engaging lessons, with enough interactivity to entice their students to learn! All Participants must bring their own laptop with the latest version of Notebook software installed.

WHEN: January and February 2014. See below for specific dates

WHERE: Léman Manhattan Preparatory School
41 Broad St, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10004

Please bring photo ID along with a copy of your registration confirmation for access to the building.
The cost for each workshop will be $49- a savings of over $300. Seating is limited, so register early!

See below for a listing of available mini-workshops in the Winter Series:

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Get SMARTER with NB11

January 30th, 2014
4:00-5:30 pm 

SMART Notebook 11 software offers more creativity and flexibility than ever before, with many new tools and features to help you create and deliver lessons more easily and with greater impact. Participants will learn the best practices of Notebook 11’s NEW interactive features and more.
Sign up here

Build Enrichment with Activity Builder

February 6th, 2014
4:00-5:30 pm 
In this session learn about Notebook’s latest add-on: Activity Builder. This add-on lets you quickly create interactive activities with built in feedback from scratch. By the end of the session you will have activities to share and collect, which will allow you to go out and build activities for your classroom!

 Sign up here

Teaching with Game Templates: Jeopardy, Whack-a-Mole, Concentration

February 13th, 2014
4:00-5:30 pm 
In this session, participants will learn the value of teaching with games. You’ve seen these fun games in a video and wondered how they created it, now you will know. Go home with these games and get your students up and moving to enhance their classroom experience.

 Sign up here

Widgets, Websites, and Wizards for Classroom Management

February 27th, 2014
4:00-5:30 pm 
Explore resources to incorporate fun widgets for interactive learning, embed your favorite website directly onto a page, and use various wizards in Lesson Activity Toolkit to help manage everyday classroom items like attendance, job selection, group division, and brainstorming.

 Sign up here

Personalize: Collecting, Organizing and Presenting Related Files

March 6th, 2014
4:00-5:30 pm 
In this session you’ll learn how to use SMART Notebook collaborative learning software and the SMART Board interactive whiteboard to: Organize and easily display files and media, Create flexible non-linear lessons, be more responsive to student needs and interests.

 Sign up here

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For more information,call 212-736-6350 or email [email protected]

Free SMART Notebook Lesson for Teachers

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Download Our Fee Lesson of the month. 

This month, practice Common Idioms using your SMART Interactive Whiteboard.

*You must have SMART Notebook Software to open this download.

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Changes to Notebook Software Support

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SMART is making a number of changes to offer increased flexibility for collaborative learning on any interactive device and to make it easier for schools and districts to standardize use of SMART Notebook™ collaborative learning software.  SMART is also introducing Notebook Advantage software maintenance plans to provide annual access to product upgrades and subject-specific add-ons.

With the introduction of Notebook Advantage software maintenance plans, schools and districts can ensure everyone enjoys the full benefits of the SMART Notebook platform with access to a comprehensive suite of plug-ins, widgets, learning content and subject-specific add-ons.

Effective April 1, 2014, these annual plans will also provide access to Notebook software upgrades and live technical support. See the FAQs below:

Notebook Advantage maintenance plans

What is Notebook Advantage?

Notebook Advantage is an annual paid subscription program for customers using SMART Notebook collaborative learning software. It covers upgrades, add-ons and technical support for SMART Notebook software.

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Why is SMART introducing Notebook Advantage software maintenance?

The Notebook Advantage program will allow SMART to offer increased functionality, more features and world-class customer support for SMART Notebook software

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When does Notebook Advantage take effect?

Notebook Advantage will be subject to renewal one year from the date of your hardware purchase, or April 1, 2014, whichever date comes later. Live phone support will be available for one year from date of purchase or June 30, 2014, whichever date comes later.

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If I don’t buy Notebook Advantage, what will happen?

Customers without a valid Notebook Advantage plan may continue to use their existing version of SMART Notebook software, but won’t be eligible for product updates, live technical support or subject-specific add-ons. Access to SMART’s new and improved knowledge base for self-serve support will still be available.

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If I buy new SMART hardware, do I get Notebook Advantage?

All SMART hardware includes a one-year subscription to Notebook Advantage. Customers can renew annually, or pre-purchase subscriptions for up to five years.

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If I have recently purchased SMART hardware, am I covered by Notebook Advantage?

All hardware that has already been purchased will include at least one year of Notebook Advantage, as per the effective dates above.

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Will SMART continue to support previous versions of SMART Notebook software?

Yes. SMART will support the current version of SMART Notebook software, as well as the two most recent versions.

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What is the pricing for Notebook Advantage Classroom?

Please contact your SMART authorized reseller or distributor for more information on pricing.

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Why aren’t the SMART hardware and software warranties aligned?

Hardware warranties typically protect you from component degradation or failure over time.   Notebook Advantage is different from a warranty in that it offers access to upgrades and add-ons, as well as technical support. As a result of the difference between the two offerings, you will not be negatively impacted by a difference in the coverage terms. If this is a concern, extended terms are available for SMART hardware and software, and would allow you to align coverage if desired.

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What if I phone for technical support, but don’t have a maintenance agreement?

If you don’t have a valid maintenance subscription, you are able to add maintenance to your account for up to three years after your previous agreement expired. At this time, you will be charged retroactively for the time period since the expiration of your last agreement.

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Can I buy a site license for Notebook Advantage?

You will have the option of purchasing Notebook Advantage on a site license basis. Customers will be able to renew their site license for multi-year durations of up to 5 years.

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What is the definition of a “site”?

A site can be defined as a single school, a collection of schools, or an entire district. You can decide how to define a site and will be charged accordingly.

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What is the pricing for a Notebook Advantage Site License?

Pricing is based on the number of rooms in the site.

 

Resource: smarttech.com/Education solutions

Mirroring Displays

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Having trouble getting your SMART Board to mirror your laptop/computer screen? Doing this will allow you to remotely control what is displayed on the board and allows a teacher to control the flow of a lesson while students interact with the board for specific activities. It’s easy!

Windows computer: Go to the start menu and select “control panel.”  From there click the tab that says “screen resolution” and check the box that either says “multiple displays” or “mirror display”. Hit apply!

Mac: Find your system preferences by clicking on the Apple icon at the top left of your screen. Select “displays” then, “arrangement” and check the box for “mirror displays”.

VTC Classroom

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Virtual Field Trips? Guest lecturers from France? International debates hosted in your classroom? It is no secret that audio visual technology has long been seen as a cornerstone in helping to run a 21st century school. But beyond PA systems and overhead projectors there is the world of much more far reaching technologies that will enrich learning experiences and help better prepare students for opportunities that arise later in life. This month, Presentation Products shines the spotlight on Video Tele Conference systems (VTC) and shows how they are being used in New York City Classrooms today.

Access to technology has become a right more than a privilege in today’s classrooms, and in our schools, students suffer when they are not exposed to the latest forms of communication and education technology. Organizations like Global Nomads Group, a New York based non-profit which helps schools build curriculums that incorporate the far reaches of the virtual classroom into the school day have been pushing for the use of this technology in our schools for years. In the 15 years since their birth, GNG has helped to connect more than one million students around the globe through the use of video conferencing technology. GNG primarily works to set up platforms for students to discuss global issues across national borders. Weeks after the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, they linked a classroom in Port-au-Prince with a high school in New Orleans to discuss frightening times and the poetics of hope together.

Video conferencing is effective because when integrated into the classroom correctly, it provides schools with access to an endless source of professionals and collaborators who can help to engage students in ongoing lessons and assignments. Typical systems consist of an HD camera and connection to the internet through either a dedicated VTC server or a secure hosting application. Video-conferencing can be an exciting solution for your school! Contact our Account Managers today about designing a custom system for you!

 

Flipping Your Classroom

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The Flipped Learning Network is growing. Across the Untied States and around the world, teachers are adopting “reverse learning” techniques to reach more students during the school day. In order to be successful with this model, teachers must understand how to make learning resources available to their students after 3:00 pm. It’s easy to create lectures using SMART Notebook software, which allows you to record voice and computer activity and post videos for students to access from home.

SMART understands the needs of teachers using this model and can help you get more out of your flipped classroom. In case you haven’t heard of it before, the Flipped Classroom is a teaching model in which the typical lecture and homework sections of a course are reversed so that students get introduced to new concepts through videos watched at home, and come into class the next day prepared to work together on projects, practice new material through problem sets, and engage in more two-way discussions with each other and instructors during class time. In the basic workflow, teachers begin by creating short videos (15 minutes or less) with screen-casts and voice guidance. These videos are then posted online so that students can access them on their own time and at home. Having students watch lectures at home helps to develop a more student centered classroom, where class-time can be used to encourage learning through engagement and develop new concepts with related activities. SMART Notebook Software allows you to prepare all of this for your classroom.

There are plenty of opportunities to learn more about best practices with the flipped classroom. The recently launchedFlipped Learning Network, is a valuable resource/community for teachers looking to improve upon the model. Jonathon Bergmann and Aaron Sams have also written a guide to flipped learning, called Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day. Here is a video of Aaron Sams explaining his experience with the Flipped Classroom.  You can also invest to improve your lessons with the help of PPI SMART Trainings. Learn how to use technology to flip your classroom and have your questions answered by our SMART Trainers. Email us today and mention the promotional code WB13 to set up a training in your school or in our dedicated training room.

SMART amp

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In late November, SMART announced a partnership with Google which will utilize Google’s Cloud Platform to improve the reaches of collaborative education. Teachers and students will be able to log in to SMART amp software with their Google username and share lesson materials from any device with internet access. This could be the answer to setting up a consistent experience for teachers and their students. Stay updated as more news is announced about SMART amp and stay in touch for information on training from Presentation Products’ SMART Trainers and Google Educators.