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1. newsletter
April 2008
NEWS AND RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS USING SMART PRODUCTS
Notebook software 10
I N T H I S I SS U E N a N c y’S N o T E S
A Perfect Ten
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
a N oT E f r o m T H E E d I To r 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.
Welcome to the special
Notebook software 10 issue! Notebook software 10 reflects our strongly held belief in the value of standard
Over the past several months, we’ve tantalized interfaces. Over the last 17 years, teachers have grown accustomed to Windows®, Mac
your taste buds with bites of information on and Linux® conventions. The Notebook interface builds on these standards, making it
some of the new lesson-creation features in easy for teachers to learn and then progress rapidly to a level of comfort and mastery.
Notebook™ collaborative learning software. Our sparing use of icons also makes it easy to access functions without getting bogged
Now it’s available and better than ever! down in a series of toolbars.
In this issue, watch Adobe® Flash® demos on A number of resources support version 10, so teachers can get the most out of it right
how to jazz up your lessons with version 10, away. New lesson activities take advantage of the software’s features and tight integration
and discover other teaching resources like with Senteo™ interactive response system. Training materials are available on our website,
the new Lesson Activity Toolkit and the next and live instructor-led sessions are available online. We also have new tools that allow
generation of the Teachers’ Hub. We’ve also teachers to easily aggregate and share content in the Gallery.
included eight new SMART-created lesson
activities developed in Notebook software 10. 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.
As always, if you have any comments about
the newsletter or any of the information In the end, what version 10 really means is commitment – commitment to making your
featured in this issue, we’d love to hear experience using our products extraordinary today and in the future.
from you. Please e-mail your feedback to
education@smarttech.com. Nancy Knowlton is the CEO of SMART Technologies.
April 2008 | PG 1

2. c l a SS r o o m c o N T E N T NEwS
Notebook software Discover the new Teachers’ Hub
lesson activities
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.
Hundreds of high-quality K–12 For experienced users, the Teachers’ Hub offers a
lesson activities can be found on the variety of training, content and networking resources
education solutions website. Each lesson is to help you improve your skills. From one convenient
correlated to local curriculum standards and location, you can learn how to enhance your use of
created by classroom teachers or SMART’s Notebook software, the SMART Board interactive
team of curriculum resource developers. 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
Try out some of the lessons activities we’ve
sets for the Senteo™ interactive response system.
created using Notebook software 10.
The following are some elementary
lessons to get you started, including one for
Creating lessons was never easier
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.
We listened to your feedback on the pilot version of the Lesson Activity Toolkit
Getting Things in Order
K–3 language arts students learn how to and worked to make it even better. The full version is now available and is directly
arrange sentences in sequential order. 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
Grid References and interactive power of SMART-created lesson activities, as well as engaging content like
Social studies students in grades 4–6 learn word games, quizzes and sorting tables.
how to use a grid and practice using the
Try out the Toolkit to easily develop sophisticated lesson activities of your own.
grid reference for finding objects.
April 2008 | PG 2

3. c o N T E ST S
Share, vote and win Congratulations to
our winner!
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,
Thanks to everyone who filled out our
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 reader survey. Your feedback will help us make
Learning Marketplace, for an approximate combined value of US$3,500. the newsletter meet the needs of thousands of
educators across North America.
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 From the hundreds of educators that
entered to win the same prize pack for your school. participated in the survey, Paula Jasper-Hall
from Pacific Junction School in Winnipeg,
For our second contest, the deadline for submissions is June 3, 2008. The top 20 lessons Manitoba, has been randomly selected as the
will be selected by a panel of judges and highlighted on the SMART Exchange until winner of a SMART Board 600i interactive
August 1, 2008. During that time, members of the SMART Exchange will be able to vote whiteboard system. Congratulations!
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
Visit a Showcase
posting your lessons, then get ready to vote for your favorites!
School and win!
Visit the SMART Exchange for contest details.
f E aT U r E a r T I c l E
Digging deeper
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
Wesley Fryer, an Oklahoma-based educator, author, blogger, speaker and selected by random draw on June 2, 2008,
and announced in next month’s issue. For
long-time advocate of technology integration in schools, is a firm believer that layering
full contest details, please read the contest
lessons with digital content makes learning authentic. And when that happens – when
terms and conditions.
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. Enter now for your chance to win a 600i.
April 2008 | PG 3

4. c l a SS r o o m c o N T E N T S m a r T S H owc a S E Sc H o o l p r o f I l E
Notebook software All hands up for Notebook software
lesson activities
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
Try these lesson activities created their classrooms. This was the first step toward transforming the learning experience at
in Notebook software 10 with your Norwood and the way teachers interact with their students.
secondary students.
“Prior to using a SMART Board interactive whiteboard, fifth- and sixth-grade students
Roman Gods sometimes seemed disinterested in their studies and were hesitant to participate,” says Carolyn
Social studies students in grades 7–9 Uchiyamada, a fifth-grade teacher at Norwood. “With Notebook, they can write on the
explore the meaning of polytheism and SMART Board interactive whiteboard and every student wants to participate.”
monotheism, and learn about the gods
and goddesses of ancient Rome. This Notebook software is a valuable tool not only for day-to-day work, but it can also help to
lesson activity also contains questions ensure students are continuously improving. Where problem areas are apparent, teachers
that integrate with the Senteo interactive 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
response system.
website so students and parents can go over lessons that cover difficult subject matter at home.
The Structure of a Leaf
Science students in grades 10–12 learn Robert Moore, third-grade math teacher at Norwood, says since he’s been podcasting
about the functions of various structures Notebook software lessons for his students to review at home, it has improved their
in a leaf. This lesson activity also contains overall performance. “My students were having trouble with conversions,” says Moore.
questions that integrate with the Senteo “Since they love technology and using Notebook software, I thought that if I combine the
interactive response system. 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.”
Mean, Median and Mode
Math students in grades 10–12 learn about All of this has really made Norwood a leader and pioneer in technology for the El Monte City
mean, median and mode, and practice School District and community. Since becoming a SMART Showcase School last year, many
finding averages. administrators and technology coordinators have visited Norwood to observe how teachers
and students are interacting with SMART products.
Forming Paragraphs
English students in grades 10–12 learn how 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
to construct meaningful paragraphs by
Showcase School section on the education solutions website. From this page, you can also
combining and connecting sentences with
transitional words and phrases. find a Showcase School or District in your area.
April 2008 | PG 4

5. N oT E b o o k S p oT l I g H T
Notebook software 10 now available Did you know?
You’ve been anticipating the launch of the most powerful version of Notebook • The Welcome Center instantly opens
software yet, and now it’s here. With over 30 new lesson-creation features, you can when Notebook software 10 is launched
transform your lessons into exciting learning opportunities. and puts SMART Tools, the Teachers’
Hub and technical support right at your
With so many new features in version 10, there just isn’t enough room to talk about fingertips
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 • You can now access and insert Senteo
how you can use it in your lessons. question sets directly into Notebook
software, even if you don’t own a
Table Tool Senteo interactive response system
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 • You can use the new Properties Tab to
individual cells to create asymmetric tables. change an object’s line style, fill effects
and animation options, all from one
Magic Pen accessible location
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 • The spell check feature is even better. Just
a circle to add a spotlight. like when you’re in the editing mode of a
Word document, the software automatically
Object Animation scans text, objects and documents
Animate any object in Notebook software with fun effects such as fading
in, flying in or spinning. • You can separate Notebook pages into
groups. You can also add new pages,
Themes show one group at a time and drag
Create themed pages using elements such as fonts, background colors and pages around to organize them
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.
To upgrade your software, you’ll need to enter the serial number of a SMART hardware
NOTE:
product and fill in a form. Then, we’ll e-mail you a product key to activate your software.
April 2008 | PG 5

6. N oT E b o o k S p oT l I g H T
Quick Notebook Teacher testimonials
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
We spoke with two educators who have been testing Notebook software 10 over
• Create a transparency layer over your
the past few months. Here’s what they had to say about it:
desktop that functions like a Notebook
page. Capture your work and insert it
“When I first saw Notebook software 10 being demoed at a SMART users’ group in
into Notebook software with the click of
Arlington, Virginia, I knew the teachers at my school would be thrilled to start using it.
a button.
• Prevent students from altering lessons
The number one reaction that I hear is that teachers love the new Table tool. It’s so
by locking the SMART Board interactive
easy to create a table, whether you’re preparing a lesson ahead of time or on the fly
whiteboard, AirLiner wireless slate and
in class. And when you drag objects or words into the table cells, you never need to
Sympodium interactive pen display
resize them. They click into place perfectly.
• Modify settings and share them across
a network of computers with the new
The Magic Pen is a hit with the students. In our second-grade social studies classroom,
Administrator Toolkit
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
Have you registered? 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
Whether you’re using the software for
they were drawing attention to. It really helped to engage them and they had a lot of
the first time or upgrading to version
fun with the exercise.”
10, you will have to register to activate
your software with a product key. The
Tammi Sisk, technology specialist
first 10,000 people to register for their
Halley Elementary School
product key will receive 60 MB of free
Fairfax Station, Virginia
digital content from the SMART Learning
Marketplace.
Fill out the registration form now to “We are using Notebook software 10 all the time in every subject, and we’re having a
upgrade to Notebook software 10 and for lot of fun with it. I’m using it with the Senteo system and my students love it.
a chance to get a free trial of the SMART
Learning Marketplace. 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
Up next 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
Watch for the next issue of EDCompass™ 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.”
newsletter, Gearing up for NECC, coming
out mid-May. In this issue, you can get a
Brad Nikunen, fourth-grade teacher
sneak peak at what SMART has planned
Edgerton Elementary School
for the National Education Computing
Kalispell, Montana
Conference (NECC) in June.
April 2008 | PG 6
© 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