The ActvSoftware’s Drag a Copy option is perfect for modeling math problems, creating a tic-tac-toe game, labeling parts of speech, or creating diagrams.

     

  

 

Day 10: Using Drag a Copy

Step 1: Choose an object from the Resource Library or type text that will be utilized multiple times on the flipchart page.

 

Step 2:  Right Click on the selected object or text.

 

                                   Step 3: Choose Edit.

 

                                  Step 4: Choose Drag a Copy.

Need a quick way to review?  Provide variety and fun into lessons?  Try a Rub and Reveal!

     

 

Day 9: Create a Rub and Reveal

Step 1:  Drag and object from the Resource Library or type text to be revealed.

Step 2:  Right click on the object and choose “Lock” to prevent accidental movement.

Step 3:  From the Resource Library, drag an object or shape to serve as the cover for the first object.

Step 4:  Right Click on the newly added object.

Step 5:  Choose Layer.

Step 6:  Choose Top.

Step 7:  Move the object over the object or text to be hidden.

Step 8:  Use the eraser to reveal the hidden object.

Honestly, 30 Days to Get Activ: Days 1-7 detailed everything needed to create a traditional lesson.  Now, it’s time to get “active” by creating a flipchart page in which students will critically examine and classify information.

Classifying is a thinking skill used to organize information and ideas.  It is vital for processing information and applying the information in new ways.  Classifying develops students’ ability to identify common features, improves their ability to handle and interpret information, and enables them to retrieve that information from their long-term memories more easily.  It encourages students to critically examine concepts and gain an insight into the principles and structures of the subject for themselves.

Below are examples of Classifying Activities.  Classifying Activities can be used across the curriculum.

         

      

Day 8: Create a Classifying Activity

Step 1: Drag from the Resource Library something to hide the items to be classified.

Step 2: Right Click on the object behind which the other items will hide.

Step 3: Choose Edit.

Step 4: Choose Layer.

Step 5: Choose Top.

Step 6:  Once the object is the correct size and in the correct location, lock it into place by right clicking on the object and selecting Lock.

Step 7:  Place on the flipchart page the items to be classified. Items can be text or pictures.  They will automatically be placed on the middle layer.

Step 8:  Drag all items to be hidden behind the 1^st object.

Fabulous New App: 

My Planet for iPhone gives Promethean Planet members instant access to:

· Teacher submitted lesson plans
· Planet News and Events
· ActivSoftware video tutorials
· Teacher Feature videos demonstrating exemplary ActivClassroom lessons
· Latest Blog posts from the community
· Recent threads and posts from the Forum
· Helpful links to product support and updates 

                                                                                                                 

 

 

 

Fun Gadget: MiLi Pro

 

 

 

Carry a personal movie theater to watch movies, video clips,  and vodcasts at anytime and anywhere!  PhoneSuit’s new MiLi Pro is the perfect iPhone/ iPod accessory complete with a portable video projector and speaker system.

     

    

Using Discovery Education Streaming and DE Resources in the ActivClassroom gets students energized and engaged in hands-on learning experiences.  Video is an instructional medium that generates excitement and is perfect for both visual and auditory learners. Video provides an innovative and effective means for educators to address the curricular concepts.

There is substantial research promoting the use of video in the classroom as a dynamic resource for supporting curricula.  Lori Griffin, Curriculum Director of Library Video Company makes the suggestions for effective use of video in the classroom:

• Prepare and plan for the use of a video in the classroom.
• Determine specific learning objectives.
• Develop an instructional sequence.
• Plan for reinforcement activities.
• Preview video to be shown prior to using it in the classroom.

 

Day 7: Embedding Video Files into a Flipchart

Set Video to Play when Icon is Clicked

Step 1: Right Click on the page where the video will play

 

Step 2: Choose File Link

 

Step 3: Select the Movie file from saved location

 

Step 4: Choose how you want to see the file (Text, Image, or Action Icon)

 

Step 5: Select “Store in Flipchart” to ensure the movie will always be just a click away

—OR—

 

Set Video to Play when an Object is Clicked

 

Step 1:  Select an Object from the Resource Library

 

Step 2:  Right Click on the Object to display a sidebar menu

 

Step 3:  Choose Properties

 

Step 4:  Choose Actions

 

Step 5:  Choose File

 

Step 6:  From drop down menu, select “Play Embedded File”

 

Step 7:  Select “SET” and then use the browser to select the desired file

 

For effective video integration ideas, check out 50 Ways to Integrate by Discovery Education.

In almost any classroom, a common sequence of events can be witnessed.  A teacher structures content to be discussed, solicits a student response, and then reacts to the response. Questioning is so common that researchers estimate 80% of a class period is devoted to questions and answers.  Effective questioning allows students to compose a response and thereby engaging them in the learning process.  While questioning is extremely useful to gain student attention, diagnose understanding, jog memory, structure and redirect learning, it is important that questions and answers are not lost in the air.  Use ActivStudio actions to create a pop out to engage students and scaffold the discussion.  Note: Pop outs are simply text that is revealed when a pre-determined object is touched.

Day 6: Making Pop Outs

Step 1:  Type the text that will be revealed

             

Step 2:  Right click on the text to reveal a sidebar menu

Step 3:  Choose Properties

Step 4:  Select Appearance

Step 5:  The “Visible” box is checked.  Make object invisible by clicking the box to de-select “visible”.

Step 6: Pull an object from the resource library to be object set to reveal text.

Step 7:  Right click the object to reveal a sidebar menu

Step 8: Choose  Properties

Step 9:  Select Actions

Step 10:   Choose Object

Step 11:  At the drop down menu, choose “Show”

Step 12:  Beneath the drop down menu at “SET”, select the text to be revealed

Step 13:  Save the flipchart and try it out!

The Promethean ActivBoard can be utilized to deliver thoughtfully designed lessons filled with rich content, activities and multimedia files.  Often times, these lessons are text-rich as well, which is great, unless you are a struggling reader.  In designing a lesson, it is important to remember the students.  Reading may be the single most important skill for pupils to learn, yet in the National Assessment of Educational Progress report (2003), it is noted that 37% of 4th graders and 26% of both 8th and 12th graders read below grade level.  The ActivBoard tools can help students who struggle with reading and even those who don’t, follow along with text, recognize key words, and pick out important concepts.

Day 5:  Tools to Focus the Reader

Strategy 1:  Use the highlighter tool to Annolight the Text   The Greece Central School District has posted an excellent guide to Reading Strategies in which “Annolighting a Text” is recommended.  Annolighting is simply highlighting main ideas, key concepts and important details.  Follow these tips to help the reader focus attention and strengthen reading comprehension:

• Highlight only the targeted information.
• Highlight only necessary words.
• Use different colors to highlight different ideas; i.e. One color for main idea and another for supporting details.                                       

Strategy 2: Use the Reveal Tool to help students follow along or sound out a word phonetically  Just like moving a piece of paper down a page of text helps a reader keep his place on the page, pulling the Revealer Tool down the ActivBoard can help students stay on track and not become overwhelmed by large amounts of information.  When the Revealer Tool is selected the entire page goes black.  Do not be alarmed!  All work is still there, it is just covered by the Revealer screen.  The screen can be removed by touching the ActivBoard along one of the edges and dragging the mouse across the board.

• Remove the screen from top to bottom to have students follow along with text.
• Remove the screen from left to right to aid students in sounding out words phonetically.
• Remove from any direction to reveal illustrations or context clues.                                                                                                                                                                      

                  

Strategy 3: Drag Text onto the Screen in order of Relevancy   By hiding some text off of the screen, students are not overwhelmed by information.  When not all of the information is shown at once, students are encouraged to think, guess what comes next, and relate previous knowledge to new concepts.   To hide some of the text, simply push part of the text off of the screen.  To reveal it, grab some of the sentence and pull it back into position.  See this technique demonstrated in the video below.

There are literally thousands of lesson resources, professional development materials, and ActivEducators  at Promethean’s free online community, Promethean Planet.  While there are many areas to explore on the Planet, Day 4 will focus on downloading resource packs and lessons for future use.

Day 4: Downloading Resources from Promethean Planet
Step 1: Register to use Promethean Planet                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   To download any resource from Promethean Planet,register and login.

Step 2:  Select the Resource tab

  

Step 3:  Search themes, lessons, or resource packs

Themes:  Flipcharts, resource packs, weblinks and articles related to a specific theme or topic.

Lessons: Thousands of flipchart lessons and idea starters submitted by educators from around the world! 

Resource Packs: Collections of images, videos and more that cover a variety of curriculum areas and topics.

Step 4: Download favorites to make lesson planning easy

Lesson Flipcharts are ready to be used immediately or can be edited to better fit learning objectives.
Resource Packs need to be downloaded and installed in the Resource Library prior to use.  See video below.

Day 3: Check out the Resource Library

Day 3 focuses on the Resource Library filled with numerous reources to make lesson creation quick and easy! While pre-loaded with hundreds of files, the Resource Library can be customized to contain original collections, pictures, videos, and more to allow great lessons to be just a click away.

To explore the Resource Library: 

Step 1: Select the icon that looks like a stack of books

Step 2: Click an icon to select a resource categories. ActivStudio V3 has an incredible resource library filled with clipart, sounds, activities, backgrounds and shapes to enhance lessons.

 

Step 3: To select a resource, simply pick it and drag it to the flipchart page.  Once on the page, resources can be resized, rearranged, recolored or deleted.

Day 2: Exploring ActivStudio

ActivStudio V3 contains tons of tools designed to make learning interactive!

Activstudio 3 Toolbars

To explore toolbox further:

Step 1: Open the installed program, ActivStudio V3.  

Step 2: Hover your mouse over the features to reveal their name.

Step 3:  Choose a tool to learn about.  Right click on it just once.  An in-depth explanation will appear to tell you more about the selected  tool.

Step 4: Watch the video.  Try using a few tools.  Start Creating!!!