Just recently I mentioned that Promethean had released the beta version of their IWB software, Activsoftware Inspire Edition. Like others, I’ve started to have a play around (Chris Betcher seems to be putting the software through its paces).  Here’s just a few things I’ve noticed that I like the look of:

Did someone give you a SMART Notebook file to view or use?  Whereas you had to previously resort to the SMART Notebook viewer, you can now import the notebook into a flipchart.

Some very common flipchart activities are now available as a quick menu selection, saving you finding the resources in the library to put them together.

Being a Year 1 teacher, I use the hundred chart fairly regularly in Mathematics lessons.  Once I choose “100 chart” from the menu, this dialog box appears for me to make my selection.

Finally, something I have been hanging out for.  Previously I’ve been frustrated, wondering why I can’t simply insert images, etc. in a similar way to Office documents (after all, it is pretty easy and straightforward).  Well now you can, with the Insert Media option.  Not only images, but sound, video and more.

Now it is really quick and easy to insert media files directly into a flipchart page.

I’m sure (in fact I know) there are many new features, but there were the first to grab my attention.  I look forward to using it some more.

Promethean has made the announcement at the BETT 2009 show in London that a brand new version of their IWB software is now available for preview.

Called Activsoftware Inspire Edition, it can now be downloaded my registered users (it’s free) from Promethean Planet. It’s a huge download though (it’s still not 50% done on my computer yet), so those with download limits at home may want to wait to download it at school.  The download is a trial prior to the official release in March

Promethean reports that it is a complete rewrite of its former products, Activstudio (which we use) and Activprimary, so it will be interesting to see what it can do and how it improves on its predecessors.

An interesting discussion was raised in our staff briefing this morning regarding the installation height of interactive whiteboards.  The dilemma, of course, is whether board height on the wall should favour the teacher or the students.

It is hopefully the beginning of a broader discussion of how we will begin using IWBs in our classrooms, and the learning they will support.  To get started, here are some resources to have a look at:

What the research says about interactive whiteboards: a short document from Becta, the UK organisation for leading next generation learning.

Interactive whiteboards – safety first: a single-page pdf from SMART (IWB manufacturer) on how to safely install and use IWBs (which we have sought to match in all our installations).

This is the first of our posts to feedback and communicate what’s happening and what we will have learnt from the 2008 Interactive Whiteboard Conference at Firbank Grammar School in Brighton, Melbourne.

After Anne, Bec S and I landed in Melbourne this morning, we proceeded to Firbank to the afternoon’s proceedings, which included classroom tours and a walk around the exhibition hall.

Firbank has both Junior (Primary) and Senior (Secondary) schools, and we had the opportunity to tour the small all-girls primary campus.  Each room has had an Activboard for some time, and several teachers we met agree that they now could not live without one in their room.  They are using a variety of personally-produced and commercial resources to support the learning in their classrooms.

One of the great things to see was that the school has fostered a culture of encouraging students to grow as learners – they encourage students to be creative, critical, and to take risks; risk taking is something which is applauded in the school.

We also saw in the software exhibition this afternoon some resources that piqued our interest, including new Maths resources from Origo, Literacy resources from Pearson Education, the comprehensive Swark resource, and 2Simple Software.

The conference keynote and workshops kick off tomorrow morning, so perhaps we can feed back some more after then.

Robert

In recent staff discussions regarding 2008, I’ve had many people ask me directly, or tell me they’ve asked others (such as John) for an interactive whiteboard in their classroom next year.   The interest has certainly been encouraging.

I hope you can understand that the question of who gets an IWB can’t be answered yet because we haven’t even asked it.  The key question before this can be considered is that of how much money can be directed towards this resourcing next year.

So, to help us in eventually answering the question of who/what grades should have IWBs installed next year, I have one simple question…

Why do you want an interactive whiteboard in your classroom next year?

Reason: just curious.
I look forward to your answers.

Today Sandra, Kathryn, Rebecca, Judy and I visited St. Bernadette’s at Castle Hill to see Interactive Whiteboards in action.

While each member of this team has an interactive whiteboard in their room, we really haven’t had much opportunity (if at all) to see others use them in the classroom.

The team at St. Bernadette’s were very welcoming and happy to share their experiences with us.  The principal, Ted Langford, was my teacher when I was in Year 3 (almost twenty years ago now – sorry, Ted), and from his initiatives to introduce computers to my primary school back in the 80’s through to today, he’s very much committed to providing the best contemporary tools to support quality teaching and learning.

Our team has learnt a lot of great ideas.  They’ve also had a great opportunity to see how another school approaches education, and how technology is used in a tool in the teaching-learning cycle.

As I blog, our Year 1 team are just coming to the end of their Interactive Whiteboard training session with Leah Rix from Commander.  It has been a fantastic session in beginning to understand the workings of the Activboard and the potential of the Activstudio software.  Our colleagues are really finding it to be worthwhile experience. 

As we come to a close, Year 1 are starting to explore some possibilities for using flipcharts and Activstudio in their Science and Technology unit for this term.

Our Year 4 also will begin their exploration this afternoon.  Interest in IWBs is spreading as well, and we welcome as well colleagues from St. John Vianney, Doonside, to see a little of our demonstration and training.  The great aspect of this whole acquisition process has been the ability to share wisdom with other schools in the Diocese that have walked the same journey.  Hopefully we can continue to share with others who want to engage in this exciting opportunity

It’s been one of the most awaited events in the St. Michael’s calendar for 2007.  If this blog is to believed, it’s even been the talk between the world’s most powerful men!  Finally, our interactive whiteboards are now mounted on the wall.  6 down, 2 more to go (hopefully tomorrow we’ll have a date for next week when 1H and 1B will be finished), but the whole process has been quite exciting, and perhaps a little stressful and tiring (from some peoples’ perspectives, at least).

Thanks to Mark and his team at Coastelec for your great work on the installations.  The rooms look fantastic and the result is very professional.

Now, all the lucky teachers are asking is “when can we start playing?”  Well, USB cables, extra sound connectors and powerboards should be in tomorrow, so the question really is “when do you want to start?”  We will be scheduling some initial training, and perhaps even some visits to see the boards in action in other IWB-established schools.

June 12/13 have been set as the dates for installation of our new interactive whiteboards in Year 4, Year 1 and 4/5K.

There will be some inconvenience as classes are shuffled to different rooms during installation, but it will be worth it.

A timetable will be drawn up this week, but it will be Year 4 (and hopefully 4/5K) on Tuesday, and Year 1 on Wednesday so as to best fit the PE/Music timetable (making some rooms conveniently vacant).

Our Year 4, Year 1 and 4/5K teachers are counting down the days!

Going… going…

As a grade partner of mine left their room on Friday afternoon, they said goodbye to me (as we friendly people in Year 4 do), but then also to her chalkboard.

It was a realisation that when we walked back into our rooms on Monday morning, the first and very obvious step towards a very different classroom would have already been taken.  The chalkboard … gone.

Yes, we’ll retain the smaller (and formerly sliding) whiteboard, but the interactive whiteboard (due for installation very soon) will provide a never-before-seen opportunity at St. Michael’s to really change the way we teach and learn through the new tools available at our fingertips.

The shock of a missing chalkboard was a little more brutal in our Year 1 rooms almost a week ago.  As one teacher put it, “… there were 5 minutes there when I was in stand-still shock, but then it was okay…”  The missing chalkboards revealed an unpainted wall – yes, their boards were built in to the classroom when it was built in the 1970’s!  Come this Monday, the should have a pleasant surprise – new feature walls painted this weekend before the new IWBs get installed.

My colleague and I reflected on all the things we were led to believe would happen in the year 2000 when we were kids.  The 21st Century was going to be a world where your house was up in the air, you drove hover cars that would fold up into a briefcase, and we’d all have a robot at home to do the housekeeping!  Yes, the makers of The Jetsons have a lot to answer for today.  But, with 21st Century technology in our classrooms, perhaps we’ll be able to inspire and challenge the learner that will one day build that fold-up hover car…