USING SMART NOTEBOOK SOFTWARE

Transcription

1 USING SMART NOTEBOOK SOFTWARE THE NOTEBOOK INTERFACE The Notebook interface is easy to use and many functions (such as inserting pictures, saving files etc.) will be famillar as they are simillar to those found in applications such as Word. The following screen shot identifies some of the main tools to get you started in using Notebook. Many times, additional toolbars open when certain items are checked, making the illustration below a bit difficult to follow! Fortunately, like most applications, you need only hover your mouse over the button to get a screentip that tells you what the button will do. However, if you plan to use these while at the SMART Board itself and touch the icons to touch them to activate them, it will help to know what they are, as then screentips will not appear when using it manually: Previous Next Open a saved Notebook file Undo/ Redo Screen capture Paste Inserts measurement tool: ruler, protractor, geodreieck, compass. Insert a table Select object (Needed to select an object on the board instead of writing on it.) Sets fill color for selected object. Top button is to Customize toolbar; double arrow icon is move toolbar to bottom/top This space is used for additional toolbars that are opened when one of the tools on the left is activated. (See some explanations below.) See next page for what these tabs do Add / Remove Save current file as a Notebook file Delete selected object Launches SMART Exchange web site Show/Hide Screen Shade (hides parts of screen) The Pens button activates this toolbar above, enabling you to pick type of pen (regular, crayon, highlighter, etc.), line, line color, line style (straight lines, arrows, etc.) and transparency. Previous / Next New / Delete Floating toolbar that allows use of tools from another program while at SMART Board. Change view (to full screen, page width, page height, 50%, 75%, etc.) The Text button opens a text box toolbar, somewhat similar to that found in Word. The next button is for choices of Lines, and the final one alters the size of the Eraser. The five buttons on the side tab are described on the next page. The Shapes button activates this toolbar above, enabling you to pick a shape, fill color, line color, line style (straight lines, arrows, etc.) and transparency. Do these in left-to-right order, or change a color later via the Properties tab on the side (see next page.) The Regular Polygons button opens this toolbar above, similar in options to the Shapes toolbar. The Auto-hide checkbox, near the bottom left of the above screen capture (just next to the New /Delete icons) will automatically hide the side panel that shows all of your pages (call the Sorter) as soon as you touch the white part of the page. This gives you more screen "real estate." To get the Sorter back, just click on top tab on the left: The Extend link at the bottom of the screen does just that: gives you more white space at the bottom of the page you are on. It has the effect of "elongating" the page, essentially.

2 SAVING AND OPENING NOTEBOOK FILES This is no different to saving and opening files such as Word and Powerpoint. The options for saving and opening are under File on the toolbar. If you don't have the Notebook software handy, you can create Notebook files on the web via and then save them as.notebook files. However, there is no abilty to insert images or draw shapes on the web version. The most you can do is type and draw using various pen tools. Exporting your Notebook to convert it to PowerPoint or.pdf It is also possible using the options under File to export your completed notebook in a different format for example, you can easily convert it to a Powerpoint or a PDF file. To do this use the Export option under File. This can be useful if you wish to save resources in a format that you can then share with students. Importing and converting a PowerPoint to a SMART notebook file. Likewise it is possible to convert existing Powerpoints into a notebook file this will create each individual slide from Powerpoint as a new individual page in Notebook and will allow you to then drag, drop and edit each component (i.e. text, images etc.) so you can add and change content as you wish. To do this select IMPORT which can be found under FILE on the toolbar. Then browse to where the PowerPoint is that you wish to convert and select it. (allow some time for the conversion to take place the speed at which the conversion takes place depends on the size of your PowerPoint). GETTING USED TO THE TABS On the left hand side of the notebook interface you will find five tabs that you can use, which are illustrated to the right: 1. Sorter- allows you to see all the pages of your notebook down the side of the main page - allows you to quickly re-order pages or select whichever one you want to show (You must be in this view to edit pages if you can t see your pages or edit, click back on the Sorter button.) 2. Gallery tab - here you can access clip art and Educators resources from SMART Technologies - you can also access the SMART Lesson Activity toolkit from here. Sorter Gallery tab Attachments tab Properties tab Add-ons tab (Activity Builder) The SMART lesson Activity toolkit provides lots of tools and images, including editable quizzes, countdown timers etc. You can also access the Online Essentials for Teachers on the Gallery toolbar which has some useful clip art which you can use to help illustrate presentations. To add things to a slide from the Gallery view simply drag the thumbnail image over to your page. 3. Attachment tab - this allows you insert copies of files, copies of hyperlinks, or shortcuts to files that are, therefore, more easily accessible by you while presenting in class. This will cause your Notebook file to increase in size when you save it, though you should be aware that if you export the file to PDF format, the attachments will NOT be saved within the PDF. Using the SMART Notebook Software - 2

3 4. Properties Tab - allows you to edit background/fill colors, line widths etc., for the object you have selected. You can also animate objects using this tab (you must select the object you want to animate for the animate option to show) or even record the page (which will record any ACTIONS you make to a page, it will not record your voice. For the latter, you must use Smart Recording. A "playback" icon will then be embedded on your Notebook page. 5. Add-ons Tab You'll want to consult more extensive documentation for this feature, but basically you can create activities using the Activity Builder from here. Select object Black pen Red pen Highlighter Eraser Right-mouse button button Launch SMART Notebook software Keyboard There is also the Floating Toolbar over on the side of the screen. These replicate some of the more frequently used toolbar buttons in the Notebook software. The default icons are show here on the left, but you can add or remove icons, as well. Remember that each of these can be enabled by your hand while at the SMART Board. To GET RID of the floating toolbar altogether, click the SMART Board icon on the system tray (lower right corner of the screen). You may have to click on the arrow icon for showing "hidden" icons first to see it: Then left-click Hide Floating Tools: Undo Customize (add or remove buttons) to this floating toolbar) GETTING READY TO USE SMART NOTEBOOK TO CREATE SIMPLE RESOURCES 1. Adding text Simply click on the page where you want to add the text and start typing. (This will bring up the edit tool bar which, by highlighting your text, will then allow you to change font, font size, colour etc.) You can also resize text by simply resizing the text box - to do this click on the text box and put your mouse over the circle that appears in the right hand corner. Left click and then drag to re-size just like you would resize pictures etc. in Word: Hover your mouse over the "circle" icon in the lower-right, and click and drag to increase the text size. Alternatively, you can use your hand to do this on the SMART Board itself. Using the SMART Notebook Software - 3

4 Once text has been created you can then move it around the page like any other object. To edit text you have written just double click on it and the editing box will re-appear. Remember, if you want it to be possible to move individual bits of text around you will need to create them as separate text boxes. For example, to create drag and drop for keywords and definitions, the keyword and definition must be in individual text boxes so that you can move them around independently. 2. Adding another page To add another page in your Notebook simply click on the page plus sign on the tool bar or alternatively click on Insert and then Blank. 3. Adding images There are two ways of adding images 1. If you have already copied an image to your clipboard - e.g. from a website or from another resource you can simply right click and select paste (or Edit>>Paste) 2. You can insert a picture from a file by clicking on Insert and then selecting Picture File and navigate to where your image is located on your computer and click open; the picture will be inserted. You can then reposition your picture. To resize the image, you will have to go down to the lower right corner, where the "circle" icon is, as you would for a text box. (See the above screen capture under Adding Text for an idea of where this icon is to resize it.) 4. Drawing objects (e.g. lines, boxes, other shapes) Simply click on the relevant buttons on the toolbar - you can then draw lines or shapes etc., with the mouse (or your finger if using the SMART Board) on the page. To change the properties of your shape or line (e.g. color, size, width) select the object and then use the Properties tab (on the left hand side) to change the properties. Alternatively, select and right click on the object and select 'properties' this will automatically show the format tab and available options. 5. Locking Text, Images and Objects in place When creating resources, if you want students to come up and move some part of it, such as a text box, it can be useful to lock in place any other objects, pictures, text etc., that you want to keep static, otherwise students might accidently move this when trying to move the text. To do this, select the object you want to lock, right-click, and select Locking, and then Lock in Place. To unlock, do the same and then select the Unlock option. 6. Converting writing to text If you or your students have written on the SMART Board and you want to convert this to text, simply right click (from the computer) on the writing and select from the list that appears the correct word from the computer. From the SMART Board itself, SELECT the text box first (make sure you have the Select tool button selected, or select the right-mouse button on the SMART Board,) and press down for a couple of seconds. You will then see a choice of word for the Board to recognize: 7. Grouping objects together. Sometimes it is desireable to group objects together. For example, perhaps you want to create a yellow box and place objectives in a text box, but with yellow background. Simply draw the box and edit it as mentioned Using the SMART Notebook Software - 4

5 above to shade it in yellow. Type in your objectives, and then drag over the top of the box and resize as necessary. Then select both the box and the text box by clicking on one, holding down Ctrl and then clicking on the other (both should now be highlighted). Alternatively, make sure you have Select enabled on the toolbar, and with your mouse sweep over all of the objects. (You can also do this with your hand while at the SMART Board itself.) Then, simply right-click, select Grouping and then Group. The text and box will now move as one! (Alternatively, select all of them and then click the drop-down menu in the upper right corner and do the same thing): This is also handy for converting text to words when the SMART Board does not read your cluster of words together. Group the words together, and then try the word recognition feature again. 8. Cloning It is possible to clone text, images or objects, which is essentially the same as a Copy/Paste only quicker!. Simply right click on the object and select Clone. It is also possible to set infinite clones on an object, text or picture so you can move it but it will always leave an original behind. To do this simply select object/text/image, right click and select Infinite Cloner. (You can turn this OFF at the original object, which will have the "infinity" symbol next to it. Click it, and then uncheck Infinite Cloner: Once you have mastered the basics try out some of the buttons on the toolbar. As well as the highlighter and pen options etc... Here are a few of the less obvious ones to get you started! 1. Screen shade - this allows you to block out the page and reveal it gradually, either pulling down, up or from the sides. 2. Magic Pen - this is an interesting resource and has a number of functions including: (i) Spotlighting an area of the page simply select the Magic Pen from the Pens tool button, and draw a circle on your page. This will block out everything else and just leave what is in the circle showing - you can drag the circle around to spotlight different areas of the page. (ii) Enlarging an area of your page - again click on the magic pen, but this time draw a box around the area you want to enlarge and presto it's magnified! 3. Capture Tool - this will allow you to capture all or part of your page to a separate page; particularly useful if you are using a web site and want to clip a section to put into Notebook file. (To do this in a webpage you would need to select it from the drag out tool set which sits to the left hand side of your board). There are 4 options for capture (1) draw a box around the area to be captured (2) Using the SMART Notebook Software - 5

6 automatically select a section of a page (3) capture the whole page (4) select a specific part of the page by freehand drawing around the area you want. This tool takes a bit of getting used to; it helps to know your keyboard shortcut commands for switching to a different window (Alt-Tab in Windows) to avoid capturing the very screen you happen to be on! 4. Insert a table - this is just like Word; click the simply select the Table icon on the toolbar, and then choose the number of rows and columns you want. 5. Voiceover Recording You will need your own wireless USB microphone, of course, in a classroom to do this. It will produce a WMV file as output. To begin recording, click the SMART Board icon in the system tray in the lower-right corner of the computer screen (you may have to click the "arrow" icon first to see hidden icons), and then left-click Recorder: Basic Tips for Using the SMART Boards It's always a good idea to "orient" the SMART Board before using it. To do this, press down BOTH the keyboard and right mouse buttons simultaneously on the SMART Board itself (just under the eraser) and follow the instructions on the screen: Pick up one of the pens, and the default color will be the color of the pen. You don't have to worry about selecting the Pen tool from the toolbar at all. You can change the color of the pen you are using, however (and the line-type) using the appropriate icons on the toolbar AFTER you pick up the pen. Just be sure to RETURN the pen to the proper area before selecting another pen! The eraser works as you expect it to, but ONLY for written material. It will not erase objects such as shapes, lines, text, or pictures. To remove those objects, you must SELECT the object and then delete them. Having trouble getting that upper-right corner of an object to display options to delete, clone, group, etc.? Select the object and then use the right-click button on the SMART Board itself (below the eraser) or the right-click button on the floating toolbar. Using the SMART Notebook Software - 6

7 Remember, if you have a pen in your hand, the SMART Board "assumes" you want to draw or write something! To select an object on the SMART Board, be sure you click the Select button on the toolbar: This is easy to forget! Alternatively, use the right mouse button on the SMART Board to make it easier to select something. Please remember to TURN OFF the SMART Board itself when finished! Press the POWER button once, and then a second time when prompted on the screen. Where can I find the SMART Notebook Software? The software has already been installed in the desktop machine where the SMART Board is located. Currently, that is: Fine Arts 114, Fine Arts 212, Lewis 305, Parmer 432, Priory 270, Priory 253A, and Priory 261. There should be an icon on the desktop to double-click. If you do not see the icon for the Smart Notebook software on the desktop, click the Start orb in the lower left, select All Programs, then SMART Technologies, and finally Smart Notebook 11. Lots of material is available online at SMART Technologies' web site: (Go to the Education area, and then Products to find material on the interactive whiteboards.) Original document for version 10 created by Nereida Aguilar (IT student worker) Updated to version 11 by Ken Black, Associate CTLE Director, August 2012 Using the SMART Notebook Software - 7