I believe that
many of you already use activinspire. For those of you who do not I would
really recommend it because it is such a great ICT resource. Activinspire is a teaching
software for the interactive classroom. It can be used with all ActivBoards and
can be downloaded from the Promethean website.
There are a lot
of functions that can be useful while teaching. I will mention some of them here.
You can create flipcharts with text and pictures. I don’t have a whiteboard in
my classroom. Instead I only use flipcharts to write or explain something to the
pupils. One big advantage of using flipcharts is the possible to save the
pages. In that way you can look back on what you talked about last lesson. The
flipcharts can also be printed.
When creating
flipcharts you can use text in different style, size and color. This is done
using the keyboard. If preferred, you can use the pen. The pen can be used in
two ways, either controlled by the computer mouse or by hand. It is possible to
use either a pen or a highlighter.
Something that I
use frequently is the function that lets me write or draw on top of websites.
For example I have one copy online of the pupils Swedish and mathematic workbooks.
In that way we can look at the pages we are supposed to work with together. By
using the pens me and my pupils can write on the pages.
Activinspire
provides many activities that the pupils can work with. There are puzzles,
exercises with number lines and symmetry. The pupils work with the activities
by using the two pens.
There are
several additional tools that can be used. For example you have the magic ink
tool that you can hide objects with on you flipchart and there is dice,
calculators, clocks, rulers and compasses.
/Elin Gädda
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ReplyDeleteThank you Elin for sharing the information about ActivInspire.
ReplyDeleteIt really sounds like the SMART Board, which we use in our school. I just started to use SMART Board and don´t have a lot of experience of it yet, that's why I had a look at your post.
You describe several functions with ActivInspire very well, such as flip charts with text and pictures. Normally we use a white board, but most of the time we have to wipe everything to gain more workspace to write new things. How to manage the white board effectively, and how to try to present teacher´s main point but at the sametime having more workspace to write on, is always a problem. With the help of ICT in the classroom we can manage it and students will get lots of fun during our lessons. At this ActivInspire has a good point!
But I would like to see how you and your students work together with ActivInspire. I believe that when teacher sits by the computer to write or draw on ActivInspire you do not have eye contact or direct communication with the students. That is the reason why I do not use SMART Board quite often in my classroom as I work with younger students who need more visual attention. How do you solve this problem, especially when you work with younger students?
You also mentioned that one can go back to old text if students need to be reminded of some old points and work with them. Can one also save it for future use? If so, that would be great.
Thanks again for sharing!
/Tina
Thank you for your comment. When I use the pen, it is exactly the same as using a whiteboard. I have my computer on a high bench next to the activboard. In this way I can still have eye contact with the pupils, which is so important, as you mention. The pupils love to write and work on the activeboard. They can use the pens and I often use the activeboard as a station in the classroom. If we are working with symmetry for example the pupils can work with the activity about symmetry on the activeboard in turns while the rest are doing something else.
ReplyDeleteI also mentioned that you are able to write on websites and on the pupils’ workbook online. In this way we can review some pages together and the pupils can answer and write on the activboard before they begin working by themselves.
You save the flipcharts on your computer so yes, they will be saved for the future and you may pick them up whenever you like to. This is such an advantage compared to a regular whiteboard, where you have to erase everything to write something new.
Good luck using your new smart board!
/Elin Gädda
Hi Elin,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I will definitely try to manage to use it as soon as I back to job after Christmas holiday. But first I will move my desk to have it a better location in the classroom.
All the best!
/Tina