In addition to the many high-quality printables offered by the folks at SuperTeacherWorksheets.com, they have also begun creating and sharing SMART Notebook files! The files are free to use and very well-made. You’ll love the worksheets that go along with each lesson as well. Currently, there are Notebook files for linear measurement (half inch, quarter inch, and eighth inch), the Solar System and the human body. You can download them here. Below is a preview of the Solar System lesson. Enjoy!

SmartEd Services is giving away more than $13,000 in SMART products! If you live in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, or Michigan, you can enter the contest by scheduling a free demonstration of their classroom technology for educators. After the demonstration, you will be entered to win a free SMART Classroom Makeover. Please see the official rules for more details. Good luck!

Prize Description:

One grand prize winner will be drawn. This prize includes:

• 1 – SMART Board^® 885ix interactive whiteboard with unified projector
• 1- SMART Response System™ XE interactive response system
• 1- SMART Slate™ wireless slate
• 1- SMART Document Camera™
• 1- SMART Notebook™ software license
• 1- SMART Audio™ classroom amplification system
• A full day of SmartEd Services Professional Development for up to 10 users

Two second prize winners will be drawn. This prize includes:

• 1 – SMART Response System XE for each of the two winners

Three third prize winners will be drawn. This prize includes:

• 1 – SMART Slate for each of the three winners

I absolutely love this site for a “free choice” activity in the computer lab or on the SMART Board. Most of them are brain/fun-type games, and there are plenty to choose from! Enjoy!

Fraction Flags is a great way to visually learn fractions. You can choose on the main menu to design a flag using halves, four one-quarters, three-quarters and one quarter, or a half and two one-quarters. Enjoy!

It’s hard to believe, but the end of the school year is drawing near! This is an exciting time, especially for 5th grade students who will be graduating to middle school. With that in mind, I’ve created a My School Memories booklet in SMART Notebook format as well as a printable PDF version. Below is a preview of the first few pages. Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD: School Memories Notebook File School Memories PPT File School Memories PDF File

SPRING BREAK IS FINALLY HERE! I’ll be “off the grid” for 7 days enjoying the sand between my toes! This prompted me to find some pool safety games to share with my own children and the students. The first one is The Adventures of Splish and Splash. There are 3 different games that focus on swimming and pool safety. You might also want to check out this pool safety game where children point out the unsafe behavior. This one is also really neat. Click on the kid before he dives into the shallow end, then click to make him dive. Do the easy level unless you have more than one person playing at the SMART Board! Enjoy and have a safe Spring Break!

Fraboom.com is an online virtual museum for kids that has tons of fun activities including games, videos, interactive books, and more. Children may also attend real-time classes featuring live teachers; just visit the website for a schedule of times. Much of the content is free, but there are paid membership levels that allow you access to more content. Enjoy!

Word Game Time is a companion site to Math Game Time that I posted about in January. There are several games for each grade level and videos and worksheets as well. The games housed on the site are from different sites that you may already be familiar with such as Primary Games and Arcademic Skill Builders. Please check out the “Spot the Difference” game for Kindergarten.

Tvokids.com has so many great games and videos. Here is a spelling game that I really like called the Amazing Spelling Fleas. There are several rounds to the game. The first consists of popping the bubble with the correctly spelled word. Then you’ll move on to the next level where you choose the correct letter to complete the word, and so on. Check it out!

I’d like to share with you an exciting new interactive whiteboard product from Learning Resources called now!Board™! The now!Board™ turns any flat surface into an interactive whiteboard. It’s portable and easy to set up, and best of all, it’s inexpensive compared to other interactive whiteboards! If you are unable to purchase a SMART Board or Promethean ActivBoard due to budget constraints, this may be the alternative you are looking for.

Benefits

The now!Board™ components

It’s a valuable classroom resource! You no longer have to stand at a laptop and projector cart to teach your lessons! You and your students can interact with your computer from the front of the classroom.

It’s portable! This is a perfect system for a teacher without a homeroom class or those who have to travel in order to present. The now!Board™ comes in a small case that is easy to grab and go.

It’s easy to use! Simply install the software, connect it to your laptop/projector, calibrate it (However, this step was a

little tedious) and you’re up and running. Make sure you have a nice sized area to project on to, such as an empty wall (as seen in the photo) or a traditional whiteboard. The now!Board™ does require the use of a stylus.

It’s cost effective! Unlike other interactive whiteboards that cost around $2,000, the now!Board™ is available to you for only $499! This is an affordable alternative for teachers, districts, and families who homeschool who wish to have touch technology without the cost associated with the SMART Board and the Promethean ActivBoard.

The now!Board™ in use.

now!Board™ Software

The software that comes with the now!Board™ is free for anyone to download directly from their website. You can even download it without actually purchasing the product if you’d like to see everything it offers (although it will not be touch-sensitive until your product is connected). With the now!Board™ toolbar, you can draw lines, shapes, take screenshots, and more.

For more information on the now!Board™, please visit the now!Board™ product page on the Learning Resources website or visit them on Facebook. I highly recommend watching the demonstration on YouTube video and reading other customer reviews before making a purchase.

Thanks to the folks at now!Board™ for sending me one to try out!