aimee.martin's blog

Click here for materials for January 23rd Pre-K PD:

http://sites.fcps.org/trt/content/pre-k-professional-development-january-23

Newhive is a free web 2.0 tool that allows users to create “expressions” that include images, words, shapes, music, videos and content from your files and around the web in one area. 

Example: Open in Firefox or Google Chrome 

 Constitution New Hive Example

Remind 101 provides a safe way for teachers to text message students and stay in touch with parents.  Teachers never see the students' or parents' phone number and likewise, the teacher's phone number is never revealed to students or parents.  Students and parents can use Remind101 with cell phones or by email.  To find out more, go to https://www.remind101.com/ or view the flipchart attachment below.  Resources:  Cell phone use in the Classroom

Hover and click on the links in the Thinglink to access art websites and museums. 

There are many great student interactives on Read Write Think.  The website is now offering the ability to save student work on select interactives so that you may come back to it at another time.  Watch the video above to see how. 

Equation Editor

1.  To open the 'Equation Editor,' select 'Insert'.

2.  Select 'Equation'.

3.  Click on the page where you wish to insert the equation. The 'Equation Editor' will open. Choose the desired equation symbols and templates.  Click OK to add the equation to your flipchart page.

4.  To edit an existing equation, with the 'Equation Editor' tool selected click on the equation or double-click on it with the 'Select' tool.

Try creating the following sample equation: 

1.  Select 'Insert' and 'Equation.'

2.  Type 'V' in the space provided.

3.  To insert a fraction click on the template indicated.  Enter 4 for the numerator and 3 for the denominator. 

4.  To insert another symbol click to the right of the fraction.

5.  Click on the template indicated to insert a pi symbol.

6.  To insert the power symbol click on the template indicated. In each box type in 'r' and '2'.

7.  Click Ok to add the equation to your flipchart page.

Tip:  Reuse your equations!  If you use a certain equation a lot or derivations of that equation, save it in your Resource Browser by dragging it into My Resources.  When you need the equation, you can drag it out from My Resources to your flipchart page.  Edit the equation by double-clicking on it. 

Page Extender tool

1.  To open the 'Page Extender' tool, go to 'View'.

2.  Select 'Page Extender'.

3.  The tool is displayed at the bottom of the flipchart page but can be moved to any position.  Click on the 'Page Extender' tool and the current page is extended by 10 percent. The 'Page Extender' can be used multiple times on one flipchart page.  Use the scroll bar on the right side of the flipchart page to view more of the flipchart. 

Original Flipchart Page with Page Extender tool:

Flipchart Page After Clicking on the Page Extender:

4.  To close the tool, go to 'View.'

5.  Select 'Page Extender'.

Draw Shape from Center

In ActivInspire, when you use the 'Shape' tool, shapes are created by dragging from the top left.

In ActivInspire 1.6, you can change this setting so that shapes are created from the center.

1.  Go to 'File'.

2.  Select 'Settings'.

3.  In the 'Edit Profiles' window select 'Tools'.

4.  Under 'Shape Tool' click on the drop-down menu.

5.  Select 'Center'.

6.  Click 'Done'.

Notice how when you choose a shape it is created by dragging from the center.

Drawing a shape using right-click will override what has been selected in Settings. Note: This setting applies to all shapes.

Change Pen tool cursor

With ActivInspire 1.6, you may now choose to have your pen cursor appear 'Below' or 'Off' in addition to the default setting of 'Above' your annotations. 

1.  To change how the pen cursor is displayed when annotating, go to 'File'.

2.  Select 'Settings'.

3.  In the 'Edit Profiles' window select 'Tools'.

4.  Next to 'Pen cursor' click on the drop-down box. 'Above' is the default setting. 'Below' will change the cursor to point up towards the annotation point.  'Off' will keep the cursor hidden from view (except for your chosen pen width indicator setting). 

5.  Select a Pen tool cursor setting and click Done.

Note: The 'Highlighter', 'Eraser' and 'Magic Ink' tools are also controlled by this setting.

Using the Pen tool to convert to text and change to Select tool

1.  Click on the 'Pen' tool and write a word/number.

2.  With the 'Pen' tool selected right-click on the word/number and select 'Convert to text'.

3.  If the word/number is not recognized you can select the correct word/number from the drop-down list.

4.  You may then switch from the Pen tool to the Select tool by right-clicking on the word/number. 

You no longer must go back and forth to the toolbox to switch between the Pen and Select tool.  Your activity is the focus and not the logistics of changing between tools.