There is a tremendous amount of talk today about flat panels and projectors being "3D Ready."  Cut through the hype by reading the following article on the ProjectorCentral Web-Site.  You can find it at "What Does 3D Ready Mean?"

The following feedback is posted with permission:

"So far the training has been great.  Your instructors know the SMART software & board very well and they show real confidence in demonstrating/answering questions.  I really liked how Diana got people to come up and try things out.  She let them figure it out on their own rather than showing them all the steps over again.  It seems to me that the layering concepts are hard for some to understand.  However, some of our professors are ahead of the curve and one person has developed 2 weeks of lesson plans already.  Everyone is excited about the possibilities of re-engaging students with this technology.   You’ve got a good team.  Thanks for all your support."

Albert J. DeSalles, MEd
Manager, Media & Reprographics
Santa Monica College

Two new certification programs are available from SMART’s training team. The SMART Certified Lesson Developer program equips teachers to create professional, effective and engaging lessons, while the SMART Certified Interactive Teacher program enables them to offer more value to their schools as experts in SMART product use.

SMART Certified Lesson Developer
The SMART Certified Lesson Developer program equips teachers to create professional content using SMART Notebook™ collaborative learning software. The program includes an online Learning Management System (LMS) component followed by a two-day, face-to-face session. Candidates must also complete an additional LMS course on one of the following SMART products before or after the face-to-face instruction:
   SMART Table™ interactive learning center 
   SMART Response interactive response system
   SMART Classroom Suite™ interactive learning software 

Participants must pass an evaluation delivered through the LMS in order to achieve certification.

SMART Certified Interactive Teacher 
The SMART Certified Interactive Teacher program enables teachers to optimize their use of SMART products in the classroom and ensures the best possible learning outcomes for their students. Courses are offered on a variety of SMART products, and schedules are flexible so that learners can choose components according to preference and proficiency. Each course includes an assessment delivered through the LMS. To achieve certification, participants must also pass a final, cumulative assessment.

To complete the core component of the program, participants must take at least one of the following full-day, face-to-face courses:
   SMART Notebook software training for SMART Board interactive whiteboard users Level 2
   SMART Response interactive response system training
   SMART Classroom Suite interactive learning software training
   SMART PD Plus 
 
After completing the core course or courses, participants choose eight courses from a wide variety of self-paced or live online offerings on the following products: 
   SMART Notebook software 
   SMART Notebook SE (Student Edition) software 
   SMART Notebook Math Tools 
   SMART Response interactive response system 
   SMART Sync™ classroom management software 
   SMART Document Camera 
   SMART Table interactive learning center
   SMART Slate™ wireless slate
   SMART Podium™ interactive pen display

After successfully completing eight product courses, participants must pass the cumulative assessment to receive certification.

Please notify customers who may be interested in furthering their SMART lesson development or SMART interactive product skills.

For more information on either of these courses or to register, please contact SMART training services at trainingATsmarttech.com

I wish I had this guy as a math teacher!

TEDxNYED - Dan Meyer - 03/06/10	powered by Aeva

Bravo!! Child prodigy Adora Svitak says the world needs "childish" thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. Kids' big dreams deserve high expectations, she says, starting with grownups' willingness to learn from children as much as to teach.

Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids	powered by Aeva

Hi everyone,

Just a reminder but make sure to register and then log-in to see free training videos and a for sale and trade board for members selling their gear.

SMART is offering all current Unifi 35 projector customers an opportunity to upgrade to the SMART UF55 at a substantially discounted price. The upgrade kit includes the boom, extended control panel and speakers for the SMART Board™ interactive whiteboard. Reply to this post or contact your local reseller to find out the price and how you can upgrade to the UF55. Offer valid for one year. Upgrade kits will begin shipping on September 15.

New Gallery Collections can now be found on the SMART Exchange website. The Collections give teachers access to a wide range of resources that help them create engaging, interactive lessons on a variety of topics for students of all ages. New Collections include American coins, American states and the solar system. More than 50 additions will be available by the fall. 

The Collections are part of SMART’s extensive content offering for educators that include SMART- and teacher-created SMART Notebook lesson activities, SMART Ideas™ concept-mapping software activities, question sets for the SMART Response™ interactive response system and thousands of images.

Send feedback and requests to GalleryCollection@smarttech.com

A.D.A.M. Interactive Anatomy
With A.D.A.M Interactive Anatomy, students can enhance their knowledge of human anatomy as they dissect the body, layer by layer, to reveal thousands of illustrations and animations. This application is an excellent resource for science teachers and students alike.

Stratalogica
StrataLogica combines Nystrom’s curriculum- and standard-based maps, globes, atlases and charts with the Google Earth™ mapping service to deliver a 3D
learning experience. It is designed for computers, projectors and interactive whiteboards, and supports Windows and Mac OSX operating systems.

If you've never seen a SMART SB685ix, check it out:

SMART Shows 685i Interactive Whiteboard System