Smart Notebook 11 announced
SMART have announced that the new version of Smart Notebook – version 11, will be released in the Spring. No exact date is given yet.
Headline features appears to be the ability to embed online content into your notebook files, an activity builder, and new tools such as the customisable creative pen, the crayon, and an updated table tool. I also like the sound of the embedded audio tool – easily record and add your own audio into a page.
Being able to add webpages and content such as YouTube videos etc sounds very interesting.
The full list of new features includes:
Embedded web browser: Insert web browsers directly onto a SMART Notebook software page and use tools to draw and write over web pages and drag and drop images into your lesson. You can also open the live page directly from within the lesson.
Activity builder: Create activities where objects react to actions by accepting or rejecting other objects or by triggering animations or sound. The activity builder is great for arranging, sorting and labeling and for creating VENN diagrams.
Enhanced contextual toolbar: Choose an object and the toolbar changes, so all the tools you need are right in front of you.
Crayon: Create authentic crayon drawings on a SMART Board interactive whiteboard.
Customized creative pen: Build your own creative pen using any image you choose.
Audio recording: Record sounds directly into your SMART Notebook lesson.
Shape image fill: Adjust the size of an image to fit into a shape.
Reset page: Use this feature to return your page to its last saved state.
New gestures: Shake objects to group and ungroup them.
Updated tables: Scale, move and interact with tables more easily.
New text engine: Provides improved text formatting and consistency within SMART Notebook.
Fade ink: Fade any regular ink.
There’s also going to be a SDK (software development kit) made available for developers to create their own widgets and applications. More here.
Some of these new features sound great – and would be great additions to an already good product.
I’m off to the BETT show tomorrow, so I am assuming that this will be being demonstrated on the SMART stands. If I find out any more, and get a chance to play with it, I’ll be sure to share what I find out on the blog here. Watch this space.
You can find out more here : http://smarttech.com/notebook11
Read MoreSMART Notebook 10.8 released
SMART have released an update for Smart Notebook, taking it up to version 10.8. Currently the auto-updated won’t pick up the new version, you’ll have to go to the SMART website and download it.
So what’s new in 10.8? From the release notes:
Smart Notebook
- Compress image files, typically up to one-tenth the original size, to reduce overall file size
- Click a button within the software’s interface to link to the SMART Exchange website
- Access Mixed Reality Tools to explore and manipulate mixed reality and 3D content (Microsoft Windows only)
Smart Response
- Create answer keys for self-paced assessments with the answer key wizard
- Use multiple hardware remotes, including those from the Senteo, SMART Response PE, SMART Response LE, SMART Response XE and SMART Response VE interactive response systems – in the same assessment
- Superimpose SMART Response software tools and questions over websites and other applications, with a touch of a button.
I haven’t had a chance to test out the Smart Response changes. When I do I’ll write about them here. I was rather excited about the ability for Smart Notebook to handle 3D objects having seen this at BETT in January.
Sadly it appears that this will be a “premium” feature. If you have a Smart Document Camera plugged in this will unlock the feature. Or from what I understand from the Smart website you can purchase it. On Install you can test it out for a 30 day trial. It’s a shame as I can’t see the point of using the document camera to control the object – it just looked like a crowbarred-in way of finding another use for the document camera.
If I’ve missed out a way to do this after the 90 day trial, please let me know.
If you do take up the trial – or have a SMART document camera – then take a look in the Gallery Sampler and you will see a folder for 3D Objects which can be added to the page in the same way as any other notebook gallery item (drag and drop)
You can add any other Google Sketchup items, but you might need a little converting into .dae format. Instructions on how to do that are here. There’s also a link to the Google 3d Warehouse within the gallery.
You can download SMART Notebook 10.8 here. It appears there’s one version now that includes SMART response etc. The release notes are here.
Read MoreSmart Notebook Search Engine
While at the Teacher 2 Teacher conference, it was a pleasure to meet up with Obe Hostetter, who runs the Smartboard Revolution Ning. Obe has created a very useful search engine for finding Smart Notebook files – this used to be featured on the Smart Website but I can’t find it anymore!
You can access the Search Engine Here
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Smart Notebook 10.7 Released
SMART Board users should be aware that the brand-new Version 10.7 of the Notebook software is available for download now for free for all registered users.
I’m currently stuck in a Premier Inn on a dodgy 3G connection so I won’t be able to download a copy of this until later in the week. So for now I’ll have to quote from the press release.
New SMART Notebook 10.7 software features include:
Multi-touch experience* – Enables two users to interact with digital content simultaneously, with no special tools or multi-touch mode selection required
Freestyle interaction* – Enables two users to work together, performing different tasks, while working in the same SMART Notebook lesson, anywhere on the interactive whiteboard surface
Touch gestures* – Accepts common multi-touch gestures, including one- and two-finger gestures, such as pinching, zooming and tossing
Object awareness* – Distinguishes between a finger, pen, fist, eraser or other object to recognize what action the user is performing and responds accordingly, requiring fewer clicks to perform various tasks
Calligraphic pen – Selecting the calligraphic pen button in SMART Notebook 10.7 software will automatically stylize writing into regular, sleek lines
SMART Ink – Uses ink-smoothing algorithms to make handwriting look smoother and more refined
SMART Notebook software tutorials – Provide an overview of common features and tools that are available through the Help page
SMART product integration – Integrates seamlessly with most SMART hardware and software products, including the SMART Board 600 series interactive whiteboard and SMART Board 800 series interactive whiteboard
* SMART Board 800 series interactive whiteboard only.
The bulk of these features will only be of interest if you if you have one the new 800 series boards and can take advantage of the new multitouch features. But the Smart Ink, Calligraphic Pen and Software Tutorials should be useful for all users.
I’m hoping also that the common IWB file format has also been implemented, but I’ll need to download a copy first to check as it’s not mentioned in this press release. Watch this space. Also not mentioned was the ability to insert 3D Google Sketchup models.
You can download Smart Notebook 10.7 here. IMPORTANT: If you have SMART Response 2009 software or earlier, download and install the latest version on the SMART Response Downloads page.
Update - You can import and export the Common Whiteboard Format .IWB files from Smart Notebook 10.7. Use File -> Import or File -> Export to do this rather than using Save or Open. This does mean you can share files with software such as RM Easiteach.
Read MoreSmart Notebook Licence and Activation
If your school has Smartboards, then your staff are allowed to install Smart Notebook onto their home machines for preparation of lesson resources. I am amazed at how many schools I go into and staff I speak to who are not aware of this fact.
For many it can fundamentally change the way they use their whiteboard. If the only place you can make lesson resources using Notebook is at the board, many staff will not do so. Choosing instead to use powerpoint presentations. Give a teacher the ability to make Smart Notebook resources at home, with mouse and keyboard, and it becomes a lot easier to create interactive materials to then use at the Smartboard.
Now the terms of the Smart Licence state that you can install it on a reasonable number of boards for the school site. Section 8 of the licence states that if you have one board, you can put it on the machines of all the staff.
The only thing you cannot do is run Smart Notebook on another brand of Interactive Whiteboard or presentation technology. The licence covers you to prepare resources with it for a Smartboard, not use it as a way bypassing the lack of functional software with cheaper brands of IWB.
So – how do teachers get hold of Smart Notebook?
To download the software, go to the Smart Download Page.
Click on Choose a Product and select Smart Notebook for Windows (or you can get Mac/Linux versions, plus oder versions of the software)
Scroll down and click on Download. Enter your school details and Smart Notebook should start downloading.
The software will install as a 30 day trial. Follow the next few steps to unlock it.
To unlock Smart Notebook
First you will need your serial number for your smartboard (or one smartboard in school). You will find this on a sticker somewhere on the side or bottom of the board. It should start with “SB“. If you can’t find your serial number, Smart have produced some guides on where to look.
Once you have your serial number, you need to go to this page.
Follow the instructions on that page, enter the serial number and an email address. Smart will then email you a Product Key which will unlock Smart Notebook. Keep this Product Key safe in case you need to reinstall in the future. This key can be used more than once to unlock copies of the software on other staff computers.
You could bypass this step and just ask the IT technicians for the product key they used to unlock the software on the school computers. Hopefully they’ll share it with you. If they say they can’t refer them back to this Smart Licence, and this post.
Spread the word!
If you work in a school where the staff do not have Smart Notebook outside their classrooms, then please pass this post on, and make sure you inform your IT technicians that you are allowed to have copies.
Read MoreSmart Response 2010
Smart have released a new version of the Smart Response software. The important feature for me is that it now works with 64 bit versions of Windows 7, which means I can now use it on my laptop. Hurrah!
Other highlights:
• This update introduces support for SMART Response XE and SMART Response
VE (beta).
• SMART Response XE math expression question type accepts open-ended
responses containing math expressions and scientific functions.
• The intelligent grading feature automatically accepts multiple representations of
the correct answer for math expressions.
• This update improves SMART Response’s compatibility with ExamView® Test
Generator.
• Teachers can use the Preview function to view student responses while the
assessment is running.
• A new Teacher Tools feature allows teachers to track question text and responses
in more detail.
• Teachers can customize the format of exported assessment results.
• The driver for the new receiver runs on 64-bit operating systems.
You can download the latest version here.
Read MoreSmart Notebook Licence Update
Further to the article earlier today about Promethean’s licence changes, I’ve managed to locate the new Smart Notebook licence as of 21 June 2010. You can download the pdf file here.
Basically, like Promethean, Smart are tightening up on what you are allowed to do with Smart Notebook software. The ability to install it on staff machines for preparation purposes is still there. But what they are being more explicit about is what you cannot use Smart Notebook on. To quote from the letter sent out by Smart in June.
A SMART Notebook licence is included with a SMART licencensed product (IWB, voting set, slate etc) and you are permitted to use the software on any computer connected to these Licensed Products. SMART Notebook software may also be used on a reasonable number of computers associated with your authority or school that are not connected to pen or touch-enabled devices. This permits teachers to use the software at home to create lessons for use on their Licensed Products in the classroom.
The licence agreement does not, however, normally permit the use of SMART Notebook software when a computer is connected to a restricted pen- or touch-enabled device (“Restricted Product”). Restricted Products include, but are not limited to, any touch-enabled or pen-enabled devices that are not on the Licensed Products list above, including the following:
· Interactive whiteboards
· Interactive projector systems
· Display screens
· Screen digitising devices or slates
The only exception to this is if you use a non-SMART slate/graphics tablet. You are allowed to use this if another Smart product is attached. But if you are using a wireless slate with a projector, you’re not allowed to use Smart Notebook.
What Smart do make clear is that if you do with to access Smart Notebook files, then you can use their SMART Notebook Express web application, which can be found at http://express.smarttech.com/
So if you are using Smart Notebook on a non-Smart product, you are in breach of the licence. This hasn’t changed, it’s been like that for quite a while, but now they’re being more explicit about it. At present I don’t know of any way of buying additional licences for Smart Notebook to use on other boards or devices (IWB-free projectors) but maybe that will be something that will develop soon.
Don’t forget – if you have Smartboards in your school, the licence does allow for staff to have it installed elsewhere for preparation of lesson resources (on a “reasonable number of machines”, whatever that means…). Make sure you do this – it is a much better way of making resources to use in the lesson. You’d be amazed how many schools I go into where the staff have not been told this.
Read MoreSmart Notebook Official Help Files and Tutorials
Smart have had a redesign of their website. As a result, it’s bloody hard to now find the tutorials and guides that are available on the site. If you didn’t know they were there, it would be hard to track them down.
If you want to access them, try this link: Smart Notebook Help Files
Worth bookmarking it!
Read MoreLoads of Smart Notebook Files
A quick plug for the Wichita Instructional Technology department who have put together an awesome collection of Smart Notebook files.
According to one twitterer (Kelly Reseigh) This site has been dubbed the “Smartboard Motherlode” by some schools.. and it’s hard to argue with that description.
The site contains loads of Elementary / Primary (K-6) Smartbotebook files for Literacy, Maths, Science and Social Studies. There are also some Senteo / Smart Response Quizzes. I lost count trying to see how many there were.
It’s well worth bookmarking the site if you are ever in need of some Smart Notebook files. Thanks to the Wichita Staff for being so generous and sharing their resources.
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About Me
Danny Nicholson : Educator, Science teacher, ICT Consultant, PGCE lecturer, Author and Web2.0 / SMART Masters/ Interactive Whiteboard Trainer. Contact me for any training requests. 
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