Interactive Whiteboards archive at eLearning at TIGS: Di Epoff’s Blog

May
25

ActivInspire Software: Basic skills

depoffActivInspire Tutorials, Interactive Whiteboards, eLearningComment (1)

Using the ActivPen

To select an object: Left-click - Tap the pen nib quickly on the Activboard

To show the ‘Object Edit Menu’: Right-click - Hover the pen over the Activboard, less than 5mm away from the board and press the button.
To move objects around the page: Click and drag - Click on the object you want to move, hold the pen nib down on the board and then move the pen.
Double clicking on the ‘Object Browser’ allows you to show/hide an object. Double-click - Two quick taps with the Activpen’s nib performs the same action as double-clicking with a mouse.

Calibrating the ActivBoard

On the computer:

Click on the ‘Activmanager’ icon in the menu bar.
Select ‘Calibrate’.
Follow the on-screen instructions.

On the Activboard:

Hover the pen over the lit flame in the top left hand corner of the board, don’t push the pen.
Follow the on-screen instructions

The ActivInspire Interface

You can choose to view ActivInspire with a primary or studio skin, this option can be changed in the ‘Dashboard‘ under ‘Configure’.

The toolbox: pinning, hiding, rolling up or rolling in

When it is opened the toolbox windows can be viewed in a number of ways- try these:

Click on ‘Pin Toolbox’ to unpin/pin
Click on the ‘Main Menu’
Select ‘View’.
Click here to hide the ‘Menu Bar’ that appears at the top of the screen.
Roll up the ‘Main Toolbox’.
Click on ‘Toolbox Options’.
Select ‘Dock top’.
Select ‘Roll In’ to hide the shortcut bar

The Pen Tool Workshop

Click on the ‘Main Menu’ button
Select ‘File’ > New Flipchart, or,
Select ‘Open’ and navigate to the flipchart you wish to open.
Make sure the ‘Pen’ tool is selected and choose a suitable line thickness. Write on the flipchart.
Right click on any colour in the colour pallet and choose the ‘Colour Picker’. Use the ‘Colour Picker’ to select the background colour. Now use the ‘Pen’ to write on the flipchart with the background colour.
Select ‘Fill’.
Choose an alternative colour in the colour palette.
Click on the flipchart to fill it with the new colour. The magic writing appears!

Manipulating Objects

Hover the pen over each icon to view the titles of each option in the manipulation toolbar

Type/click on an existing word in the flipchart
Make the writing smaller with the ‘Size Object (Maintain Aspect)’ handle
Make the text fainter with the ‘Translucency Slider’
Move the word with the ‘Freely Move Object’ marquee handle
Select another word.
Click on the ‘Rotate Object’ to realign the word
Move the object by click directly on the object or,
Move an object using ‘Freely Move Object’.

Grouping Objects

Hover the pen over each icon to view the titles of each option in the manipulation toolbar

Click and drag over two words to select them both. Choose the ‘Toggle Grouped’ marque handle to group them as one object.
Then click on either words to select them.
You can move them together as a group.
Click on ‘Toggle Grouped’ again to ungroup the words. Select one of the words.
Now use ‘Toggle Grouped’ again.
Each letter is now an individual object

Eraser, Undo, Redo & Delete

To undo an action, click ‘Undo’ button in the toolbox
To redo an action, click ‘Redo’ button in the toolbox
You can delete an object several ways:
With the object selected, click on the ‘Flipchart bin’/ click on the Delete button in the toolbox/click on the delete option in the object manipulation toolbar/use the eraser tool to erase
Objects created with the ‘Pen’ tool are called annotations. You can use the ‘Eraser’ to delete annotations. Select the ‘Eraser’, or you can click on the ‘Clear Annotations’ tool in the toolbox/menu

Saving a Flipchart

Click on the ‘Main Menu’.
Select ‘File’.
Select ‘Save As . . .’ and give the new flipchart a suitable name.
Click on ‘Save’
Be sure to save your flipcharts in some sort of ordered system
Save all powerpoint files, pic files etc. used in a flipchart in the same location

Mar
1

Here we are in 2009

depoffInteractive Whiteboards, Microsoft Office 2007, eLearning, professional developmentNo Comments

Well, here we are at the start of a fresh new term and year at TIGS. As this is the second year of the Strategic Plan, several major eLearning strategies will shape the future for eLearning at TIGS in 2009.

NETWORK and MICROSOFT 2007 UPDATE

Over the summer vacation, our IT guys, Neil Cross, Andrew Greenlees and Josh Lukins worked tirelessly to update our servers and install Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office 2007 products on all computers across the school. This update will facilitate new ways in which staff can use and access files. Admin staff will receive training in 2007 products in February and teaching staff will participate in faculty workshops in the transition from Office 2003 to 2007, on the forthcoming Professional Development Day on 9th March.

A NEW WEBSITE

Soon we expect to have the first stage of our new school website up and running. The new site promises to significantly change the way staff, students and parents and the TIGS community learn and interact with the school. It will incorporate many exciting new features such as an online newsletter; a portal to key staff and departmental blogs and later in the year, teacher home-pages where students can gain access to key class information anywhere, anytime. Features of these home pages will include access to class photo albums, student blogs or journals, discussion boards and the ability for teachers to upload podcasts. Of course it will take some time to train staff and students in the use of the website and all of its functions but it has the potential to pave the way to transform the way that students interact with the school and their teachers.

For parents, the website promises to be a goldmine of information about what is happening at school and the new exciting interface that our IT guys have designed is sure to have a big impact!