Easy Smartboard Activity Creation

Easy Smartboard Activity Creation

Created by Allison Schalk, Digital Learning Coach, Lanesville Community Schools

We have all had our Smartboards for a number of years, but I was guilty of pretty much using it as a way to take notes up on the board, circle different ideas, or have students mark over a website or document.  I really didn’t use the Smartboard a ton for everything of which it is truly capable.  So, here goes--how can I create my own Smartboard activity quickly, efficiently, and effectively? Keep in mind we have an outdated version of the software and old Smartboards, so it might vary for you.

1. Open up Smart Notebook on your desktop.
2. Add a couple pages because you can make more than one activity reviewing or reteaching the same skill and then save it for that skill or unit.

3. Click on the Gallery on the left side of the screen.  It looks like a picture frame.  

4. Then, click on ‘Lesson Toolkit.’

5. Then click on ‘Examples.’

6. Finally click on ‘Activities.’ To get them to show up, just click on the ‘Notebook Files and Pages’ in the blue bar.

7. Click on one and drag into onto your blank page.  You can also double click. I suggest with starting with ‘Category Sort Text.’

8. Click on ‘Edit’ in the upper left corner of the screen.

9. At this point, you can change the categories, create 3 columns, and mark your correct answers.  When you are finished, click ‘Okay.’

10. Then, save your Notebook.  File, save as. You can save the Smart Notebook directly into the file on your M drive for that unit or skill so you will always have it for reinforcing that skill or for the future.

11. If you want to make another one on a different page, just go to the next page and drag a new activity to it.  Click ‘edit’ and begin.  

For lower elementary, you might want to try any of the ‘Image’ premade activities.  Adding images to your activity is actually pretty quick and simple.  

1. Drag over ‘Category Sort-Image’ or any image activity.  Click on ‘Edit’ and change your categories just like before.
2. Now, click the ‘Maximize’ button (it actually will make it smaller if you are already maximized--it is the rectangle button in the top right.)
3. Pull up a second window for a google image search.  Also make sure that is not full screen, so you can still kind of see both screens at the same time.  (You could split screen if you want.)
4. Open your chosen image up, right click, save as.  It will download it onto your bottom downloads bar.

5. Find the image in the bottom downloads bar and drag it to the Smart Notebook.  Drop the image in the image box you want.  It will stay there once you drop it.

6. Continue to find, save, and drop images into the Smart Notebook until you have the number you want/need for that activity.  

TRY THIS: It doesn’t always work, but sometimes you can just drag the image directly from your Google Image search into the image box in Smart Notebook without having to save anything!

7. Save and you are ready to go!

There are TON of premade activity options ready for you to customize.  So easy, so effective!