Just add it to your personal library!!!

[wilcogirl]

My biggest asset, is my personal library. In Math, we start a chapter, and it seems to focus on a particular object or theme. I have started using the subheading in my collection and labeling them by chapter. This way, I can have all of the items that I use for that subject and chapter or topic that I have been using over and over again.

When I first started, I would constantly make all of my objects while I teached. I then started placing them in my library . It has made my teaching that much more efficient and smoother. ;)

[scaulfield]

Heather,

That is a great idea, creating subfolders in your personal library, so you can easily find all your "stuff"!

You can also drag those objects to the right side of your toolbar and have them as quick launch items. Then you can customize your toolbar for your specific lesson, and save it. So you could have a different toolbar for each lesson, each loaded with all the objects, pictures, etc, you need for that lesson!

[cappie]

I make heavy use of both the shortcut (right) side of the toolbar and “My Resources” in sort of a combination of what both Heather and Scott have described. Similar to Heather’s experience, I have found that when teaching specific topics, there are certain objects and annotations which I use frequently in creating flipcharts or which we use frequently in class. Similar to Scott’s suggestion, these items usually wind up on the shortcut side of the toolbar as I discover they are needed often.

What I have been doing at the end of a topic is to create a flipchart containing items used frequently with that topic, by simply dragging them off the shortcut bar to a flipchart page. I then save the "shortcuts" flipchart under that topic in "My Resources". The next time I teach that topic, all I'll have to do is open that flipchart and drag the commonly used objects and annotations to the right side of the toolbar and I’ll be set to go.

[brianksee]

I often have to add graphs and give more examples. Therefore, I have a coordiate plane from -10 to 10 on my shortcuts. I will often just go to the end of my chart or open a new chart and add the graph there. It is way better then getting my old chalkboard out.

[debs]

Hi, I often add images found usually from free resources on the net and create appropriate sub folders. Have found this particularly effective when wanting children to focus for prayer and worship sessions; a simple image often of the sky,sea,mountains etc add appropriate music usually sets the tone for whatever theme has been chosen.

Debs+wave+

[simongreen]

Thanks for these ideas

Before starting these 100 top teaching tips I'd always thought that Activprimary/Activstudio lessons are focussed around flipcharts - I think, however that focussing lessons around folders of resources in the Resource Library is a hugely valuable idea...

Especially in version 3, where you can export folders of resources and share them with colleagues...

[kellyandbryan]

Would anyone be able to tell me where my personal library is located? How exactly can you drag things onto the toolbar that you want to use. I just received my ACTIVboard on Friday and liked this tip. Thanks, Kelly

[CPope]

Hi KellyandBryan,

Click on the icon of the Books on the navigation toolbar. That brings up your resource library. To get to your personal library, click on the icon of the single computer (PC) or single person (Mac). Activstudio provides the structure of folders for each category in the resource library in your personal library.

To house a frequently used resource in the toolbar, simply drag it to the third row of the toolbar (PC) or (Mac) click on the image to get the handles and drag the hand into the third row of your toolbar.

That's enormously convenient to access frequently used resources!!

Char

[LisaD]

When you click on the resource library (Looks like library books), you will see some icons at the top of the window that will appear. The icon with just ONE person on it is your personal library. Is should be empty. But you can alwasy drag things in there: Flipcharts in the flipchart section, images in the image library section. I would get familiar with what is already in the Shared library first.

By the way, have you tried out the promethean learning courses? Right now they are available only in the UK but anyone can do the level one course. You may want to try it out. I found it very helpful!

The web address is : PrometheanLearning.com

Lisa