When you log onto the SMART Tech site or others hosting SMART Notebook files you might find a file which meets your needs exactly but more often than not you will have to modify the file to suit the way you teach a topic, including the language and difficulty level.

Combine this with times when you may wish to use the SMART Board to reinforce a point just covered and, rather than waste time searching for a specific file, why not use a few of the tools creatively to cover the point? Thus, the IWB will be used effectively to support a lesson, based on your teaching style and matched to your pupil's needs. In addition, the answer won't have been 'plucked out of the air' rather it will have been solved collaboratively!

Being able to work in this way doesn't necessarily mean that you have to be an expert with the various tools, instead work on the possibilities of a few of them and be prepared to be surprised at the results.

Consider the following:

Number Work

Drag the random number Flash file from the Gallery onto the work area. Reset the number range to suit the exercise - to do so click on the double arrow on the object to open a hidden menu then close this part before finalising the exercise.

Open the sample file - Random Numbers.

Language work

Using the random letter FLASH file and the infinite cloner feature word games can be created similar to countdown.

How? Locate and drag both the random consonant and random vowel FLASH files from the gallery onto a page. Create an exercise to turn each letter once until a suitable word is formed. Care should be taken with certain word length in case unwanted words emerge!

Open the sample file - Random Letters starter and Random Letters similar to Countdown.