Author: Pablo Garcia
4.3 Math Tools (Ruler, Protractor, Compass)
Short video introducing the math tools (ruler, protractor, compass) in Workbook/ AlphaTeach.
3.31 Panning in Workbook
Video demonstration on how to use the Panning tool in Workbook / AlphaTeach
3.65 Linking Images
Video demonstrates how you will soon be adding links from any object on your Workbook / AlphaTeach canvas. Links can launch web pages (internal or external browser), or other files on your computer such as slideshows, programs, sounds or videos.
Will Thalheimer: The Learning Benefits of Questions
Today, we feature the latest from Dr Will Thalheimer, the long-respected instructional design expert and contemporary education blogger on education best-practice (www.willatworklearning.com).
Will has just re-issued his ground-breaking 2003 tome “The Learning Benefits of Questions: Research to Practice.” As he points out: ” Questions still rock, the research is still sound, and you will still get great value from this paper’s concepts! “
Among many other activities, Will also maintains AudienceResponseLearning.org, a web site dedicated to improving learning outcomes through audience response techniques. Visitors to that site will find his report Questioning Strategies for Audience Response Systems: How to Use Questions to Maximize Learning, Engagement, and Satisfaction. To quote Will on why you should read it:
“I continue to maintain this website because I am concerned that people sell and see audience response technology as a quick fix to maintain learner interest. While interest may be temporarily raised, if this is all you do with audience response technology, you are committing educational malpractice. The research report will give you a much deeper insight into the many ways that well-designed audience response learning can support deep and meaningful learning.”
3.15 Formatting Objects
Any object’s properties can be changed instantly in Workbook. Change fill, stroke, opacity, line properties, label properties etc…. Right click on the object and select “properties”, or (once the object is selected) just hit the relevant button the Properties toolbar.
3.26 Importing Pages
Importing all or selected pages from other Workbook files is a very useful way of capturing work done in earlier files, and bringing it into the current Workbook activity.
3.28 Working with Grids
The Grids function lets you display a grid as a background. It’s much more as well however! You can choose from square or isometric grid types, or otherwise apply lined, handwriting or music score templates to your pages. You can also (with square or isometric grids) apply the popular “snap-to” functionality, resulting in perfect alignment of objects to the grid coordinates (whether or not they are visible).
3.20 Working with Pages
On the Page Sorter, each page thumbnail offers a menu through which you can access a number of page formatting options. You can right-click on the thumbnail, or just click on the down-arrow in the upper right corner of the thumbnail to access this menu of options. Using this menu you ca adjust page size and orientation, background colour (or image i background), set grids and switch them on or off, clear pages of any content, and delete pages altogether from the Workbook.
3.27 Page Backgrounds
Video demonstration on how to set the page background…. Backgrounds can be coloured, and they may have an image applied to them in various ways. Putting items in the background means they cannot be changed by mistake while using the canvas. Grids can be sued as well as backgrounds.
3.23 Clearing Pages
Learn how to instantly delete all objects off your Workbook / AlphaTeach page – but not delete the page itself….
4.5 Stamps
Select and use stamps such as tick marks, crosses, happy faces etc, to instantly apply frequently symbols onto the canvas. Drag them to create “magic pen” like streams of your chosen stamp. Great to apply speech bubbles, highlight key items, mark right / wrong etc.
4.4 Built-in Web Browser
The built-in (“internal”) web browser in Workbook / AlphaTeach makes it even easier to integrate web presented materials with your classroom activities. You can manage the view easily, and write or draw over the top of the web page without having to move away from your Workbook whiteboard page. Perhaps best of all for those interactive pages, you can take snapshots to record your progress, and build them up as a “stack” or a storyboard for later….
Setting up your On-screen Keyboard (Windows)
See how to set up your On Screen Keyboard so it’s handy to use from your interactive whiteboard or interactive display.
Caring for your 2Touch Interactive Whiteboard
Caring for your 2Touch IWB is easy and care-free.
The porcelain steel surface is impervious to all of the usual glass cleaners: these work a treat when removing stubborn ink stains. An isopropyl alcohol based fluid is ideal. Do not use abrasives or scourers as these might scratch the enamel surface of the whiteboard.
