The Smart Table model number 442i is a touch sensitive display device used throughout classrooms within North America. Within Manitoba we first saw first hand how effective it was within a classroom setting during a tour of Minnetonka School Diestrict west of Minneapolis and saw a good number of students working on it within the classroom. It imprsessed our participants so much that they immedicately purchased two tables upon returnint to Manitoba.
Smart Technologies is a world renowned company focused on improving the "Digital Classroom" They provide numerous products such as Smart Boards and Smart Tables and Smart Response systems all designed for Student participation and collaboration.. The software interface is the Learning Suite which has progressed to an online subscription from that of a hard based copy given out when purchased.
WIth the Smart Table specifically, by touching the surface, students can create, select, move and resize digital objects. More than one student can touch the surface at a time. This encourages collaboration and cooperative learning as students learnand play together. Other features include using a WIFI network can enable a teacher to monitor students table top activity from a distance, take control of the table and capture and print the tabletop image. Click on the ling for a brief introduction.
How your SMART Table software works
A PC runs SMART Table sofware, the computer's display appears on the table's surface, the speakers play the computer's audio and multiply camera's ditect students' touch on the surface. Combined, these components enable students to interact with SMART Table software.
Navigating SMART Table Activities
SMART Table Activities (APPS) is the primary software for your SMART Table collaborative learning center. It starts automatically when you turn on your table. The SMART Table Activities menu has two modes: Student and Teacher
Student Mode:
Student Mode is the default mode. It enables students to start applications specifically designed for the children in early primary grades.
Teacher Mode:
The mode enables you to do the following:
Set the number of students to a maximum of 8. A question you will have to ask yourself is do you wanat 80 fingers on the device at the same time. No you don't so max it out at 4 as this is manageable.
Calibrate the surface to increase touch accuracy
Access the Stretch or Scale properties menu and the languges menu.
Synchronize and choose activity packs ane qpplications.
Access the SMART Exchange website to download activity packs directly onto your table
Switching Modes
There are two methods to switch from both student and teacher modes.
Firstly, place fine fingers on the touch display and hold for approximately 10 seconds on the center of the table. A spindle or cog will appear in the corner of the surface. Keep you five fingers on the table and don't release the pressure and press the spindle or cog with your free hand. This can be frustrating as the cog or spindle won't appear at time so I prefer the following.
Stick a USB, any USB into one of the USB slots on the side of the display panel. Voila.......it takes you to either the student mode or more importantly the teachers mode. Word of caution: Don't show this to the students as you don't want any young students or Junior High Students messing around with the settings.
Connecting to the Internet:
Turn on your table
The SMART Table Activities menu appears
Switch from Student mode to Teacher mode.
Press he X in the corner to exit to the table computer desktop. It's a Window based OS. A message appears asking if you want to exit to the computer desktop. Press YES
Click Start and then type winver in the search box.
Select the winver.exe file adn then press ENTER. Details of your table computers operating system appear.
Go the the support.microsoft.com and search for the View and connect to wireless local aren network.
Calibrating your SMART Table
Firstly go to the teacher's mode in the table (remember to stick in the USB)
Press Calibrate. The table displays a message asking you to confirm that you want to calibrate the display. Press Yes Press the center of the target until it turns red and moves onto the next position. Repeat this step for each target. The display changes to the second calibration screen adn a grid appears. An example appears briefly, demonstrating how to draw across the screen to calibrate to surface.
About Applications
The Smart Table Toolkit is a software program which allows you to create your own personalized programs or activity packs for students from all levels to use within their curriuculum while using the SMART Table. They are as follows:
Paint
Media
Multiple Choice
Hot Spots
Narrow it down
Image reveal
Addition
Addition Plus
Hot Spaces
Puzzle
Scrapbook
Synphony
SMART Notebook
Downloading Applications or Applications from Smart Exchange
login to Smart Exchange in selecting the Activity Packs section within the Teacher's mode in the settings section. You will be prompted to select what activity packs you want to have in your Smart Table. Select all. This gives you approximately 4000 plus activity packs to store on the Table. NOTE: you will need a higher capacity bandwidth as that is alot of data to store on your Table. If you don't have a good reliable and strong signal you will have to find one signal. In my experience some of the schools have had very poor bandwidth so they took the table with them whenever they went into the city and used whatever bandwidth they could find from a ISP.
Here is a link on the introduction to the SMART Table 442i.