Sharing is Caring

Yesterday I added 5 SMART Notebook files to the Texas folder in the Downloads section of the SMART Exchange to the splendid ones already uploaded by others in attendance at the Dallas Area Users Group conference. If you haven't joined the conversation yet, please do. Otherwise you won't be able to download files or participate in the forum discussions.
Several people have requested the Keynote Address and Users' Group Notebook files. However, due to copyright infringement questions, I've chosen not to post these for public use. I know you'll understand.
However, I was able to post five other elementary Notebook files. They are Molly's Pilgrim, A World Class Adventure, Solar System - Who Am I, Notebook 10 and Lesson Activity Toolkit examples shown during my Keynote. If you've been reading my blog posts, you'll know which cool technique I used in each of the files. Thanks, James Hollis, for your inspiration.
And in turn, I hope these files inspire you to add creativity, sparkle, and interactivity to your own Notebook lesson files. Happy creating!

Lots to Love with Links

Last week's SMART Board challenge involved creating button links from a home page that helped younger students navigate the maze of activities we teachers use to create learning activities that appeal to a wide range of learning styles. At first thought, I considered it busy work on my part, but after working with my Molly's Pilgrim Notebook activity, I reconsidered. Allowing students to choose which activity to do next puts more of the lesson in their control. Increased ownership brings increased motivation and learning. What's not to love?
I encourage you to try it with an existing 4 or 5 page Notebook lesson. Create some buttons, or use some from the LAT, to speed your process. Then link each named button to its matching page. On that page, include all the linked buttons again so that pages may be easily moved between for review or reteach. My lesson focused on reading skills - fact/opinion, sequence, vocabulary, questions, and a match game. Therefore, the buttons at the bottom of each page were the same as the ones on the home page screenshot.
Molly's Pilgrim is one of our book studies prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. Students will be making pilgrim dolls at home next weekend for show and share the next Monday. I'm looking forward to their creations once again this year. If you have suggestions or links for additional Molly's Pilgrim activities, kindly post a comment. Thank you.