Since the end of September, several math teachers at the High School have had a new tool literally at their fingertips. 
A SMART Board is an "interactive whiteboard" that allows the user to control a projected the image from their computer on the board.  You can use the board to open files, draw in “digital” ink, present PowerPoint documents, as well as write and save classroom notes.  The SMART Boards are located in the classrooms of Lori Hollenbeck (pictured above pointing to the work of one of her students) and Donna Zippin.  Both teachers use the technology mostly for math problem examples and presenting lessons.  When something is written on a SMART Board, it can be saved and accessed later.  This is how these innovative math teachers are saving time for themselves and their students.  When a student is absent, they can receive a printed copy of the previous day’s lesson. SMART Boards are slowly making their way into classrooms and Media Centers around the district. Are you interested in learning more about this new technology? If so, you can visit SMART Technologies Inc. OR check the Teacher’s Center for an upcoming SMART Board inservice workshop by Ryan Orilio, a technology teacher who is another SMART Board "pioneer" at the High School.

Sometimes when working in Mac OS X, you may want to make a duplicate copy of a file, such as a Word document or a picture. This way you can leave the original intact and leave it in its current location! The way most people accomplish this task is by opening the file, choosing the Save As command, and then pointing to a new location for the copied file. However, there is a quicker wayto do this by using the Option key on your keyboard.

To duplicate a file quickly using the shortcut, follow these steps:

1. Select the file such a Word document by clicking on its icon once in any Finder window or the Desktop.
2. With your pointer still on the file, hold down the Option key on the keyboard. A green plus icon will appear next to the mouse pointer, (see cursor in diagram below). This indicates that you are making a copy of the file.
   
3. While holding down the Option key, click and drag the "ghosted" copy icon (see screenshot above) with your mouse to a location away from the original and then release your mouse button. You will now have an exact copy of the file! (If you place the copied file in the same location as its original, OS X will automatically add to word "copy" to the end of the file name!)
   
   BONUS TIP: Option-dragging is a great timesaver in many OS X apps. For example, you can use Option-drag in Word to duplicate the same graphic on the page without having to insert it over and over again mutiple times! Option-drag works well in iLife apps like iMovie! Try it out!

EDSITEment is a partner site of the MarcoPolo Foundation that was forged in Spring 1997 by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Council of the Great City Schools, the National Trust for the Humanities, and MarcoPolo. EDSITEment, a free web portal avaliable for all educators, offers a treasure trove for teachers, students, and parents searching for high-quality material on the Internet in the subject areas of literature and language arts, foreign languages, art and culture, and history and social studies. All websites linked to EDSITEment have been reviewed for content, design, and educational impact in the classroom. They cover a wide range of humanities subjects, from American history to literature, world history and culture, language, art, and archaeology, and have been judged by humanities specialists to be of high intellectual quality.
The featured quick links above for this month bring you directly to several of the key areas avaliable on this website. Check out the site for more info with some great information for your classroom!

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Eager to learn about new ways to use Mac OS X even better? Come to our monthly OS X "Talk, Tips & Tricks" session. Find out more.

Below are select technology courses to be offered by the Teacher Center next month! Click on the course to learn more. Email the Teacher Center or call X1201 to register today!

Thursday, February 5
PowerPoint to DVD

Thursdays, February 9 & 16
Digital Photobooks for Learning

February 13, 16, 27
Switching Your Files from OS 9 to OS X Server

Download February Events