In a previous blog post, we described how to set up the Extreme Collaboration add-on to use with your SMART Notebook lessons. Here are some thoughts about the types of activities that can make the best use of this tool.

Open ended responses

This type of response to a question can help you to:

• know what prior knowledge students have about a topic (e.g. What is a factor?)

• recall and respond to yesterday’s lesson (e.g. How was the main theme of the story evident in Chapter 3?)

• summarize today’s learning. (e.g. In your opinion, what was the most important point in the article we read?)

• find out what questions students have during the lesson (e.g. What is most challenging to you about determining author’s purpose?)

Notebook Page set-up: Type in a text prompt or add an image to the Notebook page. In Extreme Collaboration, set the Activity options for either Random or List.

Categorizing Information

This is one of the most basic thinking skills that we use as we begin to understand any new information we’re learning. (e.g. As you think about the Civil War and the issue of slavery, what were the arguments, pro or con, from each side?; Name some things that are living and some that are non-living.)

Notebook page set-up: use the line tool to create a T chart, add a text object at the top of each column (e.g. Pro-Slavery / Anti -Slavery. In Extreme Collaboration, set the Activity options to List by Category. Categories listed are anything that is in a text box. Students will select the category into which their response will be placed.

Similarities and Differences

This instructional strategy helps students to understand concepts more deeply. (e.g. As you consider what you know about these two characters from the story, what character traits have you noticed about each of them and what do you think they have in common?)

Notebook page set-up: Use the shapes tool to create two overlapping circles that are filled with color.  Set the object transparency for each circle so you’ll be able to see where they connect. Add a text object to the top of each circle to define what belongs there. In Extreme Collaboration, set the Activity options to List by category.  For a bit of higher level thinking, set the Activity options to random then ask students to justify where each of the responses belongs.

Gamify a Learning Activity

Make the work of thinking a game for your students. Using text or images, ask students to respond to a prompt as quickly as possible or respond for their team only.

• Create or paste a block of text onto a Notebook page and ask students to find parts of speech such as nouns/verbs, verbs/adverbs, nouns/pronouns, figures of speech.  Set the Activity options in Extreme Collaboration to List by Category.

• Insert a content related image onto a Notebook page, as well as a timer from the Gallery.  Set the timer for 2 minutes and ask students to enter a response telling what they notice in the picture. Set the Activity options in Extreme Collaboration to Random or List.

• Set up two Notebook pages – one containing a poem, another containing a T chart labeled for two teams (or more). Give students the opportunity to read the poem first. Using dual page mode, be sure the two pages are side by side on the screen, then select the page with the team labels (you’ll see a red border around that page) and activate your Extreme Collaboration session.  Set the Activity options in Extreme Collaboration to List by Category.

• Add images to a page showing various organs of the body. Add a text object to label each (but do not group it with the image).  How quickly can students name the body system to which each organ belongs?  Use a timer from the Gallery to countdown the number of minutes/seconds it takes.

What ideas do you have for maximizing the use of Extreme Collaboration in your instruction?