SMART Learning Suite Online, or SLSO, has become a favorite learning tool for teachers, especially during hybrid or distance learning. While SLSO already offers teachers many fun and easy-to-use features to engage students, there have been some special features the teachers have been requesting. SMART has always been responsive to teachers requests, and now, those new updates are here!

Explore resources

SMART has added a collection of standards-aligned lessons that can be used as is, or customized in edit mode. These resources were created by other educators and can be searched for and previewed online. They cover many topics including STEAM, distance learning, and emotional literacy.

Shout it out

Shout it Out is a long-time favorite interactive activity of teachers, and is used both in the classroom and during online meetings. In the newest update, SMART has added the ability to include the question directly in the Shout it Out activity. This makes for a more cohesive experience for both the teacher and the students.

Search for and insert pictures within the SLSO activities

Whether for differentiation purposes or for non-reading students, adding images to SLSO lessons is a great benefit. In the past, adding images to activities was a bit of work as teachers, as they would need to search for the pictures and download them to their computers before creating the activities for which they would use them. Now, however, SMART has included the ability to search for images during the creation of the activity using the embedded Bing Safe Search option.

Zoom in on pictures

The ability to zoom in on images during a lesson is another great new feature, and it’s been added to Super Sort, Flip Out, and Match ‘Em Up. Images that were previously small when viewing can now be made full screen. Additionally, images can now be added to Game Show and Speed Up activities.

Custom themes

Finally, teachers can now customize themes for some of the activities — including the popular Shout it Out. The previously generic background is now customizable, giving teachers more room to get creative and thematic as they deliver their lessons and activities.

For more information on these new updates and features, please visit What’s New in SMART Learning Suite Online, where the information for this blog originated.

You can also explore the PD courses on the OTIS for educators platform. Some courses relevant to this post that we recommend are:

• Introduction to SMART Learning Suite Online
• Remote Learning with SMART Learning Suite Online
• Creating Student-Driven Instruction with SMART Learning Suite Online

For more tips, tricks, and tools for teaching in and out of the classroom, check out more articles on the Teq Talk blog.

We also offer virtual professional development, training, and remote learning support for educators with OTIS for educators. Explore the technology, tools, and strategies that can spark student success — no matter where teaching or learning are happening.