Distance Learning With Existing Hardware – Promethean ActivInspire

ActivInspire – Software for Teachers

Promethean’s award winning ActivInspire is made for teachers by teachers. This is one of the greatest tools you can use in your classroom to foster engaging lessons. When working remotely you can easily share your screen when meeting virtually with students and engage them in all the same flipcharts you are used to working with in class. Whether you are a seasoned flipchart user, or new to ActivInspire, let’s take a look at some of the great features ActivInspire offers!

Updating ActivInspire

First and very important, make sure your Software is up to date. If you already have the software on your device open the help tab and click “check for updates”. If an update is needed follow the on screen prompts to do so. Keep in mind depending on your district’s rules for downloading software you may need authorization from a school or technology leader. If you need to download ActivInspire for the first time, visit support.prometheanworld.com and click downloads to locate the download.

ActivInspire Dashboard

Alright, my software is downloaded and up to date so let’s hop in. When you open activinspire you will notice that a dashboard pops up. This dashboard can be helpful in many ways but one of the things I love the most is the timer tool. Whether you are face to face with students or have students working at home teaching time management of tasks is crucial. This is a great and easy built in tool to take advantage of.

Interactive PDFs and Screen Snipets

Let’s discuss another feature that is so easy to use but that can help you make your “flat” curriculum PDFs more interactive. You can actually import ENTIRE PDFs into an AI flipchart.

What if I don’t want the whole PDF? I just want a piece or even one paragraph from a page or even a snippet from a web page. No problem! AI has a built in snipping tool making it easy to pull in all kinds of content. (show how to use an AI snipping tool) And while we are on the topic of snipping tools your computer has one too! On a windows device you can use the search feature to locate it and pin it to your desktop or on a Mac device you can use the command + shift + 4 keyboard shortcut.

ActivInspire Resource Browser

Now I know what you are thinking, I don’t have time to make those fancy flipcharts I see other teachers using. Let me let you in on a few secrets. Number 1- the resource browser in ActivInspire.

SO many backgrounds, templates, activities already made. (pick 2 or 3 math related and show how to insert them in a flipchart) and you can get EVEN MORE by visiting support.prometheanworld.com and downloading the extra subjects pack that will add to your resource browser. My favorites are actually found in that package.

Promethean Resource Library

Tip 2- Prometheans Resource Library. Think old school Promethean Planet where you can find tons of pre-made flipcharts (show how to access and download or use a flipchart from here)

Desktop Annotate

Next, let’s chat about a fan favorite. Desktop annotate. If you don’t want to import a PDF, take snapshots using a snipping tool, no problem. Simply activate desktop annotation to use your pen tools and other features like the math tools over any application
you have pulled up on your computer.

Student Engagement

And lastly, student engagement. If your students are not physically with you to use manipulate activities in the flip chart you can still engage with them using Classflow connect built into ActivInspire.

I could go on for HOURS with all that ActivInspire can do but I hope in these few minutes you’ve seen a few techniques you can implement into your class! Remember all of these can be shown to your students in a recording or by sharing your screen during a live webinar.