SMART Notebook is a software that most teachers will be familiar with - whether they have just heard of it or use it daily to deliver lessons. Throughout my teaching career, I have worked in teams where SMART Notebook was the go-to software and others where different programmes were prioritised. This choice often comes down to personal preference and what best supports your teaching and students.

From my experience, SMART Notebook is a hidden gem filled with tools and features that can transform lessons into more interactive and engaging experiences, rather than just projecting slides onto a screen. Recently, while delivering training to schools on SMART Notebook’s key features, many teachers were unaware of what it can do or simply aren’t using it to its full potential.  

In these training sessions, I have been sharing my top three favourite SMART Notebook features, which I believe can make a real difference to lesson delivery. In the next section, I will explain where to find them and how to use them in your classroom.  

Magic Pen

The first one is Magic Pen, found in the pen tools tab, it is a simple but effective tool with three key functions:

1. Spotlight: By drawing a circle on the screen, a spotlight filter appears over the page. Shown in the image below, I use it during reading lessons with picture books. It allows students to look for clues in images or texts, focussing on small details and developing inference skills – a great alternative to the Screen Shade tool.  

2. Zoom: Drawing a rectangle/ square on the screen activates the zoom feature, allowing you to magnify over objects, images or text on the screen.  

3. Disappearing ink: Any text or drawings made with the Magic Pen fade away after a few seconds. I find this useful for recalling facts such as timetables as a quick prompt, before students start an independent activity.  

SMART Blocks

My second favourite feature is SMART Blocks. Found in the ‘Add-ons’ tab, SMART Blocks is an interactive maths tool that generates calculations live on the board. You choose the numbers and the ‘block’ calculates the answer. I often use them at a starter or plenary to reinforce operations. The image below shows an example of how they can be used. By setting a starting and end number, pupils need to decide which SMART blocks to use (add, subtract, multiply, etc.) and the numbers to reach the final answer. This reinforces calculation skills but also encourages problem-solving and critical thinking.  

Activities and Assessments

The third Notebook feature I love is found in the Activities and Assessments tabs. Here, there is a suite of ready-made activities to make your lessons more interactive for students by connecting pupil devices or as a whole class activity on the board. They are quick to build and just need a pupil device with internet to access – no special apps required! They are also a great alternative to printing out worksheets, saving paper and time waiting at the printer. See the images below for examples of these activities:

I recently hosted a webinar here at Elementary Technology on importing PowerPoint files into SMART Notebook, demonstrating how the features above can be used to enhance your existing lessons. If you missed it, you can watch the recorded webinar here: Power Up Your PowerPoint with SMART Notebook.

Additionally, if you would like to learn more about SMART Notebook or want to arrange training to make the most of your software, please get in touch!

o.sullivan@elementaryuk.com