Earthquake in Christchurch

Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Christchurch, New Zealand, as they battle with the disaster that struck them today. Unbelievable.

Interactive solar system resource

If you are looking for a resource to use to explain the basics of our solar system, you need look no further than the MINT gallery included with uBoard. The individual elements can be moved around easily and you can use the spotlight or reveal tools to focus on particular pieces.

To find it, go to Galleries and open the Science folder. Double click on the images and they will load. You can resize or reposition as you wish.

Charging the uBoard pen

uBoard interactive whiteboard systems use a rechargeable pen. They are supplied with a cable that plugs into the end of the pen at one end and into a usb port (or usb charger) at the other.

From flat, they take 1.5 hours to charge which will give you approximately 15 hours of continuous use. Because it uses an advanced lithium polymer battery, you can part charge it whenever you like with no ill effects. A neat feature is that a red light glows in the end which goes out when the pen is fully charged.

Interactive music resource

Here's a handy site that will be useful for senior music teachers - Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net . It's full of tools that will help students learn a range of music theory.
It ranges from fairly simple exercises that test knowledge of notes to more complex activities around identifying various scales by ear. A great feature is the ability to customise the activities.

Installing a data projector - Part 2

The actual installation is sometimes left to school caretakers or maintenance personal and we strongly recommend that they read the previous post before starting. To help with the practicalities of the job, the tips below may be useful.

• Shift the whiteboard to the right height for the users.
• Connect the projector to the computer that will use it.
• Position the projector as close as possible to the screen while ensuring the picture is within the screen and no wider than 1.5m.
• Use a string with a weight on the end to mark on the ceiling where the projector mount should be fitted.
• Ensure that the mount is securely attached to the ceiling (we have several easy solutions for this – email us if you need advice).
• The projector will need a power outlet to plug into. If there isn’t a ceiling outlet, you can run an extension lead to it using commonly available cable channelling (ask at an electrical store).This channelling will also be needed for the VGA cable that will connect the projector to the computer. Make sure you know where the computer will be positioned so the channelling ends at the right place!

How to set up a classroom data projector

This topic comes up time and again when talking to schools. It is also one of the most common problems with any interactive whiteboard setup. We have come up with a short guide that will make sure that you get the best out of you equipment.

Rule 1 Do not let the ceiling dictate where you place the projector! Even if there is a very handy looking mounting point, or a light fitting seems to be in the way, resist the urge to compromise. A small amount of extra effort will pay dividends over the life of the projector.

Rule 2 Position the projector as close as possible to the screen while still getting the picture size that you require. A very common fault of installers is to mount the projector too far back from the screen – this loses clarity and can make the image too big.

Rule 3 You seldom need an image bigger than 1.5 metre wide in a classroom.

Rule 4 Make sure that the whole image fits on your whiteboard! This may seem a basic requirement, but in our experience, many, many, installations leave the image bigger than the whiteboard. It is always better to make it fit clearly inside the whiteboard edges.

Rule 5 An interactive whiteboard is not interactive if the intended users can’t reach all parts of the image! Again, don’t compromise – move the whiteboard lower if necessary before fitting the projector. Many junior classes also use a simple step to let their shorter students reach the whole board. Once the board is in the right place you can position the projector – not the other way around.

Rule 6 The projector manufacturer’s mount is usually the most expensive. It is far more economical to purchase one of the many universal mounts available.

There you go! Follow these directions and you will be well on the way to a professional setup.

(This article was included in a recent newsletter published through our website. If you want to get help like this, and other useful tips and ideas, visit the site and subscribe - it's free and we guarantee you will find it useful. Newsletter subscription is halfway down the homepage on the right.

MINT Interactive whiteboard software

One of the many features of the MINT software that powers the uBoard system, is the built in media bank. It comes preloaded with nearly a thousand images all neatly categorised into folders such as 'Mathematics', 'Science', 'Music' , etc.


But the feature that we like the most is the ability to add our own collection of images, links, documents. This is possible because the software includes a folder called "My Room" which you can use to collect and organise your own content. It is particularly easy to add links to folders on your computer or server which allows a teacher to instantly access all school resources with a couple of clicks - very nice!