Does anyone have it? Is it really worth it? I teach life skills and have several non-readers and a few emergent readers. Can you create all sorts of activities on it that you can't do on Smartboard software?
I have Studio and really like it. However, it has an entirely different system. In the past, each new version of Boardmaker seemed to build on the original. Studio is nothing like the others. I got mine through a grant, so I was the only one in my Intermediate Unit using it and had to basically teach myself. It takes time to explore it and get used to it. Also, moving all my imported pictures over to Studio was a bit of a challenge. With tech support, I was able to do that, which was really important to me! Studio is great and time saving. There are templates for all kinds of activities and devices. You just have to plug in your pics. There are templates for interactive and printables. I love it because so much is done for you and when you are ready, you can make your own from scratch. If you use Boardmaker Share, you have to be careful of what files you download. Certain ones go easily, but others have to be converted. Bottom line, I love it! I can do more in less time! Just be prepared to learn all over again.
I was going to download the free trial of Studio from the website but I never go around to it. I have the same types of students so I think it would be helpful. I do love the regular Boardmaker and use Boardmaker share quite often.
TeacherNY......If you do the download, I suggest thinking about your schedule and timing. When I did it, it was for 30 days and it was a busy time for me. You may want to find a period when you have some time to spend with it because, like I mentioned, it is an entirely different system. (hoping you have a little extra time. :lol: I felt like I didn't give it much time. Just a thought.
I ordered it over the summer and I am still struggling to make projects. I find it very difficult to use. One thing that bothers me is that it is a single computer license, which means if you make any projects that are meant to be used on the computer (games, matching, sorting, etc), your students have to then use that same computer. Don't know about you, but I hate sitting at school until late in the evening making Boardmaker projects. I'd rather make them at home and have the student work on their own laptop. You can make projects that are for printing, but then, why not just buy Boardmaker? Before you make your decision, check out Symbly. Its an online program with a 30 day trial also. You can make printable boards or transfer boards to the student's iPad. I really wish I had bought it instead of Studio, but I thought that there would be more projects on BoardmakerShare.
Can you leave your school computer on overnight? If so, you could see if it would be possible to install a remote desktop software on the computer i.e. teamviewer
