By Tricia SharkeyC.A.S.E. Assistive Technology

Introduction to Boardmaker Plus!

Learner Outcomes

• What is Boardmaker Plus?

• Ideas for implementation of Boardmaker Plus

• Basic programming skills

What is Boardmaker Plus?

• Boardmaker is software designed to create printed activities and boards for student use. It is a teacher tool.

• Boardmaker Plus allows users of the software to create any printed activities PLUS, on screen interactive talking activities. This is a student tool.

Implementation Ideas

• All printable activities that can be created in Boardmaker (worksheets, calendars, bingo sheets, social stories, schedules, etc.)

• Interactive Books• Songs• Games• Recipes• Sequence activities

Who?

• BM+ can be used with both verbal and nonverbal communicators.

• BM+ can accommodate any access method (touch screen, switch, adapted keyboard, head mouse, joystick, roller ball).

• Therefore, teachers can create one activity for all users.

When might teachers want to use BM+?

• To reinforce curriculum concepts• To use the computer as a teaching tool • As a student writing tool• To actively involve students in an inclusive setting• To create interactive books• To provide opportunities for communication which are

embedded in activities• To create interactivity with sound files• For assessment• For training a student to use a multi-level dynamic

display device

BM+ comes with…

• A collection of samples which are unlocked (able to be adapted) *this is a great place to start-don’t try to reinvent the wheel!

• Templates• Quick start guide• Add-ons available

– Learning my ABC’s– Cooking up Fun– Hands on Reading– Social School– Scene Detective (data tracking capabilities)– Music Math

Programming Basics

Design Mode (control D)

Vs.

Use Mode (control U)

Boardmaker Templates

1. Open a Template2. Select “Interactive Sample

Boards v.6”3. Scroll down to Main Board, open

#1-Literacy Example

• Select Early Childhood, notice that the interactive and print based boards are color coded to coincide with the grade levels.

• Select “Interactive Story”• In this example we will see the following BM +

features:– Symbolate– Movable Buttons– Linking

#2- Math Example

• Example, “More or Less”

• In this example we will see the following BM+ features:– The directions are read aloud for the student– Feedback for incorrect answers– Positive reinforcement – Linking

# 3-The Arts Example

• Select the song, “5 Little Speckled Frogs”

• In this example we will see:– Recorded Voice– Message Display– Text Preview– With this type of activity you can print from the

message display which would essentially give you an adaptive writing activity.

Let’s make a book!

* First we need to create a folder on our desktop to keep our pages in, so that we can link.

Let’s make a book!

• Select Templates on the Main Menu

Text

• Text is inserted just like in BM

• Text will not automatically wrap onto next line.

• Use control + or – to change font size OR,

• Use right click and change font size OR

• Pull down bottom of text box to change font size

Picture

• Pictures/symbols are added just like in BM

Creating a Talking Button

• Double click on highlighted button

• This will bring up the BM+ menu

• Go to the “Basics” tab (these are the most commonly used functions)

Creating a talking button, cont.

• Select “speak message”• You can chose to use either the “text above” which you

would then have to type in or “use button text”

Linking boards

• Save each page that is created in a folder on desktop, label according to preferred order (i.e. page 1, page 2, etc.)

Linking cont.

• Double click on turn page symbol/linking button (since we are using a template, this should already be there)

Linking cont.

• Select “change board”• This will show every board that you have saved in your folder

Recording a sound• Double click on the button in design mode• Select “play recorded message” then select “sound from MJ library”• You can also bring in your own sound file as a WAV file or record

your own voice if you have a microphone

Moving buttons

• Being able to move buttons within a page/board is a very interactive feature of BM+

• There is a movable button tool on the tool bar, it is the tool with a ‘duck’ on it

Movable buttons, cont.

• If you do not see a movable button tool on your toolbar, then select “Dynamic Boards”, go to “show” and select “movable button tool”

Movable buttons, cont.

• Click on duck tool, then select button that you wish to be ‘movable’

• You must name the button first

Moveable buttons, cont.

• The name will then appear on the button

Moveable buttons, cont.

• Click and hold the button that you just labeled and drag it to its destination button

• You will then be prompted to name the destination button

Moveable buttons, cont.

• Once you name the destination button, the BM+ menu will appear, select “speak message typed” and type your message

Free Form Symbols

• Sometimes you may not want your symbols in a box, you will want to create a free form symbol

• Select the free form tool

Free Form Symbols, cont.

• With the free form tool click and hold your mouse and draw around your symbol

• You will see a red line begin to highlight your symbol

Snap Back

• If you want to snap the moveable button back to its original position when dropped on an invalid destination, you will need to right click on the movable button, select “Movable Button Properties” and select “Snap Back”

Center Destination

• If you would like the symbol automatically centered at its destination, you must right click on the destination, select “Destination Button Properties” and select “Center Destination”

Cloning

• Cloning allows you to replace a button if it is moved• Right click on the movable button, select “Movable

Button Properties” and select “Move Clone”

More Features:

1. Set Button Picture

2. Set Button Properties

3. Set Button Label

• BM+ has lots of bells and whistles, but don’t let that discourage you from getting started. You do not have to know everything in order to start using the software. You will learn as you go and as your comfort increases!

Additional Resources• www.mayer-johnson.com has many wonderful recorded

webinars ranging from 30 minutes to 1 hour.