According to the ISTA website:

The Transit Tested Program is a combination of packaged-product, laboratory and professional certification. Results of the program are reduced damage, without over-packaging, and the prospect of a profitable balance of distribution costs.

ISTA certification provides recognition of conformance to a standard or specification and clearly confirms to all parties involved that requirements have been met.

Thanks to certified packaging, products will arrive with reduced damaged, which means less hassle for consumers who purchase ACCO products such as Quartet boards.

As teachers continue to learn how best to integrate Smartboard technology into their classrooms it can often be a struggle to find unique and fresh content. While using this technology to introduce different types of media into a lesson is great for the variety of learning styles in the classroom, the real game-changer with these boards is the potential for quality interaction. Creating meaningful interaction and using it to hold students’ attention takes more than just showing a few videos, charts, and images. Today’s students grew up with interactive technologies; Friendster, the pre-cursor to today’s popular social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook launched nine years ago this week. Thankfully, there is already a lot of interactive content on the web out there perfect for interactive whiteboard use, but it can be difficult to sift through the not-so-great applications to find something that will actually add value to the lesson. To take out some of the time and hassle the Mono Blog has reviewed countless web-based interactive activities and here are some of our favorites.

Sum Sense – Division

Created by Mark Cogan with the Oswego City School District

As the name suggests, this is a simple division activity. The great part of this app is that it doesn’t just ask students to find the solution to a given problem, it makes the student use the available numbers to create possible problem/solution combinations. This requires both math and problem solving skills and promotes higher level thinking. The game can also be easily adapted to increase in difficulty as the student progresses, allowing for both the number of questions and the time allotted in which to complete them to be adjusted.

Sum Sense Division

Typical Animal Cell

Created by Gerald Heins with Wisc-Online

This simple application shows the parts of a typical animal cell in detail. The first page allows the student to learn the parts in two ways: Hovering over the cell part, which highlights its name in a list to the right, or hovering over the name and seeing the part highlighted within the cell. What really adds value here though, is the quiz that follows. Parts of the cell will light up, and the student then has to choose the correct name from the list.

Typical Animal Cell

Counting Coins

From apples4theteacher.com

With increasing class sizes it’s becoming more difficult for teachers to spend as much one on one time with their students. This change counting activity allows the learner to choose a cartoon “teacher” that asks for given amounts of money to be put on his desk. Very easy to use and a great solo reinforcing tool for young students.

Counting Coins

Algebraic Expressions Millionaire

Created by Doina Popovici, from math-play.com

This was the one of the most visually appealing and attention grabbing apps we came across. Set to a “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” theme, students are asked to read an algebra problem in words, and find the formula matching the question. Like the actual game show, contestants earn an incrementally increasing amount of “money’ for each question answered, up to a million “dollars.” This game could actually get 12 and 13 year olds to want to do algebra.

Algebraic Expressions Millionaire

Find the Value of Y Memory Game

Created by Lumosity, from algebra4children.com

Once students learn how to recognize the format of algebraic equations, it’s time to start solving them. What we like the most about this app was the combination of problem solving and memory recall. The game consists of 12 hidden cards, half with an answer, and half with a problem. The student not only has to figure out the answer, he or she has to remember which card the answer is on, or they get the problem wrong.

Find the Value of Y Memory Game

Multiplication Grand Prix

From arcademicskillbuilders.com

Using a Grand Prix racing scenario and animations, this game is popular among students first learning multiplication, especially boys. Unlike most other interactive web-based applications, Multiplication Grand Prix is an online multi-player game, pitting the student against 3 other students from around the country, or possibly even the world. With the continually rising popularity of online gaming, this one is sure to be a hit in the classroom.

Multiplication Grand Prix

Penguin Jump

From arcademicskillbuilders.com

Similar to the Grand Prix, this multiplication game is also online multi-player but geared more toward young girls. Help your penguin hop iceberg to iceberg by finding the one with the correct answer for the problem shown. You can even print your trophy after the race!

Penguin Jump

Country Toad

From arcademicskillbuilders.com

This is another great game from arcademicskillbuilders.com. In similar fashion to the math games, the student controls a frog that jumps from lily pad to lily pad. The lily pads, however, are shaped like and labeled as countries around the world. The capital of one of the four is displayed, and the correct country must be chosen, or froggy falls into the water!

Country Toad

Sigma Prime

From mangahigh.com

Mangahigh.com offers some slightly more advanced games, including great math games for middle school students. Sigma prime is a space invaders type game in which the student must break falling asteroids into prime numbers by blasting them with one of two numbers they have “loaded” into the turret. If you have “2″ and “3″, and a “9″ is falling down, you have to blast the asteroid twice with the”3″. Even adults will have fun with this one.

Sigma Prime

Flower Power

From mangahigh.com

Flower power is a game in which the player makes flowers grow and bloom by setting the decimals or fractions on the stem in order, with the highest number at the top. The game can have up to seven flowers growing at once, and mixes them up between decimals and fractions. It’s a lot to keep up with, so students are forced to solve the puzzle without much time to think about it.

Flower Power

Each of the sites mentioned here have countless other great games available to play for free. They’re great for Smartboard use, but can also be played on any computer or tablet. If your school doesn’t yet have interactive whiteboard technology, talk to the PTA/PTO and get support from the community. Many schools receive donations from local and national businesses so their students can gain from these wonderful new tools for instruction.

Interactive Whiteboards

1.  SearchWarp.com – How to Buy the Correct Whiteboard

Writing Surface / Board construction:
There are three main types of whiteboard and in price ascending order these are; non magnetic melamine whiteboards, magnetic steel whiteboards and porcelain (ceramicsteel) whiteboards.
Melamine Whiteboards These are the most commonly sold board owing to the cheaper cost prices.
Magnetic Whiteboards The title type of these boards is a little misleading, as the boards themselves are not magnetic, but simply made from steel meaning they will accept magnets and magnetic planning accessories.
Porcelain Whiteboards These are the top end type of board, but typically have a long manufacturers warranty. Owing to the longevity of these boards they are frequently used as school whiteboards or business whiteboards where they will receive regular usage.
In considering the surface of the board, at the time of purchase is worth deciding whether you think the board is likely to be projected onto for presentations, lessons etc. If the answer to that is yes, then one multi-use option is a matt whiteboard. The standard whiteboards will have a gloss finish, meaning throwing an LCD image up onto the board can result in a lot of glare back to the audience. A matt whiteboard removes this problem, allowing it be used as a normal dry-wipe whiteboard, but also as a projection screen.

2.  About.com – Whiteboards Make Great Tools

Keeping Your Whiteboard Clean
Basic whiteboard erasers can be cleaned, dried, and reused until they fall apart. When your eraser needs cleaning, it will let you know by leaving a trail of fine marker dust behind.
The longer information stays on your whiteboard, the harder it is to erase completely. “Ghosting” occurs when you can see notes that weren’t quite completely removed. However, the cleaning spritzer works very well and will make your board look new again in no time.
As much use as I get out of my whiteboard, I only use the cleaning solution a few times a year, so a small bottle of cleaning solution lasts a very long time. The markers last a very long time too, although your favorite colors will need to be replaced more frequently.
Pre-moistened, disposable towelettes are also available that not only erase your board but clean and condition it all in one step. And, you can store partially used towelettes in the top of the canister so you can get more than one use from them. Additionally, refillable board wipes dispensers are available that attach right to your board.

3.  Amphi.com – Interactive Whiteboards

What is an interactive whiteboard?
Since making their appearance in the business world in the 1990′s, this powerful and effective tool has finally made its way into the classroom. An interactive whiteboard is a touch-sensitve board connected to a digital projector and computer. The projector displays the image from the computer screen on to the whiteboard. Once software has been down loaded, the computer can be manipulated from the board either by touch of the hand or with specially provided pens.

4.  Ehow – About Whiteboards

Warning
Whiteboards are not without their downside. In addition to the controversy over visibility, whiteboards are prone to an effect called “ghosting.” Ghosting is where dry erase markings permanently stain a whiteboard, thus leaving a “ghost” behind to interfere with later writing. Whiteboards and dry erase markers are also expensive compared to chalk boards, particularly the boards. Another common complaint about white boards is that their dry erase markers’ construction makes it difficult to determine how much longer the marker will write properly.

Here are a couple of our most popular Models:

Quartet EU2000TE

Quartet 2548

The Envi boards are made with MBDC certified safe materials (cork, cardboard and steel), which are sustainable and recyclable, so that they can be used again and do not have to be dumped in landfills at the end of their lives. The silver award certified, and patented ENVI boards are also “Designed for Disassembly,” meaning they can be easily dismantled by the consumer for recovery in the recycling process.

“Our customers want products that are more ecologically sound, and we’re working to deliver them,” said Sam Moon, product manager for sustainability at Quartet. “We are extremely excited to introduce the Envi line because no other retail line of whiteboards or bulletin boards offers this unique designation. This is just the first step in Quartet’s “Design for the Environment” efforts to incorporate innovation and sustainability into all of its new products.”

MBDC is a third party certification consulting firm that qualifies a company’s manufacturing processes and products have been properly evaluated under specific criteria. These criteria include environmentally safe and healthy materials, material reutilization, water and energy conservation, and strategies for social responsibility.

Quartet’s president, Paul Easthope, is the driving force behind the pursuit of Cradle to Cradle certification in the development of its new products. “This innovative design approach is good for the environment and good for our consumers and our business as well,” he states. “It truly helps consumers to do their part for the environment.”

The Envi line is available in four designs and sizes – an 11 x 17 dry-erase board, an 11 x 17 and 23 x 17 dry-erase monthly planner, a 17 x 23 magnetic combination board, and a 17 x 23 cork bulletin board. The products can be purchased at Wal-Mart and Staples for $9.84 to $12.84.

About Quartet and ACCO Brands Corporation (NYSE:ABD)

Quartet is the leader in presentation whiteboards and accessories. From boards, easels and markers, to overhead projectors, transparencies and screens, Quartet is synonymous with the essential functions of visual communication that take place in workspaces every day. To learn more about Quartet products, visit www.quartet.com.