Throwing a Ball at a Board

[R.J. Gravel]

One of my faculty members approached me today about literally throwing a kush-ball at the smart board when using Smart Notebook software.  The intent is for the touch of the ball to activate an animation in Smart Notebook.

The animation is set right, but when the ball hits the surface it is not hitting "hard" enough.  So, we tried a tennis ball.  Same situation.

Has anyone tried this techinque?  Is there a sensitivity-level control in the Board control panel that I am missing?

R.J. Gravel

[Susan Dez]

Yes there is a sensitivity setting. Also, I have had difficulty using the Kooshball if the board is attached very tightly to the wall.

[Jennifer Harper]

How do you adjust the sensitivity? I've tried koosh balls and tennis balls and I can't seem to get my board to accept either. I even have a device that really flings the koosh ball at the board.

Jenn

[Susan Dez]

I am not hooked up to the Smartboard right now, but I think it is in the control panel under hardware settings. Try that and let me know. I'll check it tomorrow when I am hooked up.

[Brian Norman]

We had the same issue and the solution was to turn OFF the "Touch Recognition". Go to the control panel, SMART Hardware Settings, Mouse and Gestures Settings and remove the checkmark for touch recognition. If you don't do this, the board thinks the ball is just the palm of your hand and wants to change to eraser mode.

[Tess Ausman]

We encourage teachers to do this in our county, and turning off touch recognition is the key. Once that is turned off (in the control panel) a koosh ball will activate the touch. Any other type of ball retracts too quickly to be effective. I have a great "koosh ball template" game that many of our teachers use. It is attached. I didn't make it (don't know who did) but somewhere along the line we found it!

[Susan Dez]

Didn't make it to school today (sick) so I haven't checked the setting yet. Also, one of those gel filled kooshballs work better than the stringy ones (if that make sense). You can get them at most dollar stores.

[Garrett Horvath]

Just a quick note, if you are using the new 800 series boards, the technology (cameras) used to detect a touch acts differently. You may have varied results, like it detecting an erase gesture, so you could lock the pointer tool first.

[Renee Lubaway]

I want to know the answer to this as well. I thought it could be done. I have kush-balls and super-balls but neither kind works. Someone needs to invent a "press with intent" ball! How about a rubber edge frisbee? Any physics experts out there? We need to slow down Newton's First Law.

[Jennifer Harper]

What I discovered is you have to get the kind of balls that actually have like a gel inside of them that flatten out and then drop.  What worked best for me was a bean bag.  It maintains a contact long enough to trigger the "press" that Smartboards need.

 

Jenn

[Renee Lubaway]

Thanks, Jenn. That makes sense. Can't wait to play!

[Shanna Sudderth]

I have done this with a true Kush-Ball...  The students did have to hit the board at the center of the circles for it to work.

 

Hope you got it working!

[Brandie Boback]

I have also heard that a "sock" ball works well.  Get a pair of men's athletic socks, knot one up and put it in the other.  Tie a knot just above the one inside and "fling" the sock at the board.