For the first question you will need to read the article:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1488330/smart_ways_to_use_the_interactive_smart_pg2.html?cat=15
Q1. Which one of these examples that the article gives do you think you would use in your classroom and how would you apply it (give a specific example)?
For the second group of questions the article you need to read is:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/tm_objectid=16123144&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=why-teachers-fear-technology-name_page.html
Q2. Do you agree or disagree with the statement about how using technology "interferes with genuine learning from books"?
Q3. What ways can you help other teachers on your faculty to not have a fear of technology?
For the third group of questions you will need to read this article:
Q4. Explore a few different web 2.0 tools and applications, Which one did you like the most and why and which one did you like the least and why?
Q5. After looking at the different web 2.0 tools and applications which one would you use in your classroom the most, why and what are some examples of how you could use it?
Q1: I really liked the idea of using the SMART board for Pictionary and game shows. I have noticed in my practicum that the students get extremely bored when they do worksheet after worksheet. Using the SMART board to play games would be an extremely interactive and fun way for the students to review old material. I would use these interactive games during this time of the year when students are preparing for the state tests. I think it is a great way to review math facts. I also really liked the idea of posting a daily quote with a video of words from famous speeches. I think begging the class off each day with a quote is a way to get students started out in their school day on a positive note.
ReplyDeleteNice comment Kayleen...your a genius...SMART board is perfect for games!!
ReplyDelete5) If I were to use any of the web 2.0 tools listed on on the link in my future classroom, I would use "fotobabble." This site is very similar to digital storytelling because you upload picture and record your voice to create a talking photo. I like this application because it looks simple and will allow myself as well as my students lots of creative options. I also liked it because you can link your finished project to a blog or website, that way your class can have access to it as well. I would use this tool as an example of a project and have each student make their own with the help from a parent or by another student. "Fotobabble" looks like an easy, creative way to interact with your classroom!
Amanda, I really love the idea of the fotobabble! I love how when you thought about doing projects with the students you als incorporate their parents into the learning process. I also think it is so important for parents to be aware of their students education.
ReplyDeleteQ1. I would definitly do audio sounds and shapes in my classroom. I think audio sounds is a fun way to teach children diffrent things such as spelling. Instead of telling them no all the time, the "gorilla sound" would do it for us. It will also allow the students to correct themselves. When they dear the wrong sound they can take a few sounds and correct themselves without having a teacher do it for them. I also liked shapes. Shapes would be great in a math class. I know that I am a horrible drawer, so by using the shapes tool i will be able to show my students clear accurate shapes that they can learn from. I would definitly use both of these tools in my classroom!
ReplyDeleteQ3. Learning about education does not end once you graduate college. Teachers are constantly learning from their students, workshops, articles, and other teachers. For the lesson plans we wrote in our other classes many of us looked things up online and learned from other teachers, or talked to our professors or other students. Other teachers are a great resource for learning. They give us great ideas and tips on ways to make our teaching better. However, sometimes teachers are intimidated and do not like to use technology as a method of teaching. As newer teachers we are familiar and can adequately use many different elements of technology to educate our students. When we get jobs as teachers we can not only teach our students, but other teachers as well (as can we learn things from them). If we were to show a faculty member something about technology they may be more willing to learn than if they were trying to figure it out themselves. If we can educate our students, we can definitely educate teachers. Having a written instructional guide with screen shots could help unfamiliar teachers get used to using technology. As Kaitlyn and Amanda stated there are so many interesting technological tools out there that can enhance our teaching.
ReplyDeleteIn question 1 I like all of the ways they give you to use the smartboard in the classroom. I think they are all helpful and I would use them all. The one I would like best would probably be the puzzle because using that feature it is very simple to take something that could be very boring and turn it into something fun and exciting for the class.
ReplyDeleteGood posts so far guys! You have all come up with great ideas to use these examples from the first article in your own classrooms!
ReplyDeleteKaitlyn- Great idea with the smart boards i really agree that worksheet after worksheet can be very boring!
Amanda- Fotobabble does seem like a really simple and fun website. I think it's good you found that since it is so similar to the project we are working on in class!
Lisa- I agree completely that you could use the shapes in the math class. I'm horrible at drawing too and that would be really good to show more accurately the lessons we want our students to learn!
All the posts so far have either looked at the first set of questions or the third set. Lets look at the second set of questions! :)
Q3. I know technology can be very scary for many adults. Looking at my grandparents they had no idea how to use a computer until my grandpa started to take classes at the Apple store. I think a great way to help your colleagues to not be afraid of computers and technology is to show them how much fun it can add to a classroom. If I were to sit in on two classes, one using only a blackboard and textbook, and one using a Smartboard and other interactive things, I believe 9 times out of 10 I would enjoy the interactive one much more. We can help our colleagues slowly get into the swing of things by taking simply ten minutes after school twice a week to show them something new on the computer or smartboard that they can slowly incorporate into their classrooms.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for making posts so quickly and for being active in the blog :)
ReplyDeleteCourtney, i agree i think that children would enjoy the interactive lessons much more, great post!
Great posts guys! I like the way everyone is using examples of how to use the smart board in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteKaitlyn-I like how you responded to Amanda's post.
Courtney-Great job posting more than once, and I agree the more interactive the class the less boring!
Keep up the great posts!! :)
Courtney, I totally agree with you. Interactive ways of teaching like using Smartboards make it more interesting for the students and as a teacher you will probably have more students pay attention and be interested in the hands on interactive strategies. I also agree that technology can be intimidating for teachers who are not used to it and with a little bit of help from the newer teachers with knowledge about technology they can become more confident in teaching using technology to make their classroom setting more interactive.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good posts everyone!
Q1. I've seen the Do it Now projects during my observation this year and it really works great. The teacher posts a problem (they have a projector not a Smart board) but as the class comes in they are to get out a piece of paper and work on the problem. It helps the students shift gears from the class they were coming from and also provides a little review of what they are working on. When there isn't one set up the students seem to take a lot longer to come in sit down and be ready to learn.
ReplyDeleteMargie, that is really good that your class does that it is a good way to make transitioning easier especially with younger grades. My host teacher just got a Smartboard and i am very interested in seeing how it changes the classroom dynamics.
ReplyDeleteI really love kaitlyns idea about using the smart boards for games. I t will get children up and moving and could involve the whole class. Smart boards provide different ways that children can interact with their learning. I know I feel that I am not so technologically advanced, when it comes to computers I don't really know that much. After taking this course I feel like my computer confidence has increased. Teachers who do feel a little intimidated by technology should look in to classes such as this.
ReplyDeleteQ 1. I think an interesting example from the website was movement. I liked the examples of using the dice and the coins for probability. Having the event large and up on the smart board will allow all the students to view it and be involved. It is a good way to keep the students interested in the problems to becuase they can talk to their peers and guess what will come up next and all get a chance to roll. I would use one of the examples given on the website in my classroom. I liked the use of the die for line leaders and the amount of homework questions the students need to complete. I can show them how the outcomes connect to probability and use different kinds of die and coins to make connections with other cultures.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Awesome job so far everyone. I still only see 15 posts, lets get a move on!
ReplyDeleteKari-I agree with you. Allowing for your students to be hands-on will help to keep them foccussed and having fun!
Megan- We have come a long way with technology. Smart boards says it all!
Q2. Do you agree or disagree with the statement about how using technology "interferes with genuine learning from books"?
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the statement. Many books these days are uploaded on line so if you have a computer you could easily read the book that way instead of having the hard copy. Using a computer is easier than using a book because it is easy to navigate and find specific things you may be looking for. Take for example your reading an article and you want to focus on one subject area of the article, all you have to do is hit control F and type in what you’re looking for and in seconds it will jump to the area of interest where as in a book you would have to read or skim carefully all of the pages until you found what you were looking for. Technology doesn’t interfere with genuine learning from books at all, if anything it makes it better if used properly.
Q3. What ways can you help other teachers on your faculty to not have a fear of technology?
To help other teachers not have a fear of technology you could have meetings together either before or after school and run through different programs with them and help build their confidence in how to work with computers and the many possibilities it presents to the classroom.
Kari- I really liked your idea on movement, that is a really neat idea.
ReplyDeleteJen-Great job posting for two different questions. I liked your idea on how to help other teachers become more comfortable in using technology.
Great posts so far, but more people need to post...so lets get on it!! :)
Q2. I disagree with the comment that technology interferes with genuine learning from books. Although I think students do need to read books, technology only captivates students and encourages them to learn. Like the article says, this study underestimates the impact that technology has on students outside of school. Todays students are surrounded by technology and they are comfortable with it. I think teachers need to take advantage of this. The article also mentions that teachers need more support with technology. If teachers received more support, and they felt more comfortable with technology, I think they would see the benefits of incorporating technology into the classroom. Students can read the same material on a computer as they can in a book, for the most part, and I feel a student would be more inclined to go read from a computer than from a book. I am not denying the importance of reading books, but I do not think that "genuine" learning can only happen by reading a book.
ReplyDeleteQ3. I think teachers can help each other become more comfortable with technology so more teachers are able to integrate technology into the classroom. Open Resources from the internet are one way I think teachers can share information. I think simply inviting teachers into your classroom to observe a lesson that incorporates technology could make them feel more comfortable. Teachers can also learn from their students about technology. I think students are compelled and interested when an adult, especially their teachers, ask them for their help, or ask them to switch roles and teach the teachers something. This would give the students a sense of responsibility in the classroom.
Q.1- I think the best way to use the SMART board in the classroom to use it for games and other interactive activities. Programs like powerpoint can always be used to get information across to the students, but using games on the SMART board provides an interactive and engaging way to get the same information across. Many kids know about the game show Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader or Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Playing games like these on the SMART board gets the same information across to the students, but it just does it in a much more engaging way.
ReplyDeleteJessica, i really like how you answered two questions for your post! Thanks for putting in that extra effort :o)
ReplyDeleteGreat job everyone!
Great job guys!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like quite a few of you answered more than one question which really helpful!
thanks to everyone who posted ! :)
Tommy-I totally agree with you about the smart board games! Children always like games and if they are learning while playing its even better!
ReplyDeleteWonderful job all of you with your posts!
Q2. I disagree with the statement. It is important to continue to read books but you can learn the same information using technology and it may have some advantages. In the classroom i am observing in they have silent reading everyday and i noticed that some of the students really dislike this. If they were to use a computer to read they may not see it as a chore it may be something they look forward to. I think it would also be a good idea to offer different ways for the students to learn. Listening to a book on tape could be a good way to change up the way that students learn from books. Technology is becoming a crucial part of our lives, they need to be up to date with the technology. For students that struggle in school, using technology could be a way to cover up the fact that they are learning and doing school work.
ReplyDeleteQ1: After reading through the information in the article i felt that all of the tools and activities would be really helpful in the classroom. However, the ones that I liked the best were playing games/gameshows and using the United States map as a puzzle to help the students learn. I know that when I was in school I really hated learning about history because to me it was so boring. I think with the interactive smartboard the students will become more involved with the lesson that they won't think it is boring and they will learn so much more. I think that the best way to teach your students is to make the learning process fun and those games and ideas that I chose seemed fun to me.
ReplyDeleteJessica - I really liked your answer for question 3. I think that having the students switch roles with the teacher is a great idea when trying to learn new technological tips. I remember that when I was in highschool a few of my teachers hated computers and we were never allowed to use them in class as a reference tool. I think that the main reason as to why they hated them is because they were older and I don't think the school really taught them how to use them. By having the students go over new applicationa nd programs that they are using the teacher can learn a great deal of new ideas that they can incorporate into their own lessons.
Q2. The statement that technology interferes with genuine learning from books seems absurd to me. It might be because I have grown up with technology and have seen how much it has evolved, but this statement just makes no sense to me. Books are a great learning tool, but technology can be just as great or sometimes even better. With books, you are only able to read but with technology there are so many different tools that are available when learning. There are games to reinforce ideas or to help learn new materials. There are so many interactive websites that can really help many different types of learners. In the class I observe they use a website called Study Island. It has a bunch of different games that go over different math subjects and topics. It also has a review section that shows students how they can solve the problems. I think it is a great site and I know for a fact that the students love to do it. What student wouldn't want to play "computer games" during class? But they get to learn while doing it, so it's a win win. I'm not saying books are useless. Books are still a great tool to use and are still necessary to have in the classroom. But technology is a great addition and has really added a lot of variety to the classroom which makes it a lot more fun for students.
ReplyDeleteQ1. I really liked the write a story together idea. It's a great way to get students not only using their creativity but it allows them to build off of each others ideas. I would introduce a topic and then have students each write a sentence on the smartboard. I think it would be a great interactive way to get students writing and using their brain. It's a lot like the activity where you pass around papers and each student builds their own story but it's just with a smartboard. This way students can get practice with proper grammar and sentence structure. They also get to choose their own marker color which is always fun for students to do. I think this would be a great activity to do on the smartboard.
ReplyDeleteQ.1 I like the idea of using the smart bored to label things on a map. I feel like this is a fun way to keep students engaged if they are doing the labeling. A way i would incorporate this in my classroom would allow students to pick a country or state and have them retrieve a picture of the place and have them using the smart bored highlight different areas and water ways that consume that country or state.
ReplyDeleteQ1 - I would use the writing a story together. I think that this is a great idea and that the studetns can learn a lot from it. Not only do they get to learn how to write but they also get to learn some technology by being able to use the smart board. I would use this idea by writing a sentence of the smart board that starts a story and then have each student come up to the smart board a write down a sentence to create the whole story. After the everyone had written a sentence and the story was completed as a whole class we would correct the story all together. by doing this they can point out the mistakes together and talk about what is correct and what is not correct. I think that the students would really enjoy doing this and would learn a lot from it.
ReplyDelete