The Promethean ActivBoard is a valuable addition to any
classroom. It increases collaboration within the class, helps classrooms to work
more efficient, enables a teacher to deliver a lesson more effectually, and saves
time through giving teachers access to prepared templates for their curriculum.
Its supporters are many, with teachers from AP classes to special education
classes singing its praises. One special education classroom in Toronto wrote
that the ActivBoard increased the students’ attention by being more
interactive. The teachers also saw a difference in the students’ self-esteem;
students seemed more confident of their abilities because they had been able to
be successful on the Activboard. Because of the ActivBoard’s great rapport, I
can see why schools are putting priority on putting interactive white boards
into their classrooms. With my only interactive whiteboard experience being on
a SMARTBoard, I wonder how different the ActivBoard software and SMART software
differ.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Assignment #2 - SMART Board Lesson
*Please note that I have edited and added some material to the lesson I will show in class.
For my presentation, I will be using four different pieces of
multimedia – an interactive pitch tuner, a scene in which different objects
make sounds, a guitar with stings that can be plucked, and a xylophone that can
be played – as well as many pictures. My presentation also includes
opportunities for the students to do matching objects with the -category that
they belong in.
NETs for Students:
Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative
thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes
using technology.
a. Apply existing knowledge to
generate new ideas, products, or processes
b. Create original works as a
means of personal or group expression
c. Use models and simulations to
explore complex systems and issues*
d. Identify trends and forecast
possibilities
*Students will use simulations in the lesson to learn about volume and pitch.
*Students will use simulations in the lesson to learn about volume and pitch.
NETs for Teachers:
Design and Develop Digital Age
Learning Experiences and Assessments
Teachers design, develop, and
evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary
tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the
knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS·S.
a. Design or adapt relevant
learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student
learning and creativity*
c. Customize and personalize
learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working
strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources*
* In this lesson, I have incorporated interactive objects that will help students with differing learning styles understand and learn.
* In this lesson, I have incorporated interactive objects that will help students with differing learning styles understand and learn.
In my future classroom, an interactive white board would
give the students more opportunities to engage with the curriculum in a
hands-on way. When students spend more time interacting with the material than
just hearing it taught, it helps them learn it more thoroughly. An interactive
white board would also simplify my teaching prep time and cut down on time
spent writing on the whiteboard. Also, by letting my students do projects on the
interactive board, I could reduce the use and mess of paper.
Week #4 - The SMART Board
Through interacting with SMART Board software on my
computer, and experimenting with an actual SMART Board in a classroom, I have
learned a lot about the SMART board this week. In class I learned how
to find lesson plans for the SMART Board, download them, and maneuver through
them. On my own, I have experimented with building lesson pages and copying,
pasting, inserting pictures, sounds and interactive objects into my new pages.
I feel like I have gained the basic knowledge on how to build and present a
lesson on a SMART Board. However, I also see that there is so much more to
learn, such as how to build interactive objects and pages. I wonder where I can
download pictures of things that I cannot find in the SMART Exchange gallery. Although
the SMART Board works great for presenting an interactive lesson, I wonder
whether there are perks to using a SMART Board when practicing things like math
problems on a white board.
I love being able to find my way around the SMART Board, and am enjoying
interacting with the SMART software. However, just like any new piece of
equipment, the more I learn, the more questions I have about
it.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
NETs
I chose the Student NETS of Communication and Collaboration because I believe that one of the most important uses of technology is that of communication. If students can learn to effectively communicate and collaborate with other students, peers and mentors in their classroom and around the world, another whole world of opportunity, learning, and growing will open up to them.
For the Teacher NETS, I selected Design and Develop Digital Age Learning
Experiences and Assessments. This is due to the fact that I have been thinking a lot about students and how they learn in this digital age. It has been said that these students think differently, and thus, learn differently. This challenges me to learn how to use technology to help students learn most effectively.
Student NETS: Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including
at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital
environments and media
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media
and formats
c. Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of
other cultures
d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems
Teacher NETS: Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating
contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS·S.
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles,
working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
d. Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching
For the Teacher NETS, I selected Design and Develop Digital Age Learning
Experiences and Assessments. This is due to the fact that I have been thinking a lot about students and how they learn in this digital age. It has been said that these students think differently, and thus, learn differently. This challenges me to learn how to use technology to help students learn most effectively.
Student NETS: Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including
at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital
environments and media
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media
and formats
c. Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of
other cultures
d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems
Teacher NETS: Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating
contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS·S.
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles,
working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
d. Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Week #3
In his article, "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants," Marc Prensky notes that one singularity sets this generation apart from all others: technology. Because of the influence of technology in these students' formative years, Prensky realizes that students today think and learn in a way that is fundamentally different from any past generation; thus, past teaching methods are no longer viable. Prensky's solution is for teachers to make the subjects and concepts into video games. Certainly using video games to make learning fun and interactive would help students engage with the material. However, I wonder whether using video games will reinforce the concepts of instant gratification and students' "need" to be constantly networked. This, I feel, will not prepare them for the real world, where some of the best things come with time and where hard, difficult work pays off. Although transforming learning into a curricula of video games sounds fun, I wonder if it will only feed students' addiction to video games and encourage the trend of highschool (and even college) graduates who still live at home and spend inordinate amounts of time behind a screen in a fantasy world.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Week #2
I found Sir Ken
Robinson's video "Bring On the Learning Revolution" very
enjoyable. It reminded me what the purpose of education is: to fuel students' dreams and excite their spirits. From
personal experience, I know that learning happens best when this engaging
environment is cultivated. Since students' talents, interests and passions
are so diverse, Robinson believes that education needs to be customized to the
individual. Technology is an extremely helpful tool when it comes to adapting
and customizing a curriculum to meet the needs of individual students. Although
some people may argue that technology in the classroom is distracting or
detracts from learning, I see technology playing a vital role in the classroom,
from effectively engaging students with the subject matter to helping the
curriculum easily change shape to adapt to the students' needs.
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