Jigsaw Technology Resource Reflection
I will remind you all that the technology
resource I presented just several short weeks ago was on SMART boards. If you
wish, you may take a gander at it again below, my second posting.
1.
I believe SMART boards could be used in all
areas of the classroom. They could be used for small group instruction, whole
group instruction, and one-on-one instruction. SMART boards can be used to
present multimedia lessons and presentations including audio and video. They
can showcase student projects and presentations as well.
2.
SMART boards have the ability to take away
one-on-one interaction as well. When a teacher instructs the students to work
collaboratively or asks them to share their information with a partner, then
smart boards would be useless, inappropriate. Another way for SMART boards to
be seen as inappropriate in the classroom is when the teacher isn’t trained
properly and using the technology incorrectly. Even if it is using the program
wrong, it can cause a distraction for the students as well as the teacher.
3.
I believe it is important for a teacher to be
trained on how to use their SMART board and how to navigate through it.
Teachers should feel confident in the technology they are provided because in
the end it truly is beneficial for student achievement. Students are curious,
excited, and optimistic about new and all technology.
4.
I now know technology is and will forever be a
part of our world, especially in the classroom. It is beneficial for student
achievement and it provides many opportunities for all types of learners to
succeed. However, technology can be scary for many. Why? Because the world isn’t
full of sunshine and rainbows and not every person in the world is good. Bottom
line is that bad people out there can gain access to technology that students
and teachers are using and most times without them even knowing. Safety is the
number one factor to take into consideration when providing technology to
students. Procedures and rules are a must when they are being used within a
school.
Great points Audrey! I too agree that Smart-boards can be used throughout the curriculum If we as educators take the initiative to learn the full use of the smart boards. I enjoy the use of the "clickers" to create a game show type quiz for the materials. The students seem to enjoy the competition as well. Smart-Boards are a great tool for the classroom!
ReplyDeleteAudrey, while I remembered you presenting, I struggled with remembering many of what you presented... Good thing our presentations are included on our blogs! Sorry; had to share because of your little disclaimer at the top!
ReplyDeleteAfter learning much of what we have in this class, I do believe that there are many ways in which SMART boards can be integrated into the classroom to stimulate global digital citizenship. You yourself said, "technology is and will forever be a part of our world, especially in the classroom." It is of my belief that permitting students to use this technology in the classroom will further prepare them for other technological advances in their classroom and school years to come. I fully agree with you on the benefits of students using a SMART board during whole-group and small-group. I also love the idea of students using them to showcase their work and presentations, opposed to teachers simply using them all the time for student learning. The games that you included in your presentation would certainly engage me enough to want to touch the board to play!
The only thing I would advise caution against is using SMART boards for one-on-one instruction, simply because it can be distracting for other students to see what a classmate is currently working on; especially if a student is using a program or software that not all the other students use. I'm thinking about situations that call for one-on-one reinforcement where the teacher has to work with an individual students to reteach something. Also, I wouldn't want any one student to have their progress on something that they are barely proficient on displayed for all their classmates to see. Perhaps during your research, you learned of a way that this can be done by avoiding these circumstances? I'll be the first to admit that I am nowhere proficient with using them, so I can't go off of personal experience with using them or anything that I've observed. I'm just thinking out loud, so to speak.
Audrey,
ReplyDeleteI so appreciate your post and discussion of the importance of educators understanding and being trained on using the technology. I love the smartboard technology when it works correctly. I had to take Math for Teachers using smartboard technology and we often struggled to get the board to work and read correctly, our instructor struggled too. I remember wasting on average a half hour a class fighting with board. I cannot imagine the struggle that would create if your built a majority of your lessons using the board and it did not cooperate.
I appreciate your thoughts about not using the board for one on one instructions. I agree it could be a distraction. Do you think that it would work well for small groups? Thank you for sharing!
Audrey,
ReplyDeleteI thought I knew a lot about smart boards but after your presentation I found out that I knew very little. My last semester at MCC we had a smart board in the classroom, but I think it was just there for show because the instructor not the students ever used it. It was like everyone was afraid to use it. Haha. However I liked how you mentioned all of the different ways to use a smart board. It's pretty cool that it can be integrated in all areas of school. However if the teacher doesn't know how to work it, it can be completely useless. So initial training of the smart board is essential, so the teacher can use it correctly and appropriately. Very nice presentation!
Audrey,
ReplyDeleteI agree, smart boards can be very effective when used properly and can go much more beyond just projecting material for students. I have seen smart boards used differently in two different subject areas. While one teacher used it mainly for projecting materials, the other used it to incorporate hands-on learning and visual aids. Training would definitely be necessary but I think it is also important to be willing as a teacher to continue learning and playing with technology to become more comfortable with implementing it in the class. Thanks for sharing!
Audrey, I enjoyed your presentation, and even though we ended up doing the same topic, I was still able to learn new things I did not know from my own research and presentation. I have to agree that having teachers be trained on these programs. It would seem pointless to have these amazing programs for SMART Boards and have teachers unable to use them in the classroom because they simply are not trained on the technology.
ReplyDeleteAudrey,
ReplyDeleteI never mind when multiple people give presentations about similar, or exactly the same as Stephanie and think you two do this just to laugh at us all, materials as it illuminates how we interpreted lesson instructions. Second, how each classmate brings personal experience towards subject matter. I agree Smart Boards can be a magnificent asset for educators. Integrating their applications during small group work would allow you to formally assess students, while giving ELL individuals a guideline for completion of assignments. Great job by you.
I love SMART Boards! Although they can be a great resources, you were absolutely right about how it can be inappropriate and distracting. I have definitely experienced the teachers who do not know how to use their SMART Board properly and it was definitely more of a disturbance than a natural "integration" of technology, which is frustrating for both the students and teacher. I like that you brought up the fact that there is always a possibility of hackers when it comes to technology, which is something that was not in my mind when I was typing my reflection so thank you for reminding me of that.
ReplyDeleteI am a HUGE supporter of SmartBoards in the classroom! They are a huge advantage for teachers to use while teaching, but I do have to agree with you that they can be useless or inappropriate for smaller group work or pair share tasks. Granted, a teacher should not be using a SmartBoard all day for every lesson that is being taught. The classroom would become predictable and students may become uninterested. I think that teachers need to have certain things they do on the SmartBoard and certain things that do not require them.
ReplyDeleteI also support the use of SmartBoards in any classroom. I especially like that you mention the fact that teachers need to actually know how to use them though. I worked in a school that held a fundraiser to supply their science department with the technology. They were able to buy it, but the teacher couldn't use it. Three years later, it just gathers dust. What a sad waste of resources.
ReplyDelete