I have made some progress as the week has gone on. We created a blog that parents can check to keep up with assignments and classroom activities. It is very much like the website that our school uses, so I think that in the future I would want to have it geared more towards student use. I wanted to get a trial run in though and see how it would work.
I have been utilizing my Smart Notebook more, which is a program that goes along with the SmartBoard. It is very similar to PowerPoint, but it is specifically for SmartBoard use. It is a great program, but it is somewhat difficult to navigate! I am working on learning the tricks that go along with the program and I hope to get more in depth with it as the quarter progresses.
A new learning goal I would also like to try to work on is the (4a) “advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.” I would like to incorporate more student research in the classroom and with projects. When I do this though, I really want my focus to be on finding sources that are appropriate and most importantly legitimate! Teaching students to cite sources and understand copyright is a valuable lesson that they can use later in life!
I am going to continue to work with some of the technology savvy teachers and those who know the SmartBoard “ropes” so to speak. They are more than willing to help and share different things they do with their students. I have been given some templates that I can use in class and some games that can be played on the SmartBoard. I am also on the lookout for any professional development opportunities that come across to us in the district.
Resources:
NETS Standards
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx
Teresa,
ReplyDeleteAfter using the SMART software many times, I have to agree with you about navigating it. It is difficult, but not because of its complexity. I actually think that it needs to be updated. You would think that with the innovative design of the SMART board technology, the software would provide many more options than it does. For example, if the notebook software was comparable to powerpoint's layout and tools, I would be satisifed. However, there are some problems with editing and resizing images, and many of the templates are pretty much not editable besides the text input. These sound like petty concerns, but there are too many occasions when students are trying to drag an image or write on the board and accidentally open a text box or resize something. However, I do think the SMART recorder tool is very effective because it allows you to create podcasts that can be posted online and downloaded.