10+Interactive+Whiteboards

Module 10: Interactive Whiteboards



  I began this activity with the goal of lobbying for a SMART Board for my Basic Comp classes in which I could apply these kinds of activities and learning experiences.      
 * I am most assuredly a beginner! **
 * Awareness: ******I have played with SMART Boards a very limited amount, but am continually awed by their capabilities. I had seen one in a classroom where I teach, but do not teach in that room. I had my first introduction to one in one of Dr. Stansberry’s classes. We were able to (hesitantly at first) manipulate the boxes and messages. ****
 * Exploration and Filtration: **** **In my graduate assistant position, I have some access to a couple of SMART Boards, but no reason to use them. I have spoken with my first grade teacher, who is still teaching, about her use of SMART Boards and heard about the very cool things her current first graders are getting to do to become familiar with this technology. Through her stories I began to lament not having a Board in the classrooms where I teach. I (literally) dreamed of ways I could use the Board to teach organization and re-organization of paragraphs to students in Basic Comp. For many of them, the physical process of writing is pain-staking. With a SMART Board, their notes and ideas could be typed, then we (or they) could manipulate those ideas tactilely which would create a more meaningful learning experience for them.** **
 * Learning: ******This is where the sweaty palms and pounding heart began. There felt like such a steep learning curve for this project for me. I have heard what other teachers do, heard about other Board activities they have developed, seen what teachers have shared online, and had BIG ideas for what I wanted to do. That //may// not be exactly how they turned out…** **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal;">I looked back over my teaching notes to see where, exactly, a manipulate-able document would most benefit my students. I chose to begin with organization of their ideas into an outline format. We began by writing on paper. But then we would have to either draw arrows, erase and re-write, or completely start over when a better connection between ideas was discovered. This proved problematic when working with students who come from I-struggle-with-writing beliefs and writing backgrounds that do not have a solid foundation. ****
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal;">**I played with some of the examples, discovering some of them were “unlocked” and could be modified. Ones that revolved around what I wanted to do, and around the method of teaching I use, were not. I began to look at the templates the SMART program offered. I chose some organizational templates and filled in possible information students have suggested in the past.** **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Phase 4: Personal and Professional Application: ******<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal;">In a classroom setting, I would type in the students’ suggestions then allow the students to come to the Board and manipulate the information, creating a connection between the writings and the best methods by which to organize them for a more connected paragraph. Students could take notes with similar hard-copy handouts, thereby finalizing their outlines as a team. ****
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal;">I have encountered several situations where I would like to be able to move chunks of text for a class to see the differences. We generally use Word and the overhead projector, which work, but having activities and examples in a SMART Board activity format would allow //them// to manipulate the information. ****
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal;">I wonder if SMART Board screen-captures are download-able to a site like turnitin.com. Does anyone know? ****