SMARTboard Page Update!

Being my inquisitive self, I had to rummage around for yet MORE resources regarding my good friend the SMARTboard (not Smartboard as I had previously written). I have come across some booklets that may be of some use to people who are trekking through this treacherous techno-terrain. I found these on the BECTA (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) website. Although they are British publications, the good ol’ UK is the Mother Land after all, so information is easy to relate to Australian classroom.

Getting the most from your Interactive Whiteboard – A guide for primary schools

Teaching Interactively with Electronic Whiteboards in the Primary Phase

Hoping many of you get a chance to encounter a SMARTboard in the new term.

Smartboard. Friend or foe?

In my travels as a casual teacher I came across, what I first considered to be, one of my greatest foes in the classroom.

The Smartboard.

Smartboard

 

Like a customs officer, it stood, planted, at the front of the classroom. Its uniform of white so perfectly pristine it was, at times, lulling me into a false sense of security. It’s position on the wall caused it to loom over me, leaving me cold and vulnerable in its shadows. There it stood, the barrier between traditional teaching and a recently discovered land of engaging, high quality, techno-savvy pedagogy.

My first encounter with the Smartboard was uneventful. Unable to utilise it to its full capabilities, I simply used it as a white board that let me ‘undo’ without rubbing out like a maniac. Nifty, I thought. One of the schools I teach at regularly is privileged enough to afford a Smartboard in every classroom. Yes, you read that right. EVERY CLASSROOM! And this is a two-stream school! Clearly, the Smartboard was something I could no longer avoid.

With some poking and prodding, and a few moments before the beginning of school to do some quick investigations, I finally began to realise the capacity in which Smartboards can be used to benefit the classroom. I recently conducted an entire art lesson based on Chinese Opera and the different masks used. Within minutes I had found a video on YouTube of a Chinese Opera performance and a website of 126 different masks that could be easily displayed for all the class to see. Never before could something so obscure be brought so effortlessly into the classroom. Conversely, however, I also experienced major frustration when a group of students, who were innocently using the Smartboard as part of their Reading Groups activities, corrupted an entire Maths lesson!

So my fellow techno-travellers, the ultimate question is, Smartboard, friend or foe? Have you found that it is, indeed, a worthwhile tool to use in the classroom or is it pointless and unreliable. Also, for those teachers who have no choice but to use a Smartboard (as is my predicament), would it have been useful to have been offered a course or workshop on how to use the Smartboard, at uni?

Without a compass and map.

People have really been setting a high standard with the first two weeks of tutorial presentations being rather exceptional. The most exciting thing about each presentation is that the presenters make it clear that technology can so easily be integrated into the classroom. I think teachers are under the impression that including technology in the classroom is like trekking a foreign city without a compass and map. I don’t have the equipment; therefore, there is no point. However, in order to fully realise potential success, there is room for a little trial-and-error and a bit of experimentation. You may get a little lost along the way, but by keeping your attitude positive and enthusiastic, you’ll soon find your feet and be able to navigate your way with ease.

Looking forward to the upcoming prestentations.

 

Destination Unknown? Not anymore.

Since my last post, I have spent some more time exploring the realms of the WordPress universe, with some guidance of some very friendly WordPress experts. With my virtual sherpas on hand, I began hiking through the wilderness of WordPress to find it to be, actually, quite an interesting little blog site. I have even been inspired to create a new WordPress blog for my trip to Europe at the end of the year. The relative ease of navigation has led me to wonder, why not allow our students, particularly our older students (Stage 3), to create their own WordPress blog in classes. By establishing links between students within their own school or possibly other schools around the world, students will be able to share their interests and learning with others in a safe environment. Unlike popular sites like Myspace and Facebook, WordPress remains somewhat like unspoiled terrain. Lush techno-landscapes, untouched. Free from spam roving its way through the surroundings or viruses, like European backpackers, exploring and settling in unfamiliar territory. With passport, or at least WordPress account, in hand, students can venture beyond the school gates and learn from and with students around the globe!

My first foray into the world of WordPress.

One day in an incredibly boring Year Eleven digital photography class, a disenchanted girl signed up for a Myspace profile. Five years later, she continued to manage it quite successfully, adding graphics and videos, friends and comments. For a change in scenery, she decided one day to join Facebook. It wasn’t as bright as Myspace, it didn’t seem as fun as Myspace and what was with all the applications? Nevertheless, she pressed on, creating a decent homepage and adding a group of friends. Facebook had almost become her grown-up version of Myspace.

And then..there was WordPress.

My foray into WordPress has been quite interesting. Considering my, one could say, career in personal profile construction, I assumed that WordPress would be a simple procedure, just another blog site to add to my evergrowing list of accounts. However, I was unpleasantly surprised. I have found it quite difficult to navigate my way around the site and create a seemingly simple blog. I’m sure that, through more investigation and trial-and-error, I’ll manage to gain some Myspace-esque proficiency. I wonder, however, how often in classrooms will we be able to find the time and resources to allow our students to learn through this process of investigation and trial-and-error? Self-discovery, I feel, is a very worthwhile method of learning, however, given the time constraints and curriculum cramming placed on teachers, will all technology learning become teacher-directed, whether through our own valition or not? How can we provide quality learning experiences where students are able to learn at their own pace, within our already packed school day?