Comments on: Smart Decision, or Smart Disaster? http://www.paigesprose.com/2009/08/smartboard/ A Place for Technology, Best Practices & Occasional Ranting Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:17:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Paige http://www.paigesprose.com/2009/08/smartboard/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Paige Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:15:42 +0000 http://www.paigesprose.com/index.php/2009/09/789/#comment-31 Cathy, Thanks for the input. Your point about writing good questions is well taken. I've already been formulating in my mind how I could use the system for our weekly vocabulary quizzes (going directly to my paperless classroom idea). Thanks for the input! You're awesome! Cathy,

Thanks for the input. Your point about writing good questions is well taken. I’ve already been formulating in my mind how I could use the system for our weekly vocabulary quizzes (going directly to my paperless classroom idea).

Thanks for the input! You’re awesome!

]]> By: cathy glaser http://www.paigesprose.com/2009/08/smartboard/comment-page-1/#comment-30 cathy glaser Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:58:00 +0000 http://www.paigesprose.com/index.php/2009/09/789/#comment-30 I read your concerns and wanted to tell you about how I used it last year. My remedial kids love it because they come to the board and manipulate it in a fashion that pen and paper doesn't allow. The color aspect is very important for low functioning kids especially because it makes their brains more receptive to new ifo. In the art class I was able to focus in on aspects of art that we would NEVER have been able to see in an image in a textbook or on a print. Someone said that they are concerned that the responders only permit low level responses. That is true ONLY is you aren't adroit at writing questions that make the kiddies stretch their minds. ABC choices are not always evil!!! In teaching writing to be able to manipulate the students' writing right in front of their eyes is worth the ridiculous cost. Everyone can have input while the student is changing/editing his writing at the sametime. I like the idea of comparing the SmartBoard capacity to Inspiration on steroids. There are so many "tricks" that I learned about during training this summer that I also came to the realization that I am not interested in trying to master everyone of them. It is akin to trying to master every facet of one of Microsoft's over-blown programs. Just because "it" is there doesn't mean I have to use "it". As with the introduction of computers to the classroom (remember, I was there when "computers" in the classroom were Radio Shack cassette players the kids did programing onto) this is not going to turn education on its ear. It is just one more piece of equipment to use. I believe that like anything else, too much of a good thing will become boring. So to me the idea of being in front of the Smart Board 75% of the time is ridiculous. When are you just going to dialogue with the kids? When are you going to individually peer over their shoulder at their writing or sit 1:1 and listen to the story they are reading at the moment. I have no intention of using it 75% of the time, although I will use it everyday. Now this is something I am going to have my students blog about! Sounds like a good research project! Cathy I read your concerns and wanted to tell you about how I used it last year. My remedial kids love it because they come to the board and manipulate it in a fashion that pen and paper doesn’t allow. The color aspect is very important for low functioning kids especially because it makes their brains more receptive to new ifo. In the art class I was able to focus in on aspects of art that we would NEVER have been able to see in an image in a textbook or on a print. Someone said that they are concerned that the responders only permit low level responses. That is true ONLY is you aren’t adroit at writing questions that make the kiddies stretch their minds. ABC choices are not always evil!!! In teaching writing to be able to manipulate the students’ writing right in front of their eyes is worth the ridiculous cost. Everyone can have input while the student is changing/editing his writing at the sametime. I like the idea of comparing the SmartBoard capacity to Inspiration on steroids. There are so many “tricks” that I learned about during training this summer that I also came to the realization that I am not interested in trying to master everyone of them. It is akin to trying to master every facet of one of Microsoft’s over-blown programs. Just because “it” is there doesn’t mean I have to use “it”. As with the introduction of computers to the classroom (remember, I was there when “computers” in the classroom were Radio Shack cassette players the kids did programing onto) this is not going to turn education on its ear. It is just one more piece of equipment to use. I believe that like anything else, too much of a good thing will become boring. So to me the idea of being in front of the Smart Board 75% of the time is ridiculous. When are you just going to dialogue with the kids? When are you going to individually peer over their shoulder at their writing or sit 1:1 and listen to the story they are reading at the moment. I have no intention of using it 75% of the time, although I will use it everyday. Now this is something I am going to have my students blog about! Sounds like a good research project!
Cathy

]]> By: Paige http://www.paigesprose.com/2009/08/smartboard/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Paige Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:40:39 +0000 http://www.paigesprose.com/index.php/2009/09/789/#comment-29 Thanks Gail! I will definitely be updating throughout the year. Probably under my "rants" category. :) I appreciate the link to Marzano's speech. While numbers generally get lost in my English teacher head, what I got from it is to give it time. It seems that the more a teacher works with the IWB the higher the gain. That's encouraging, and takes a bit of pressure off. Now I don't have to be brilliant my first year out. LOL! I think the most interesting part of of the data is the amount of time the technology was used in the classroom. Here I am thinking I need to be at it 100% of the time. It turns out 75%-80% is more optimal (still overwhelming at this point, but more manageable). Although it is interesting to hear 23% of the teachers were more effective without it. As a tech lover, I hope that isn't me. Overall this is a great speech which helps ease my mind. :) Thanks Gail! And thanks for visiting my new blog. Thanks Gail! I will definitely be updating throughout the year. Probably under my “rants” category. :)

I appreciate the link to Marzano’s speech. While numbers generally get lost in my English teacher head, what I got from it is to give it time. It seems that the more a teacher works with the IWB the higher the gain. That’s encouraging, and takes a bit of pressure off. Now I don’t have to be brilliant my first year out. LOL! I think the most interesting part of of the data is the amount of time the technology was used in the classroom. Here I am thinking I need to be at it 100% of the time. It turns out 75%-80% is more optimal (still overwhelming at this point, but more manageable).

Although it is interesting to hear 23% of the teachers were more effective without it. As a tech lover, I hope that isn’t me.

Overall this is a great speech which helps ease my mind. :) Thanks Gail! And thanks for visiting my new blog.

]]> By: Gail Desler http://www.paigesprose.com/2009/08/smartboard/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Gail Desler Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:12:55 +0000 http://www.paigesprose.com/index.php/2009/09/789/#comment-28 Paige, I hope you'll be posting throughout the year your journey with your IWB. I share your concerns about the cost justifying the benefits to students. Don't know if you've seen <a href="http://community.cue.org/video/dr-bob-marzano-cue-2009" rel="nofollow">Marzano's keynote</a> from the 2009 CUE Conference, but I hope he'll be posting more of his findings. I'll look for you in the Bloggers Challenge;-) Gail Paige, I hope you’ll be posting throughout the year your journey with your IWB. I share your concerns about the cost justifying the benefits to students. Don’t know if you’ve seen Marzano’s keynote from the 2009 CUE Conference, but I hope he’ll be posting more of his findings.

I’ll look for you in the Bloggers Challenge;-)
Gail

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