http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/interactive.htm
I've been really anxious to find some good sites to use with my IWB. I love my board but I just don't feel like I do enough with it. This site is going to help me ALOT. The site provides links to sites and breaks down activities by subject and grade level. There's something here for everyone. And just because you don't have an IWB, doesn't mean this site won't be beneficial; there are lots of things you could use in a computer lab.
One of the best link is paragraph punch. This teaches the kids step by step how to write a paragraph. I think I would actually like model this on the IWB first and then have the kids do it in the computer lab. I guess really all you would need is a projector in your room for this, not an IWB, but I still really like the site.
Gamequarium is another great link from this page that has all sorts of reviews and practice games for language art concepts. I really could have used this last week when I was reviewing for the CRCT! Now I know for next year.
The list just goes on and on. There's no way I could talk about all the great links that this page contains. I noticed that there is some overlap in the links that I've seen on other pages. That's okay though because it just gives me another way to get there. I really encourage everyone to check out this link.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
You don't have to recreate the wheel!
World of Teaching (2008). Retrieved April 16 from http://www.worldofteaching.com/
In my search to find resources to use with my IWB, I came across this great site full of links to already made PowerPoints I can use with my classes. As I went through my teacher preparation courses and during my first three years teaching, I can't tell you how many times I've heard teachers and professors tell me that there's no need to go out and create something new when you find something from somewhere else that works. I sometimes feel like a slacker because of this but really, what is the point in making something if someone has already done a better job than I would probably do in the first place?
If I want to change the content on the PowerPoints I can modify a presentation after I save it. Then I can make it fit the standards and information my students need to know. The hard part is done, I just have to tweak it. I found some great presentations on the Cold War, ancient civiliazations of Latin America, Industrial Revolution, and more. These are all topics we cover in sixth grade social studies.
One thing I don't like about the PowerPoints though is that they are not very interactive. I really don't need an IWB to use these, a projector would do. But, since I do have an IWB, I don't have to sit behind my computer to change slides, I can move around the room and simply click on the board when I am ready to move on. I really wish I had an ACTIVslate so I could manipulate the board from all over the room but we aren't fortunate to have those yet!
I want to find more sites though that do allow the children to be more interactive. I love the sites I have found for science (dissect a frog, pump blood through the human body). I really want to find something like that for social studies. I'll keep looking!
In my search to find resources to use with my IWB, I came across this great site full of links to already made PowerPoints I can use with my classes. As I went through my teacher preparation courses and during my first three years teaching, I can't tell you how many times I've heard teachers and professors tell me that there's no need to go out and create something new when you find something from somewhere else that works. I sometimes feel like a slacker because of this but really, what is the point in making something if someone has already done a better job than I would probably do in the first place?
If I want to change the content on the PowerPoints I can modify a presentation after I save it. Then I can make it fit the standards and information my students need to know. The hard part is done, I just have to tweak it. I found some great presentations on the Cold War, ancient civiliazations of Latin America, Industrial Revolution, and more. These are all topics we cover in sixth grade social studies.
One thing I don't like about the PowerPoints though is that they are not very interactive. I really don't need an IWB to use these, a projector would do. But, since I do have an IWB, I don't have to sit behind my computer to change slides, I can move around the room and simply click on the board when I am ready to move on. I really wish I had an ACTIVslate so I could manipulate the board from all over the room but we aren't fortunate to have those yet!
I want to find more sites though that do allow the children to be more interactive. I love the sites I have found for science (dissect a frog, pump blood through the human body). I really want to find something like that for social studies. I'll keep looking!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Not everyone thinks they're so great...
Lepkowska, Dorothy (2007). No Blood on Their Hands. The Guardian. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://education.guardian.co.uk/link/story/0,,2221064,00.html
"It is that mix of using technology and pedagogy - the art of teaching - that seems to be the biggest obstacle."(Lepkowaska, 2007).
All semester I've been tauting the research that has pointed out how great IWB's are. This article focuses on some of the downfalls of the IWB, or more specifically, the teachers behind the whiteboards. This article doesn't say the whiteboards themselves are bad, just that they are not a cureall for a lack of classroom achievement. While IWB's can make good teachers better, they don't necessarily make bad teachers any more effective. If teachers don't have the proper training in pedagogy and effective teaching practices, buying them a fancy interactive whiteboard isn't going to help their pupils become more successful.
Another big problem is the time teachers have to experiment and become innovative with the board. In order to use the boards to thier fullest potential, it takes time to learn the ins and outs of the software. Most teachers are given very little training with their whiteboards. I feel like I'm one of those people. I took an introductory training course this past summer and I was certainly left feeling like I knew some of the things the board could do, but didn't know how to do them. This summer I plan on retaking the intro course and then also taking the second level course.
To their credit, Promethean, the maker of ACTIVboards, has recognized this problem is trying to help fix it. They have created on-line tutorials for teachers and downloadable lessons (I'm sure SmartBoards have too, this article just discusses Promethean). I have to admit though, that I am guilty of ignoring these tutorials. If I don't know how to do something, I just don't do it. If I want to use my ACTIVboard to its fullest potential, I am going to have to invest the time to learn.
When we first got ACTIVboards at our school, the teachers got a laptop to go along with it. As they began adding more, however, they just start attatching the board to our desktops. At first I didn't like this because it meant I couldn't take a laptop home and make lessons for my IWB. This has helped me, however, avoid one of the problems this article points out. One researcher found that in 9 out of 10 classrooms she entered, the laptop was not attached to the IWB, only the projector. Thus, the board was serving as a very expensive projector instead of an interactive tool. It would be a pain to have to reattach wires and get things reset everyday. I don't have this problem; my speakers, projector, and whiteboard are always connected for instant accessibility. The technology department also lets us take the software home now and install it on our home computers so we can still create flipcharts from home.
This article also pointed out how some students are reluctant to use the IWBs. In the article, the students felt inhibited from entering what they felt to be the teacher's workspace. I have never seen that myself. My students LOVE to use the board and they get upset when we're in a hurry and I do the manipulating on the board. I guess some teachers though present the board as being "theirs" and not the students.
I would hate for this article to fall into the wrong hands (i.e. an administrator who didn't want to spend the money on IWB's). I believe their are way more pros to IWB's than cons. As I've found time and time again, training is essential as well as sound pedagogical techniques in order to make the board most effective.
"It is that mix of using technology and pedagogy - the art of teaching - that seems to be the biggest obstacle."(Lepkowaska, 2007).
All semester I've been tauting the research that has pointed out how great IWB's are. This article focuses on some of the downfalls of the IWB, or more specifically, the teachers behind the whiteboards. This article doesn't say the whiteboards themselves are bad, just that they are not a cureall for a lack of classroom achievement. While IWB's can make good teachers better, they don't necessarily make bad teachers any more effective. If teachers don't have the proper training in pedagogy and effective teaching practices, buying them a fancy interactive whiteboard isn't going to help their pupils become more successful.
Another big problem is the time teachers have to experiment and become innovative with the board. In order to use the boards to thier fullest potential, it takes time to learn the ins and outs of the software. Most teachers are given very little training with their whiteboards. I feel like I'm one of those people. I took an introductory training course this past summer and I was certainly left feeling like I knew some of the things the board could do, but didn't know how to do them. This summer I plan on retaking the intro course and then also taking the second level course.
To their credit, Promethean, the maker of ACTIVboards, has recognized this problem is trying to help fix it. They have created on-line tutorials for teachers and downloadable lessons (I'm sure SmartBoards have too, this article just discusses Promethean). I have to admit though, that I am guilty of ignoring these tutorials. If I don't know how to do something, I just don't do it. If I want to use my ACTIVboard to its fullest potential, I am going to have to invest the time to learn.
When we first got ACTIVboards at our school, the teachers got a laptop to go along with it. As they began adding more, however, they just start attatching the board to our desktops. At first I didn't like this because it meant I couldn't take a laptop home and make lessons for my IWB. This has helped me, however, avoid one of the problems this article points out. One researcher found that in 9 out of 10 classrooms she entered, the laptop was not attached to the IWB, only the projector. Thus, the board was serving as a very expensive projector instead of an interactive tool. It would be a pain to have to reattach wires and get things reset everyday. I don't have this problem; my speakers, projector, and whiteboard are always connected for instant accessibility. The technology department also lets us take the software home now and install it on our home computers so we can still create flipcharts from home.
This article also pointed out how some students are reluctant to use the IWBs. In the article, the students felt inhibited from entering what they felt to be the teacher's workspace. I have never seen that myself. My students LOVE to use the board and they get upset when we're in a hurry and I do the manipulating on the board. I guess some teachers though present the board as being "theirs" and not the students.
I would hate for this article to fall into the wrong hands (i.e. an administrator who didn't want to spend the money on IWB's). I believe their are way more pros to IWB's than cons. As I've found time and time again, training is essential as well as sound pedagogical techniques in order to make the board most effective.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Some great sites
Woodlands Junior School. (2008). Woodlands Literacy Zone. Retrieved April 10, 2008 from
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy/index.htm
This site has a great variety of interactive sites I can use with my students for Language Arts. Sue, you really need to check this out because most of the material is geared towards elementary aged kids. It's good for me to have material below grade level though, especially for when I introduce something and for when I'm working with my lower level kids.
One of the skills for the CRCT that my kids are required to know is how to write a business letter. Today we used the link to the ReadWriteThink letter generator. First we did a friendly letter on the Activboard and then we did a business letter. We used the pen for the whiteboard to circle differences in the two types of letters. The students could see the creation in the process and really got into it since we tried to make it funny and they got to use the whiteboard.
I left the business letter up on the whiteboard as an example for the students to use as they wrote their own business letters. I really felt like this activity did a better job of teaching how to write a business letter than just doing a worksheet. I also like this because it's not just an interactive game we're playing, I'm actually TEACHING using my board.
Next year I am defintely going to use the Myth Brainstorming Machine link to get my students to write myths. While it is rather elementary, I think it does a really good job of getting a visual in the kids' head and giving them ideas to get started. My students absolutely freeze when it comes time to write and I think this would help get them get started.
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy/index.htm
This site has a great variety of interactive sites I can use with my students for Language Arts. Sue, you really need to check this out because most of the material is geared towards elementary aged kids. It's good for me to have material below grade level though, especially for when I introduce something and for when I'm working with my lower level kids.
One of the skills for the CRCT that my kids are required to know is how to write a business letter. Today we used the link to the ReadWriteThink letter generator. First we did a friendly letter on the Activboard and then we did a business letter. We used the pen for the whiteboard to circle differences in the two types of letters. The students could see the creation in the process and really got into it since we tried to make it funny and they got to use the whiteboard.
I left the business letter up on the whiteboard as an example for the students to use as they wrote their own business letters. I really felt like this activity did a better job of teaching how to write a business letter than just doing a worksheet. I also like this because it's not just an interactive game we're playing, I'm actually TEACHING using my board.
Next year I am defintely going to use the Myth Brainstorming Machine link to get my students to write myths. While it is rather elementary, I think it does a really good job of getting a visual in the kids' head and giving them ideas to get started. My students absolutely freeze when it comes time to write and I think this would help get them get started.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Yet another justification for IWB
Brooks-Young, Susan. (2006). Numonics Interactive Whiteboard Makes History Come Alive. Numonics Corporation. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://www.interactivewhiteboards.com/SmartSite/FileImages/case%20studies/CaseStudy_2006NorthfieldCommunityMS.pdf
So I was going to focus on sites to use in my classroom with my interactive whiteboard, but I came across this case study that just once again gives support for the use of of interactive whiteboards in classrooms. This was a case study of the use of an interactive whiteboard in an 8th grade social studies class. The teacher created powerpoints ahead of time and incorporated activities such as videos, virtual fieldtrips, and games into the lessons to liven them up. She also used the Inspiration program to create brainstorming webs that the whole class could complete on the IWB. Using her IWB, the teacher was able to display primary sources from places such as the Library and Congress. Now, you don't need an IWB to display this sort of information, just a projector, but the benefit of having an IWB is that the teacher can manipulate, highlight, and zoom in on important text all from the board and not from sitting behind the computer. This is another example of kids not having to do the same old thing day in and day out. The teacher also pointed out the important fact that she goes back over her lessons year after year to add additional features to her lessons. In turn, the lessons become richer over time.
One of the downfalls for this school is that it only had one interactive whiteboard for the whole middle school. This meant teachers had to share and the board had to moved. This creates alot of additional prep time. I am very fortunate to have my board mounted and connected at all times. It also means that I can use my board everyday and not have to plan around other people's schedules for the board. I know I wouldn't use technology nearly as much if it meant I had to check it out and set it up everyday!
So I was going to focus on sites to use in my classroom with my interactive whiteboard, but I came across this case study that just once again gives support for the use of of interactive whiteboards in classrooms. This was a case study of the use of an interactive whiteboard in an 8th grade social studies class. The teacher created powerpoints ahead of time and incorporated activities such as videos, virtual fieldtrips, and games into the lessons to liven them up. She also used the Inspiration program to create brainstorming webs that the whole class could complete on the IWB. Using her IWB, the teacher was able to display primary sources from places such as the Library and Congress. Now, you don't need an IWB to display this sort of information, just a projector, but the benefit of having an IWB is that the teacher can manipulate, highlight, and zoom in on important text all from the board and not from sitting behind the computer. This is another example of kids not having to do the same old thing day in and day out. The teacher also pointed out the important fact that she goes back over her lessons year after year to add additional features to her lessons. In turn, the lessons become richer over time.
One of the downfalls for this school is that it only had one interactive whiteboard for the whole middle school. This meant teachers had to share and the board had to moved. This creates alot of additional prep time. I am very fortunate to have my board mounted and connected at all times. It also means that I can use my board everyday and not have to plan around other people's schedules for the board. I know I wouldn't use technology nearly as much if it meant I had to check it out and set it up everyday!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Reeves, Byron, and Clifford Nass. 1996. "Ch 1, The Media Equation," pp. 3-18 in The Media Equation. Cambridge University Press.
I had never put any thought into the Media Equation until reading the three chapters of the book. At first I thought, no way...people don't treat media the same as they treat REAL people. But after reading the research and considering my own behavior, I must agree with the authors. It's amazing how our brains function. We know something isn't real, and yet it has the same effect on us as if it was. We don't like to be rude, and the closeness of something intrigues us. While there are always people who don't fit the rule, I, myself, fit like a glove. I hate hurting people's feelings and the closer something is to me, the more likely I am to stare intently at it. I'm not sure how I would feel about hurting a computer's feelings, but according to the research, I would most likely be sensitive the computer's "feelings" subconsciously.
I defintely believe the Media Equation applies to us as we create opportunities for our students to learn using technology in our classrooms. We need to make sure we take into consideration the findings of Reeves, Byron, and Nass. I feel this is especially true in terms of interpersonal distance. We need the items we want our students to focus on to be the optimal size to increase the attention of our students. Many times the bigger the size, the closer something seems and thus the more attention paid to it. I especially like the idea of cropped shots that brought the desired object into direct view. This research also showed me that is important to include pictures with text in order to increase attention (of course, only if the pictures have something to do with the text!).
These chapters pointed out that people do not consciously distinguish between real and media. Thus, it is important for us to follow societal rules when creating media in order to have the most positive impact on our students.
I had never put any thought into the Media Equation until reading the three chapters of the book. At first I thought, no way...people don't treat media the same as they treat REAL people. But after reading the research and considering my own behavior, I must agree with the authors. It's amazing how our brains function. We know something isn't real, and yet it has the same effect on us as if it was. We don't like to be rude, and the closeness of something intrigues us. While there are always people who don't fit the rule, I, myself, fit like a glove. I hate hurting people's feelings and the closer something is to me, the more likely I am to stare intently at it. I'm not sure how I would feel about hurting a computer's feelings, but according to the research, I would most likely be sensitive the computer's "feelings" subconsciously.
I defintely believe the Media Equation applies to us as we create opportunities for our students to learn using technology in our classrooms. We need to make sure we take into consideration the findings of Reeves, Byron, and Nass. I feel this is especially true in terms of interpersonal distance. We need the items we want our students to focus on to be the optimal size to increase the attention of our students. Many times the bigger the size, the closer something seems and thus the more attention paid to it. I especially like the idea of cropped shots that brought the desired object into direct view. This research also showed me that is important to include pictures with text in order to increase attention (of course, only if the pictures have something to do with the text!).
These chapters pointed out that people do not consciously distinguish between real and media. Thus, it is important for us to follow societal rules when creating media in order to have the most positive impact on our students.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Why don't we have interactive whiteboards in ALL classes?
Kollie, Ellen (2008). Interactive Whiteboards. School Planning and Management. Retrieved April 6, 2008 from http://www.peterli.com/spm/resources/articles/archive.php?article_id=1705
Earlier this week, Emily asked me if all the classrooms at my school had interactive whiteboards. It has been a matter of great pride for my principal to boast that we now have IWBs in all of our REGULAR education classrooms. We have no IWBs in our special education classrooms, and what a shame that is.
This article gives the testimony of special education teachers whose students have thrived using IWBs. Teachers of students with mild learning disabilities loved the IWBs because it helped them to both introduce lessons and reinforce them. Most students with learning disabilities need information presented to them in more than one way. IWBs are perfect for this. I would think classrooms for special education students would benefit MOST from IWBs. With the high demand for performance for our students with "special needs", I would think it would be a priority to get this sort of technology into the classrooms to assist in learning.
IWBs were also found to be beneficial to students with more severe problems like autism. Teachers said the whiteboards helped students improve social behaviors and have increased student motivation. Even the severe autistic children benefit from watching the other students interact with the board.
I feel like my school is leaving out an important part of its population by ignorning the needs of special education students. I know money is a problem, but I don't think it is fair to equip all the "normal" students with state-of-the-art equipment and neglect those who need the extra help the most. Most of our special needs students do receive a majority of their services in co-teaching classrooms that do have IWBs. However, in the "most important" (as so deemed by state testing) classes of language arts and math is when they are most likely to be pulled out to resource rooms. Shouldn't they be reaping the benefits of IWBs like their nondisabled peers?
Earlier this week, Emily asked me if all the classrooms at my school had interactive whiteboards. It has been a matter of great pride for my principal to boast that we now have IWBs in all of our REGULAR education classrooms. We have no IWBs in our special education classrooms, and what a shame that is.
This article gives the testimony of special education teachers whose students have thrived using IWBs. Teachers of students with mild learning disabilities loved the IWBs because it helped them to both introduce lessons and reinforce them. Most students with learning disabilities need information presented to them in more than one way. IWBs are perfect for this. I would think classrooms for special education students would benefit MOST from IWBs. With the high demand for performance for our students with "special needs", I would think it would be a priority to get this sort of technology into the classrooms to assist in learning.
IWBs were also found to be beneficial to students with more severe problems like autism. Teachers said the whiteboards helped students improve social behaviors and have increased student motivation. Even the severe autistic children benefit from watching the other students interact with the board.
I feel like my school is leaving out an important part of its population by ignorning the needs of special education students. I know money is a problem, but I don't think it is fair to equip all the "normal" students with state-of-the-art equipment and neglect those who need the extra help the most. Most of our special needs students do receive a majority of their services in co-teaching classrooms that do have IWBs. However, in the "most important" (as so deemed by state testing) classes of language arts and math is when they are most likely to be pulled out to resource rooms. Shouldn't they be reaping the benefits of IWBs like their nondisabled peers?
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