Smart Boards

Smartboards have created a virtual learning playground for educators. The technology has and will continue to transform the classroom. The formats that can be used arn't endless but pretty close to it. Students can be granted the stimulus in a multitude of ways to learn more effectively. With the tech generation - it is so important to relate to them in their language. Smartboards allow teachers to do just that.
Once a teacher has mastered the smartboard and/or created lessons, the time spent creating lessons will be time well spent.
I plan on absolutely using smartboards in my lessons. I will not "overuse" the smartboard in an effort to keep the students engaged in it when I do use it. Coupled with a variety of other teaching techniques, students can be intriqued in so many ways.
I am sure that the technology associated with the smartboards will continue to grow and we have yet to see its full potential. The strategies that can be used with them now are impressive enough.
A teacher not familiarizing themselves with the capabilities is doing themselves and their students an injustice.

Video Reflection

Thoughts regarding the group video project that we have been working on in and out of class:

I think the project is a great learning tool. I can absolutely see utilizing video in my classroom. Before I get to the benefits of the learning experience, I want to say what fun it was to video our PSA message. Even though I was sick and had my husband drive me to school so that I wouldn't let Desiree down or fall behind, I did have a great deal of fun. We were re-enacting someone texting (Desiree) while driving and hitting a person on the street (Felicia). People on the streets were interested in what was going on. I think they thought we were up to no good at first.

The filming went smooth once Felicia felt safe that Desiree was not actually going to hit her. Desiree kept braking far short of Felicia to make sure she did not. We had to change our film angle as to not show just how far away car from victim actually was.

I was not in class to work on the story board but Desiree and I went over the thoughts that we were going to put into the film. We will be meeting early for next class to catch up.

From a tool to be used by me in the classroom, while I teach, I think the students would love to film themselves in scientific endeavors and then see themselves on video. We could possibly show the short films over the morning announcements. People like to see themselves on tv.

I will definitly use this venue in my teaching. Labs come to mind immediately. I blogged about some of the ideas in my last blog.