Prezi Presentation - Technology Reflection of the iPad

"“Technology Reflection: Instructional Use of iPad" on Prezi

Instructional Use of The Smart Board

Description/Experience
            In last week’s Education 301 seminar, the SMART board was discussed.  Mr. Graham shared his knowledge and experience with the class.  He did so by walking us through steps he has taken himself when teaching lessons by using interactive games, and drill and practice tools to assess student comprehension. There was also time for us to explore the poraportal site he had created that supplied much useful information about the SMART board and its uses. 

• Application
  Within the SMART Board gallery is a lesson template called Vortex.  A definition appears and the student must drag the correct work and place it in the spinning vortex.  If the word is correct, a sound plays and a form of praise is given.  If it is wrong however, the word comes spiraling back out.  This is a great activity for assessing students’ knowledge on vocabulary words and can be used as a review. 

• Learners: Fourth grade, general education classroom

• Learning outcomes: At the end of this activity, the students will be able to properly use their vocabulary words within the correct context.

• Assessment: I would determine if the learning outcomes were met by monitoring students as they complete the task, also, this activity has a grader included recording how many words the student placed in the wrong spot. 

Lesson Break Down

·         In the beginning of the week I would present the students with voaculary terms.  I would consider using another SMART Board application called flash cards.  As a class, I would have student one by one, go to the board, read the vocabulary word, turn over the card, and then read the definition. 

·         To continue practicing the words, throughout the week I may have students complete short worksheets using the vocabulary work in the right context, or have them create sentences where they are used properly.  

·         Finally, when conducting the SMART Board lesson –Vortex, I will announce that we will be reviewing the words and that our goal is to get as many words placed correctly as possible. 

·         I would then pull up the game, and have a student read the clue or definition. 

·         I would chose another student and ask them to go up to the board and use their finger to place the word in the Vortex. 

·         I would continue this process until all the words were completed.

·         If the students made a mistake, I would ask the same student to remain at the board while their peers assisted them in choosing the right word from the word bank for placement.

Reflection
Considering your learning activity described above, write two paragraphs or three for each section below addressing the questions. It may be helpful to keep in mind the followings when reflecting:

1. How well the use of this technology may support your teaching strategies in this activity.
2. How effectively the use of this technology may enhance students' understanding of and learning from your particular content in this activity.

1.   I believe that the SMART board provides the students with a visual that truly enhances the learning process.  It gives the teacher and students the opportunity to display and interact with content that may have not been there before.  An example of this is how to tell time.  Although clocks are readily available the SMART board allows students to manipulate the hands of the clock while providing activities and immediate feedback.  This makes other abstract principles easier to understand and demonstrate. 

      In addition, the SMART board has the ability to access the web.  The SMART board somewhat replaced the chalkboard and this is what really makes it so unique.  Virtually anything is now accessible. 

2. I feel as though that this application available from the SMART board  software provides the students with a fun and interactive form of assessment.  It promotes cooperative learning and students are engaged and want to participate.  Often times, the teaching of vocabulary is boring and little can be changed about that. However, the SMART board  adds the element of interest and students can’t wait to interact with it. 

      It is also useful for the teacher.  When assessing the students, the teacher is better able to gauge where the students are directly having trouble.  It also presents the teacher with an opportunity to sit back and observe which student needs further assistance and which ones truly have mastered the material. 

Pedagogical-Content:

When dealing with the SMART Board, a teacher should feel comfortable with the technology.  As a strategy, one should be sure to be familiar with all aspects in order to properly assist the students when they are interacting with it.  Also, classroom management is key.  My activity involved a lot of whole class participation.  Because of this, the activity would have not been successful if the students were misbehaving.  I would be sure to give clear instructions on the activity and the behavior that I expect all students to comply with when playing the vocabulary game.

The good thing about vocabulary words is that all students have the ability to learn them.  It is true however that it will require some students more time that others to master the content, but that is okay. The SMART Board gives the classroom the opportunity to implement many methods of application of content and games to drill and practice with.  Because of this, the SMART Board can be used in all classrooms, with all ages.  In order to keep students engaged and motivated, I would have them be active participants in their own learning, allowing them to use the SMART Board when possible, always asking for volunteers.   

Technological-Pedagogical:

The SMART Board truly promotes cooperative learning.  Students many times work together to reach a goal or answer.  It would be very easy to separate students into groups and have them use the SMART Board writing tablet to configure problem solving activities.  With my particular lesson in mind, the students work together to decide which vocabulary word fits the proper definition.  I would want to be sure that the students have enough time. In addition, the calling order should be fair and each student should be given an opportunity to read or go to the SMART Board and move a word they believe to be correct into the Vortex.

As I previously said, it would be imperative that the teacher use good planning.  This activity should be used to asses and reviewed only after the teacher is sure that the majority of the class, if not all, has mastered the content.  As, because students will most likely be excited, proper behavior and rules should be discussed before beginning the activity. 

Technological Pedagogical Content:

• Reviewing vocabulary words would not be as remotely interactive and fun as the SMART Board allows it to be.  If the SMART Board was not being used, it would simply being the teacher reading out the vocabulary word definition and the students volunteering answers.  This would not engage students for very long and it would also be hard for the teacher to assess student knowledge. 

• Students can ration out what the words are, and use the SMART Board markers to do elimination if they would like.  It gives students a visual other than words on a chalk board or directly reading off the work sheet.  And finally the SMART Board provides immediate feedback that the students often need to motivate them to keep learning.