COF+II+Group+Reflection

In the space below describe your experience this year with incorporating the SMART board into your teaching pedagogy. (Has it changed how you teach or required you to rethink your teaching strategies?) Remember to click the "edit" button above before you start typing. If it's locked, you have to sign-in first.

I agree with my co-workers. Any kind of technology scares me, but I really wanted to learn how to integrate the Smart Board into my teaching. The students love the interaction with the Board, and are excited as soon as it's turned on. I have a loooooong way to go before I'm comfortable with so many of the different things the Board can do, but along with my students, I too am learning. Even with as little as I do know, the SmartBoard has made teaching easier and more fun even for me. Kathy R

The Smart board helped a lot! I really enjoy being able to pull up what the students are working on. This could be things like their homework or a workbook page. It really helps them to have the teacher be able to pull something up quickly. Also, the interaction the students get with the Smart board really keeps their attention. We played some math and science games that the students really enjoyed. The Smart board has really given me options when teaching. I can use it in all the ways I mentioned and more. This year has been a learning experience for me. I know there is so much more out there that I could use with my Smart board. Coming into the year I was a little nervous about doing something new. Now, I don't think I could teach without it!

Jack Hartfiel

When I first received my SMART Board I was totally overwhelmed! There were so many things to do, the options were endless! I decided to start small, and hopefully stay one step ahead of my students in knowing how to use it. A year later, I love it! I wouldn't be able to teach without it. It is really easy to access the information that I need when I want to use it. I have experimented with the clickers and find that they are really handy as well. It would be great to have a set more accessible throughout the school day. I know that I have a lot to learn yet, but I have time. This year was a learning year for me because of switching grade levels. Next year I will be more familiar with who and what I am teaching, and I will be able to plan ahead a little more. Maybe I will even design my own lessons, connect them to the web, and more. I can't wait! Brenda Guappone

This year I have learned a lot about the smartboard. I began with a goal of having my reading period on the smartboard and then incorporate other subject area in when I found something fun that went with our topic of study. I have found that I am using it much more than just for reading! Next year I plan to focus on the other core subjects and incorportate the smart board into them on a more daily basis. I love how the students can interact with it and help teach their classmates how to do things. The students are always anxious to get picked to come up and interact with it, which helps them focus more on the lesson. I have also found that many of my students are going home and playing some of the games/websites on the internet that I have used with them, such as starfall.com. This year has been a great learning experience for me and I look forward to learning more! Sarah Hartfiel