Teacher professional development when paired with technological advancements in the classroom is often associated with fear. “The greatest trepidation seems to be keeping up with change, which is both unrealistic and exhausting” (Monique Corcoran, Education Technology Solutions Columnist). However, if learners and teachers openly share expertise through a curriculum partnership the fear will evolve into exhilaration. This sounds logical but it is possible?
The answer is yes, I find the most successful teaching moments are when students and I learn together. For example, students and I have been exploring PPT, a program which I rarely use as I always use Notebook. I begin the lesson with a PPT document displayed on my SMARTboard and demonstrate a basic skill such as inserting a new slide. Students are then invited to demonstrate how they can do the same task differently (ie click on new slide, right click and select new slide or right click underneath the last slide). I actually become the facilitator of opportunity and a collaborative partnership between myself and students as dual learners develops.
I have uploaded a video tutorial about Notebook applications with PPT documents. For a video demonstration on how to import/export PPT documents scroll through the articles below and for basic PPT skills, explore them with your students!
Google SketchUp 8 is fantastic and it is a free download! Once you have downloaded the program it provides you with free video tutorials which you can use to teach yourself and your class how to use the software. Google SketchUp enables you to create and modify 3D models and it can be used in conjunction with SMART Notebook software without having to switch between programs. My son and I created this short video tutorial to show how Google SketchUp works and how it can be used with your Notebook software.
However, Chris Betcher (Interactive Whiteboard Revolution) has informed me that Google Sketchup can be frustrating on a SMART board when you need to use the hover application to find the centre point of an edge for example. Apparently you have to actually touch the board before being notifies you of the midpoint. I haven’t experienced this as I’ve only used it with Year 3 students. However, if you are using it with older students you may like to keep this in mind.
Inter-tech Education is gradually moving inter-state in order to deliver SMART board training and development. We have had teachers attend from all over SA and as far as Christmas Island, Victoria and now the Northern Territory. If you would like Inter-tech Education to visit you, rather than you visiting us here is what you need to do:
1) Organise a host school which provides a SMART board and computer access for teachers
2) Contact surrounding schools to see who else is interested (number of teachers)
3) Email Inter-tech Education in regards to possible times (please keep in mind, Fridays during SA school terms and or SA school term holiday times)
The date for Book Week 2011 this year is August 20th – 26th and the theme is ‘One World, Many Stories’. I have begun searching for interactive sites that you can use with your students through your SMART board. I have also uploaded a video of children’s author, Hazel Edwards reading one of her books, ‘There is a Hippopotamus On Our Roof Eating Cake’. When you watch the video file on my site you are actually accessing YouTube because the video is embedded into my site. However, the advantage of viewing it from my site is that I do not allow any advertising on my site at all! Therefore, you are guaranteed that students will not see any inappropriate images. I have also listed some online resources underneath the video clip.
Finding good online Indigenous resources, which can be integrated into the curriculum through IWB technology are often difficult to find. However, I’ve recently discovered Twelve Canoes which provides an insight into the Yolunga people of Ramingining, in the Northern part of Central Arnhem Land in Australia’s Northern Territory. The website provides a wealth of visual and audio resources which explore the history and culture of Ramingining. There is also a PDF guide to teaching with Twelve Canoes. Follow the link below:
Recently I uploaded one of Ian Duke’s video clips which highlights the ‘Digital Revolution’. Throughout the video Ian Dukes refers to students as ‘Digital Natives’, a generation of students who ask, “Why do I have to memorise the states of the capitals of America when we can Google them on my phone in 2 seconds?” I would like to follow this idea with a video clip from Chris Betcher (2009) who discusses the need for genuine changes in Education. He states, “We need to prepare students for the world in which they are actually going out in, not the world their parents were going out in”.
In the latest edition of Education Technology Solutions Magazine there is an article written by Tania Schutz from Nuriootpa Redeemer Lutheran School called e-Learning, an exciting challenge. She begins by commenting that schools often have a wealth of ICT resources which are not being used or not being used effectively. “Students cry out to use them and teachers cry out for help using them effectively… It is unrealistic to expect teachers to implement ICT successfully without providing them with support”. Tania then discusses how the majority of schools have developed an ICT coordinator role for a staff member to support others in order to implement change. However, the ICT coordinator is also usually, a full time classroom teacher who doesn’t have time to implement the change that is needed. Tania finishes the article with an explanation about how her school has implemented a new ICT project in order to initiate and implement changes in ICT for both students and teachers. It is a good read, well done Tania.
Furthermore, another article in the latest edition of Education Technology Solutions Magazine, written by Sheree Vertigan (President of the Australian Secondary Principals Association) states, “If you want real change then you need to work with those people who will make the change happen. The amount spent on professional learning should match the amount spend on infrastructure and hardware”. Does this happen in current educational contexts? Is it likely to happen?
Recently, my school upgraded to Notebook 10.7. After updating we noticed that the tools to the right hand side of the neutral tool (arrow tool) didn’t work. When you touched the tools they would show up but then when you went to use them the computer adopted the curser function (ie the tools wouldn’t work).To fix this problem you need to restore the product drivers for Notebook software because they control the Notebook tools.
In a previous post I mentioned the importance of teaching students how to reference their material from a young age. I provided a link to the SLASA Harvard Online Referencing Generator which consists of three sub categories (Junior, Middle and Senior School) and makes referencing so simple. The Harvard Online Referencing Generator is still free for members of the School Library Association of South Australia (SLASA) and for a small subscription fee it is available to anyone else. For a one year subscription it is only $100 AUS for Schools/Universities with 800plus students. I have uploaded a short video to demonstrate how it works. If you are interested, follow the link below for subscription details.
Engineering Interact is a resource produced by the Department of Engineering and the University of Cambridge for students aged 9-11 years. Engineering Interact provides interactive resources and games for students learning about; (1) Light and Sound (2) Forces and Motion (3) Earth and Beyond (4) Electricity. Not only is it interactive and can be used on any IWB, the site does not have any form of advertising at all!
Inter-tech Education will be presenting at two National IWBNet conferencs very soon. Joanne Villis will be presenting a range of sessions, all of which highlight SMART technology as the ultimate IWB teaching tool. Conferences will be held in Melbourne (12th-13th August) and in Sydney (15th-16th September). For futher details follow the link below.
