The lesson plans available on SMART Exchange online have revealed to me that there are many clever ways to prepare a lesson. For the next time I use a SMART Board, I'd like to undo one of those plans and then recreate it rather than just merely using the plan. My experience in playing with technology and studying history in this way was actually quite fun. Time consuming, but fun.
One thing I learned in our practice (from going up front so frequently) was that asking students in the secondary level to come forward to accomplish a trivial task is time consuming and may not be very beneficial in either learning, or even making the lesson fun (it may be fun when done only occasionally). Nonetheless, somehow I'd like to find a way to use this technology so interactive that every student is able to actively participate. There is still much to learn about the SMART Board's capabilities and how to effectively use one in a class. Practice will make perfect.
I agree, that student involvement can be very time consuming. I think that one of the many challenges of being a teacher is going to be finding the balance where the students can interact with the material but not loose the class in "transitions" between people coming up front.
ReplyDeleteGeorge,
ReplyDeleteYeah I agree that interacting with the SMARTboard is definitely different at the elementary and high school level. High school students are not going to think it's the best thing ever to get to press something on the board, but watching videos and playing games are things that all ages enjoy.
Sara
George,
ReplyDeleteIt is true that at the high school age, students may not get as excited to do something on the board, but once you know your students, I think it will be easier to find something they will like that can get them involved. I know that many high schoolers are competitive so trivial games can be used to get their minds going and to get the class involved. Like I said before, I think you will figure out quickly what gets students excited and what doesn't.
Kirstie