Final Blog

Going into this class I knew technology was becoming more and more involved in a classroom setting and it is something that is always changing. I knew it was important to use technology in classroom but what I didn’t know is how you can incorporate into a lesson plan.

With this class is opened up my eyes to all different types of big and small tools you can use in a classroom and for students to use at home. It is not all just about the big items such as smart boards but if you don’t have access to a smart board you can certainly use other tools, such as glogster, wordle, u-tube videos, voicethread, skype and the list can go on. You should use these tools even if you do have a smart board. These are great tools of technology.

This class made me comfortable in being able to use technology in a classroom and showed how easy it can be to incorporate any type of technology into a lesson. My opinion stayed the same but my knowledge and what I learned about technology has grown. I knew technology was important but my concern was how was I going to incorporate it into a classroom and with this class it has been answered.

Lit Review # 2

Use of Smart Boards for Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Kindergarten Science

BY: Chris Preston and Lee Mowbray – Teaching Science Journal 2008

This was a very interesting article to read. It provided positive information about smart boards and how it can be used in a classroom. Their examples where based on the subject of science. Smart Boards are every good piece of technology that should be used in every classroom. This a great resource for introducing lesson, fun activities and it engages all the students. A smart board for those who are not familiar is white board that displays the image from your computer. They come in different sizes and are usually mounted on your wall. You can control the white board with your figure or electric pens.

The article gave really good reasons why to use a Smart Board with kindergarten students. It gives a different learning environment, an environment where ideas can be shared. It supports many different learning styles, such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. When young students see technology in their classroom they become excited about learning. The smart board provides motivation in a class room. The article explains that kindergarten students have a short attention span and when using the smart board you can grab their interest and can change the mood of the classroom quickly. With a smart board you can integrate activities and projects and use step by step directions and stay together as a classroom.

I feel a smart board should become a need in a classroom. There are so many positive outcomes when incorporating the smart board into the classroom setting. Smart boards are easy to learn and are becoming more cost friendly. It makes the students become more involved especially when students are engaged in the use of the board. It is a great tool for research, games, instruction and class activities. It can be used to introduce new topics and to review topics. I personally have not used a smart board before but hope to have one in my classroom.