Comments on: Education Technology for the Classroom: From Blackboards to Digital Projectors to SMART Boards http://blog.classroomteacher.ca/27/classroom-technology/ Educational Technology in the Classroom (K-12 Education) Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:10:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mr Kuronekohttp://blog.classroomteacher.ca/27/classroom-technology/comment-page-3/#comment-11656 Mr Kuroneko Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:30:32 +0000 http://blog.classroomteacher.ca/?p=27#comment-11656 Hi Damilola, thanks for your input. Out of curiosity - how many students do you have in your classroom? I think certainly technology can be a great hook to catch students' attention, but I'm biased. I think with a SMART board or interactive whiteboard, you still have only one person engaging with the device at a time while the rest of the class watches. Using a tablet is a neat way to improve digital ink, but I'm not sure if I'm sold by the idea of being tethered with a USB cord.Right now, I'm playing with using Apple TV and an iPad 2 to airplay mirror onto the screen wirelessly, but then you can't use it simultaneously with an interactive whiteboard... Hi Damilola, thanks for your input. Out of curiosity – how many students do you have in your classroom? I think certainly technology can be a great hook to catch students’ attention, but I’m biased. I think with a SMART board or interactive whiteboard, you still have only one person engaging with the device at a time while the rest of the class watches. Using a tablet is a neat way to improve digital ink, but I’m not sure if I’m sold by the idea of being tethered with a USB cord.

Right now, I’m playing with using Apple TV and an iPad 2 to airplay mirror onto the screen wirelessly, but then you can’t use it simultaneously with an interactive whiteboard…

]]> By: Damilola Alaladehttp://blog.classroomteacher.ca/27/classroom-technology/comment-page-3/#comment-11583 Damilola Alalade Sun, 06 Nov 2011 11:21:28 +0000 http://blog.classroomteacher.ca/?p=27#comment-11583 I understand that there are many cons with the Smart Board especially the occasional awkward writing and the overhead projector but the uses far outweighs the disadvantages. These boards are fun and easy to use. Helps the teacher cover more in a short space of time and especially when used with relevant software as well as the internet. The students are well engaged throughout the lesson and it helps extend their learning. In my classroom, one way I beat these shortcomings is to use an electronic tablet which is connected to the computer via a USB cord. Sometimes I stand on the side facing the board and away from the projector.Thanks. I understand that there are many cons with the Smart Board especially the occasional awkward writing and the overhead projector but the uses far outweighs the disadvantages. These boards are fun and easy to use. Helps the teacher cover more in a short space of time and especially when used with relevant software as well as the internet. The students are well engaged throughout the lesson and it helps extend their learning. In my classroom, one way I beat these shortcomings is to use an electronic tablet which is connected to the computer via a USB cord. Sometimes I stand on the side facing the board and away from the projector.

Thanks.

]]> By: Mr Kuronekohttp://blog.classroomteacher.ca/27/classroom-technology/comment-page-3/#comment-11428 Mr Kuroneko Sun, 11 Sep 2011 22:37:38 +0000 http://blog.classroomteacher.ca/?p=27#comment-11428 Hi Samantha, I've actually never heard of the SMART table until you mentioned it here. Thanks for the lead. I looked it up and it does look pretty darn cool: http://smarttech.com/us/Solutions/Education+Solutions/Products+for+education/Complementary+hardware+products/SMART+TableAt first, I thought you were referring to their slates which haven't really caught my attention because i find they're just like another wireless mouse. The SMART tables look like something out of a science fiction movie, but I'd be curious about the price points. It's basically a multiple touch display on a desk, so you still need to provide your own computer. If I had to choose, I'd probably still go for a class set of iPads, but a class set of SMART table desks would be jaw dropping. Maybe that's what the next generation will consider standard.Cheers, Kisu Hi Samantha, I’ve actually never heard of the SMART table until you mentioned it here. Thanks for the lead. I looked it up and it does look pretty darn cool: http://smarttech.com/us/Solutions/Education+Solutions/Products+for+education/Complementary+hardware+products/SMART+Table

At first, I thought you were referring to their slates which haven’t really caught my attention because i find they’re just like another wireless mouse. The SMART tables look like something out of a science fiction movie, but I’d be curious about the price points. It’s basically a multiple touch display on a desk, so you still need to provide your own computer. If I had to choose, I’d probably still go for a class set of iPads, but a class set of SMART table desks would be jaw dropping. Maybe that’s what the next generation will consider standard.

Cheers, Kisu

]]> By: Samantha Rivershttp://blog.classroomteacher.ca/27/classroom-technology/comment-page-3/#comment-11423 Samantha Rivers Sat, 10 Sep 2011 17:25:16 +0000 http://blog.classroomteacher.ca/?p=27#comment-11423 Hi Mr. Kuroneko,You are right that only one person can touch the SMART Board at a time. However, every classroom does have a class set of Senteo clickers. I tend to use the clickers more so all students can be engaged. The SMART Board lessons are different because students have to take turns coming to the board to touch the correct answer or be involved in the lesson. With the clickers, I try to be creative and use game formats. For example, a scavenger hunt where when the students choose the correct answer, they receive the next clue. Something I would love to have would be the SMART Board table. This is a piece of technology where the lesson is displayed at each child's table seat. They can manipulate the lesson individually and it is displayed on the actual board (I have heard wonderful things about it!!). I hope this helps. However, I would still love to have iPads for students to use too! -Samantha Hi Mr. Kuroneko,

You are right that only one person can touch the SMART Board at a time. However, every classroom does have a class set of Senteo clickers. I tend to use the clickers more so all students can be engaged.
The SMART Board lessons are different because students have to take turns coming to the board to touch the correct answer or be involved in the lesson. With the clickers, I try to be creative and use game formats. For example, a scavenger hunt where when the students choose the correct answer, they receive the next clue.
Something I would love to have would be the SMART Board table. This is a piece of technology where the lesson is displayed at each child’s table seat. They can manipulate the lesson individually and it is displayed on the actual board (I have heard wonderful things about it!!).
I hope this helps. However, I would still love to have iPads for students to use too!
-Samantha

]]> By: Mr Kuronekohttp://blog.classroomteacher.ca/27/classroom-technology/comment-page-3/#comment-11412 Mr Kuroneko Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:42:00 +0000 http://blog.classroomteacher.ca/?p=27#comment-11412 Hi Samantha, thanks for your two-cents. I like the idea of a SMARTboard or an interactive whiteboard but I wonder if you don't still have a situation where only one person (teacher or student) is engaged with the device at one time. (I don't think SMARTboards are multi-touch enabled, like an iPad for example where you can have multiple fingers drawing on the screen at the same time.)Out of curiosity, does your school have access to something like a class set of clickers or laptops where you can have everyone in the class engaged with their own technology simultaneously? For example, posting a question on the screen and then having students vote in (or text in) their answers like on a game show with clickers. Or, with laptops, using something like Google Docs that allows multiple simultaneous editing or a blog where students can post comments. How does student engagement differ between a SMART board lesson and a clicker lesson? Hi Samantha, thanks for your two-cents. I like the idea of a SMARTboard or an interactive whiteboard but I wonder if you don’t still have a situation where only one person (teacher or student) is engaged with the device at one time. (I don’t think SMARTboards are multi-touch enabled, like an iPad for example where you can have multiple fingers drawing on the screen at the same time.)

Out of curiosity, does your school have access to something like a class set of clickers or laptops where you can have everyone in the class engaged with their own technology simultaneously? For example, posting a question on the screen and then having students vote in (or text in) their answers like on a game show with clickers. Or, with laptops, using something like Google Docs that allows multiple simultaneous editing or a blog where students can post comments. How does student engagement differ between a SMART board lesson and a clicker lesson?

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