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Entry 8

In this Youtube clip about Smart boards in the classroom, it is very interesting to hear from real teachers how they enjoy having the smart board in their classroom. They are all very positive and say that it is the best investment towards education. All of the children in this clip look engaged in their work and the teachers seem very happy with it.
I did not understand just how beneficial havng a smart board in a classroom is until we visited an actual elementary school classroom today. Hearing an elementary teacher talk and and show us all the diferent ways that she uses the smartboard in her class actualy got me very excited to use a smart board. I espectialy thought it was very cool how she used it to help with class managment by setting a timer on the board or having red, yellow, or green depending on the noise level. It was interesting to hear the teacher say that it is good to use the smart board often because kids will get very bored of listening to your voice all day long. Students can be very creative when given the opportunity to make presentations on the smart board. I am interested in finding out new and creative ways to use this in my classroom some day!

Entry 6

I learned that the SMART Board can be used for a variety of subjects including health, English, math, science and geography. It is a great way to get students to feel more comfortable in front of the classroom because they can be up there but be focused on doing a task and not necessarily on having to present in front of the class. I learned that sometimes it can be hard to use the Smart board with groups of students because only one pen can be used on the board and a time. For this reason it is smart to have the Smart board use done on a rotation system or else the students not getting to participate might bet bored. I also learned that I need to have a backup plan in case my presentation randomly decides to close!
I know there is still so much for me to learn about using the Smart board. I would like to learn how to upload videos onto SMART board presentations.

Reflection #6

I have been learning so much about technology through this class and how it can be used in such a beneficial way to save time and help students learn. I know I still have a lot to learn and defiantly need to get more comfortable in using technology and incorporating it into my every day life as well as into my classroom. However, I still think it is important for teachers to not rely too much on technology to teach a class. Technology can defiantly enhance learning, but the teacher still needs to teach and not just rely on the technology to do the presentation for the students. I think a class would get pretty boring for students if the teacher only ever uses the smart board and video clips to teach a class. Teachers should be able to keep their students engaged and on task without only using technology. It is also important to have a backup plan just incase the technology use are using starts to not work properly or the electricity goes out.
I am not sure if I will be working in a school in the U.S. with a lot of technology provided, or if I will be working in a third world country where I will not have those options. Because of this, in all my education classes I try and think of how I would be able to use technology or maybe only teach with a chalk board but still make it fun and interesting to my students.
Technology is wonderful and I appreciate it so much. But I know I must not learn to rely too much on it for my teaching.

Reflection #5

Last week in class we started to learn a little about creating a teacher website. Creating a teacher website lets your students and their parents get to know you before arriving at school. I know that even as a college student I still wonder before I start a class what my teacher is going to be like. I was homeschooled for all of elementary school and most of middle school and can still remember being so nervous the first time I was going to school and only knowing the name of my teacher. I think it would have helped me a lot to have had some sort of picture or note about my teacher before I got to school. I think for younger children, even just knowing what their face looks like will help put a child at ease on the first day of school. A brief note about the teacher is even better because then the student can already be preparing themselves for what their teacher will be like, what they like to do, and what they will be doing in class. I am very excited to start making my teacher page. I want my teacher website to be friendly, welcoming and informative. I hope that it represents me well to my students and their parents.

Reflection #4

In learning about incorporating VAK's into a lesson plan, I have noticed that finding video clips on YouTube can be very helpful. For an auditory learner, you can find music or poems that go along with the lesson plan. For a visual learner, video clips used as anticipatory sets are great! Children love to watch things and this is an easy and fast way to get their minds on the subject you are about to teach. It is also great because it does not require any set up or clean up, just a little bit of searching and you are ready to go. It is great for teacher to be able to use simple online resources to help children learn. I think it would be great for younger grades to be shown video clips of animals rather than just read stories or look at pictures. It is not the same as going to the zoo, but pretty close! I hope that in my future class and lesson plans, I will be able to find fun clips that will incorporate into my lessons and help engage my students with the content.

Reflection #3

I have noticed in some classrooms that if a teacher is not very rehearsed in using the technology in their classroom sometimes trying to figure out how to get the technology started takes up as much or more time than the use of technology saves. It can also throw a teacher off if the technology malfunctions or freezes and can make it difficult to get back on track and not lose the attention of your students. To help with this problem, I think it would be good for teachers to do a quick run-through before class to make sure all of the technology, power points, smart board activities and video clips are up and ready to go before the class arrives. I know I have given presentations that stopped working before and it is super uncomfortable to have to deal with. Teachers should also come with a backup plan just in case something stops working.