ISTE - SMART Boarding in the Classroom: Document, Develop, Deliver!

(Description) So you know the SMARTboard, but you're looking for the next level? Come see advanced concepts, tips/tricks, & how to create content using SMART Notebook! Working SMARTer not Harder!

This past spring I had a Smartboard set up in my classroom by a local company called Saxton Bradley. This was on loan so that I could practice with the device in hopes that my district move towards purchasing some of these. With the end of the year rush and my push towards prepping my students for their AP test I wasn't able to test out the board and Notebook software too much. So, I was hoping to find some useful tips on using Smartboards in the classroom while at ISTE. The first one I attended was on "Games and the Smartboard" was right up my alley, but it was a complete waste of time - too much of a intro level presentation. But then, the final session of the conference was with Bret Gensburg, University of Akron and this guys really knows Smartboards.  He is a Smartboard guru and really motivated me to want to try and re-design my lessons.

I have listed below the notes I took for myself, some may be a bit vague, but the overall message was that the content should drive the lesson, not technology and that we should use tech as a tool. So, like any tool we must become comfortable with it. Technology is often viewed by some as gadgets that wow our audience. Others often find technology too difficult of tool to master and want to keep with the status quo. I think we must use technology not as simply toys, but we must become skilled with it so as to best reach the end goal. This comes with training and continued support from your fellow teachers to find ways on how to reach our students. And boy, was this guy comfortable with the technology. So much that the more skilled you are the less you notice the gadget but focus on the problem or task at hand.



NOTES:

1. He showed how by using the CLONE TOOL and asking (at what cost) you can quickly clone pages to show order of progression.
      a) . Clone is COPY and PASTE at the same time

2. He believes in the power of the wireless keyboard and mouse to facilitate this

3. He loves SMART but emphasizes the fact that the teacher needs to get “off the stage”

4. Also discussed the power of the undo and redo button. This can get around the problem of using the Save As feature.

5. CTRL + 1 is a tool for grabbing objects

6. Never use the Creative Pen to deliver the content. Kids like the looks of it but it is too distracting

7. If while using the same colored pen you may want each thing written to be its own object. If you put your hand in the tray and then out will automatically make each thing written a new object. Also, if you use the Pen Up and Pen Down tool when drawing objects will switch to the mouse instead of Object tool

8. Use the Order tool and a rectangle to then during a multiple choice type of question to have only the correct answer to be on top of the colored rectangle when dragged on top

9. He have a "made up statistic"… '98% of the time ANIMATE is the wrong choice!' Because the Content is ALWAYS more important than the technology.

10. A neutral impact (like sound effect) does NOTHING to the learning. So don’t waste our time and their time in creating these.

11. By just clicking from slide to slide means that ANYONE can do my job and I am more than someone who can just move a slideshow along.
      a) Used “teach them to fish” analogy – many teachers use this as a crutch and only look for what is there instead of making their own

12. He thinks that 80% of the gallery objects in SMART is not useful. And if used only as auxiliary to the lesson
     a) Showed a lesson on US States and not just having them identify the state but to go beyond

13. Showed the capture tool – make iamges as big as possible before you capture it to make sure the resolution is as good as possible

14. Shows the Wizard icon
     a) Showed how to make a multiple choice question and then as you clone them it changes the number for each question for each page
     b)  He then copy and pasted the captured image file from a state standard practice test

15. Smart Recorder tool
     a) Add your own audio (i.e. your own words) to your presentation. Then this creates more of a comprehensive “movie” that is available for those who were absent or need to remediation