I have been working on the goals I set in my GAME plan over the past few weeks and have made some progress that I am proud of. This past week, I created a few lessons for the SmartBoard that I used in reading. We read a story called The Secret Life of Tress. I created an interactive lesson for my students to put the different parts of a tree together, as well as match the definitions. As I have said before, in the past I have depended mostly on using lessons that I have find online that were created by other teachers. It felt really great to create a lesson that I am proud of and that my students loved.
My action of talking to our technology director about the ins and outs of my SmartBoard really helped me in this process. She showed me tools that I didn't even know I had. It helped me to create much more than just a basic "slideshow" lesson like I had done in the past.
My other goal of seeking professional development is moving a little more slowly. I have found a technology conference that will be held in the spring. I am currently trying to find other teachers that may be interested. Our school only has 3 SmartBoards and not all classrooms have student computers. Many teachers aren't interested because they don't feel that it will benefit them. My principal seems to be on-board so I am hoping that we can come up with the funds to send atleast myself and one or two others.
As proud as I am of my SmartBoard lesson, I know there are so many more technology tools out there that I would like to learn about and implement into my classroom. Next, I would like to have my students create a digital presentation for the state projects we will be working on. Each student has researched a state and after winter break, they will be creating a brochure to tell about their state. I would love to have them create something on the computer using pictures and their voice to tell about the state. Does anyone have any suggestions?
As I continue working on my GAME plan, I am learning how many tools are out there to help me in my goal of creating lessons using technology. I'll continue learning how to use these tools through my own trial and error and hopefully one day will be the technology-savvy teacher I've always wanted to be.
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Abby-I just checked out the Power Point 2007 program on my computer and there is an option to record a voice. Could your student do a power point and add their voices to it? I have not actually done this with a class, but I am interested in trying it myself.
ReplyDeleteVery cool that you developed your own Smart board lesson plan and that it was a success that always boosts confidence especially when you students liked it too.
I am very jealous of your Smart Board, it sounds so cool.
It sounds like you are doing a great job.
Mary
Hi Abby,
ReplyDeleteLast week my students just finished up doint photo story on the computer. This is a free program you can download onto all computers. My students like it better than a powerpoint, they talk into a speaker and record their voices and they add music. Lots of great tools on this site and extremely easy to use. Also preazi.com is another great tool for presentations! Both of them are really easy to use and free! Great job creating a lesson on your smartboard! Once you do one you will be creating all kinds. The fantastic part is then you have them for next year! Keep up the great work. Tammy
Hi Abby,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on creating your first SMART Lesson. Although I don't have a SMARTboard, I have the companion piece, the Wireless Airliner Slate. Over the past couple of years, I have created many different lessons using the SMART Notebook software. The great thing about this is that you can save the lessons to use again in future years. You can also tweak them as you become more familiar with the software and all of the tools available to you.
I am not sure what type of presentation you would like your students to create, but they could use Windows Movie Maker to create presentations. The program is already available on all computers with Windows software. All they would need is a webcam and they can create their own movie. This is just a suggestion.
Abby,
ReplyDeleteThe feeling of a student becoming excited about what they learned is the most gratifying part of teaching to me. I have noticed the same excitement and eagerness from my students as I use technology in my lessons. After reading "Go Away, Big Green Monster", my students loved retelling the story by putting the body parts onto the monster on our SMARTboard.
It is great that you are taking steps to further develop as a professional. Does your school have a media or technology committee? Maybe someone from this committee would be willing to go to a technology conference with you.
Your plan for a project about states involving technology sounds interesting! You could try introducing your students to PowerPoint or VoiceThreads. They could use pictures and images that they find online about their state and add their voice to create a VoiceThread. You could also assess students by having them view each other's VoiceThreads and leaving feedback for each other. I hope it goes well!
Creating your own project is a great opportunity. To be able to have a creative effective lesson, it takes a lot of preparation time. Do you share your lessons with other teachers in your school?
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