Smartboards

I love the interactive white boards I believe it helps the teacher to enhance the learning for the students as well as helping bring new activities and games for the students to do in the classroom.  I was in a third grade classroom for my students observations and the smart board was not attached to the wall and the projector was on a cart in the classroom.  This made it very difficult to use because the smartboard would move and the projector also moved do to the students moving in the classroom, so the orientation of the smartboard was always off.  The technology was not very hard to learn how to use.  I thought the procedure was very easy to use.  The pros to the smartboard are that you are using technology in the classroom and I believe the students love to use technology.  Another pro is that the students would be able to interact with it which helps them learn the material much better.  I know many students learn better when there is hands-on activities.  I mentioned one con to the smartboard earlier another con is that it takes up room on the classroom wall and sometimes it is too high for students to use, it would also be hard for a teacher my size (I am only 4’10”) to use the smartboard because it would be to high.  The smartboard can be incorporated into a lesson in so many ways.  I have developed.  You can show pictures in color, show clips of a movie, or use the games that are in the software for the smartboard, as well as making up games of your own. 

Reflection on Software

I believe it was beneficial to take the time and learn the software because I did not really know how to use Microsoft Publisher as well as Inspiration.  It would have been nice to know how to use both of these software packages earlier because I would have been able to use them for some of the methods classes I had to take.  It would have made my work a little easier.  I believe all of the software will be beneficial because as a teacher you have to keep lessons fun and exciting for the students or they will get board.  I believe some software packages are easier to use for certain projects that the students are doing as well as a project a teacher is working on.  The software will help me as a teacher to keep the students excited about learning.  The more the students are excited about learning the more they will learn as well as the more fun/easier my job as a teacher will be.  This will also help me communicate with parents/guardians because most of the people in the world now have a computer and it is easier for them to look things up on the computer.  For example instead of sending all things home I can update a website for the class as well as sending the information home.  Many parents are busy with work and it is easier for them on the go to check a website to see what their children are doing in school as well as what is coming up at school for their child.