Creating Original Smartboard Activities

As previously noted in this blog, the Smartboard is a great resource in the classroom because of the program's many templates for creating interactive lessons.  The options of using the Smartboard do not stop with these templates, however.  By understanding just a few basic ideas teachers can develop other types of activities for their students.  Examples of these many functions include a magic pen to draw attention to important information, grouping objects so they appear together, and using a magnifying glass to show hidden information.  There are actually so many functions that the Smartboard offers that it is difficult to know them all.  A willingness to explore the program is a must when wanting to learn how to use everything the Smartboard offers, but the time spent exploring is well worth it. 

Current Teacher's Advice

Tonight the class went to visit a current teacher.  This teacher talked to the class about how she uses the Smartboard in her classroom.  She showed the class how she quickly makes a variety of activities that engage students in their learning.  By using features such as the vortex and the response remotes she aids students in practicing what they have learned.  She gave tips in using the Smartboard.  She told the class to make sure one does not overuse the Smartboard because the students will become bored.  She also told the class that Smartboard activities can be used as a center in language arts time.  This teacher is a strong advocate of teaching students how to use technology appropriately at an early age.  This advice was helpful as it gave the class a better idea of how Smartboards can be used. 

Discovery Education Video Streaming

The Discovery Education Video Streaming (DEVS) website is a very helpful resource for teachers to use in the classroom.  It is similar to Teacher Tube in that it provides educational videos for teachers to use.  However, when comparing these two sites, it is easy to notice the differences in the searching capabilities.  DEVS is very organized and advanced in searching options.  Searching is self explanatory and efficient because teachers can search for videos using specific state standards.  This cuts down on a lot of time spent looking through videos that do not pertain to what they are looking for.  How the videos are broken down into segments is also very useful because it allows teachers to pick which part of whole videos is most important for students to see.  DEVS makes it easy for teachers to save and organize videos they want to use by using the My Content folder.  The site also offers many bonus features to enhance student learning such as the quiz builder and world atlas.  DEVS is a great classroom resource for teachers to have access to.