Week 6: New Technology and Seeing it in the Classroom

Last week in my technology class we learned about SMART Board and SMART Notebook and the many uses it has in a classroom. There are so many tools in SMART Notebook, such as a protractor and a compass. It was incredible to see this new technology and then to be able to interact with it on the SMART Board was astounding. This past Wednesday I observed in a 1st grade classroom where a SMART Board was present. During Math, the teacher used the SMART Board to do an activity involving ten-spots. The kids LOVED volunteering to go up to the SMART Board and fill in the ten-spot for it to match the number the teacher gave. Last week the teacher did a worksheet involving ten-spots and I noticed the children were so unengaged and easily distracted. The SMART Board is an incredible teaching tool. Students who I believed didn't know how to use ten-spots last week were the first ones to volunteer to go up to the board. Sometimes teachers forget that just because students seem uninterested doesn't mean they don't understand. This can cause a problem for teachers who are informally assessing their class. I thought it was so cool to learn about this new technology and all the things it can do and then see it actually implemented in the school I observe at. I am excited more lessons with the SMART Board in the future.