Smartboards in the Classroom

Hello,
   We are learning how to use smartboards this morning, this is a great opportunity for teachers to use technology in the classrooms.  I can't wait to use with my students!

                                     Ana R.
                                Middle School 45

Hi, I am so excited to be here and learn something new

Thanks for the workshop.  I feel like it began my learning into smartboards, but that I have a long way to go before I can use it.  I felt a little frustrated for a good portion of the class.  Maybe if we meet again, we could focus on actually creating lessons, etc.  

Great technology but I definitely feel I need a bit more training on making lessons using smartboard.  I really liked the science portions of it.  I think it would be helpful to see a science lesson already made.  Thanks.  Adrienne K MS 45

i'm glad i learned how to set up the board with the laptop and projector. i plan to practice setting it up this week in my room.

i have a basic grasp of making a lesson with the software.

i want to learn more about ELA lessons and interactive activities.

thanks for the link to your portaportal. i've looked at the readability link, and it's really helpful. i plan to set up one of my own so my kids can access it for research papers and speeches.

i do have access to laptops for my kids to use. i don't know much about web quests, though, and i'd like to.

thanks!

I loved using the smartboard. I cannot wait to try it with my kids!! It was a lot to absorb in one day, but i will take back some useful information.

Jennifer W.  Middle School 45

I enjoyed being able to play around with the smart board. I think I need more training on how to access materials to make better presentations.
The presenter was very friendly and patient. We definitely need a follow up PD.

I like the technology. It seems like something that will be useful for my students. I still don't fell comfortable making lessons but I am happy to have the software so I can "play" with it at home. It would have been helpful to see a lesson being made as a guide for me.

I felt that this was a very informative session.  The presenter was very helpful, encouraging, and knowledgeable.  

Next time, it would be nice to have groups organized by subject area to maximize the amount of resources that we could explore and test out on our own.  

I really liked the fact that we all were able to receive our own copy of the resources so that we can design these lessons from our home workstations.

This was useful.  I liked the interactive science activities.  I need to know how to construct power point presentations from the available materials.  I need time to play with the technology.

I remembered how to put the smartboard together, put a heart and lung together. If I enjoyed it I know the students will because I am very hands on and show me what to do. I must I experienced anxiety because I wanted to learn it too fast. You have to practice daily to really get the ends and outs.

I truly enjoyed the presentation on how to use the smartboard.  I learned how to incorporate additional technology into my lessons.  The smartboard permits me to reach all types of learners (i.e. visual, auditory, kinestic, etc.)  I will be using this form of technology in my future lessons.  Thanks.

I like the way you explained how to connect the hardware. However, I really don't feel that  actually know how to create the slides. I would like you to come back and teach how to actually create the slides.

Hi!  Learni.ng how to use the Smartboard. I can't wait to go back to school and put this class to use

So it's not a coat-rack?

I am one of the computer teachers in my school and the smartboard should be a great tool to implement.  I am excited to learn to use the smartboard effectively with my lessons.

The smartboard training needs to be more used in our school

I like the way that the instructor is showing us how to use the SmartBoard.

Thanks a lot! This is a Clondike of teaching opportunities.
Fairly easy to get it up and running.  The training was excellent.

What an excellent workshop! Thank you so much for all the information.

Thanks! I actually "got my feet wet" with a "draft" interactive Science/Library research lesson. I'm going to show my colleagues this on Monday, and begin using our board...

I can't wait!

smartboard rocks!

It's exciting to see and start to think about the possibilities for using smartboard in the classroom.  

This training was awesome!! I'm looking forward to using the Smartboard very soon.

I am excited about utilizing this with my students. I believe it really taps into all learning styles & will be especially helpful to students with special needs.

This was a very interesting experience with technology.

Yes, here I am again trying to suck my instructor's brain dry concerning the Smartboard. Did you know that you might ever have to write a lesson plan again? That portaportal site is wonderful. Why invent the wheel and who has the time? If you know what I know, you will run to the nearest training. It will make your life so much easier.

I'm curious what the smartboard allows teachers to do with more ease.

I'm smartboarding for the first time.

Though it's weird technology, the smartboard is easiest for me to think about as a tool that can do neat things that we'd all wish for, like being able to command an eraser from across the classroom and letting students do the same.  I'm like the ease of writing on it, erasing it, and manipulating it with your fingers, and like how big and clear it makes maps and writing.  
I felt good about the concentrated work of the workshop on excactly what I teach, Social Studies to ESL students, with examples of smartboard use - the lesson made explorers very clear.

I learned a lot from this workshop...

It has a world of possibilities.  The SmartBoard seems to be something one learns and gets better at with alot of practice and trail-and-error.

I enjoyed the presentation on how to use the smartboard and the presentation in math.  I learned how to incorporate additional technology into my lessons.  The smartboard permits me to reach all types of learners (i.e. visual, auditory, kinestic, etc.)  I will be using this form of technology in my future lessons.  Thanks for everything.

Great Class!!! I learned a lot of neat tricks to incorporate into my class.  I hope more teachers take advantage of this unique opportunity. I hope to see you in the next workshop...

You are fantastic!  I've learned so much from the workshops that I've attended.  I can't wait to plan more lessons and have my students interact with them.  You must come to my school!!!!!

:)  Thank you!

I found the smartboard to be a nice tool that would help to keep the students focused and would help enhance my lesson.
You made the smartboard seem like a comfortable tool to use. Thanks

Frances is the most thorough and one of the most energetic facilitators I have ever seen at iTeach/iLearn.  I was a trainer for 2 summers and I have experienced many different trainings.  She is definitely a top professional.
I never expected to learn as much as I did on the smartboard software itself!

The two classes on making interactive classes (math and science) were probably the best classes I have taken during I teach i learn sessions.   The presenter(s) were knowledgeable and able to teach their subject.  I think that having had some experience playing with the smartboard made it more enjoyable and less frustrating.   First I had to figure out how it worked...now I can get it to rock.   I am sure that this just touched the beginning of a second level class...if there were future classes that built on these I would not only take them I would recommend them.   Not only did I learn something very useful for my class...I left with things I can use the first weeks of school!!!  Thanks!

It's tempting to try to put absolutely every whiz-bang trick in a Notebook presentation, but realistically, less is probably more. But with time each little trick will find an appropriate place....I suppose....

The major difference, from a pedagogical perspective, is the interactive feature of the SmartBoard Essentials.  Teachers who are pressed for time can use existing resources rather than having to create their own.

The bells and whistles make the smartboard even more engaging.  Thanks for sharing them!

That was a very good workshop with excellent curriculum integration.

This is a wonderful tool to address the many learning styles of our students.  

I always enjoy exploring the galleries to create even MORE interactive lessons. The flipping box is a GREAT tool. I also appreciated the rationale for the 6 slide presentation in creating an effective 1 period lesson. Thanks!

I think using smartboards across the curriculum is an excellent engagement opportunity for students of all ages.  I can definitely see myself using smartboards with children of all ages.

This was my first Smartboard training and I learned a great deal.  It was a bit fast for me--but, I am way behind the others in the class. I understand that you had to keep pace with the  majority.

Super class and great pace.  Fran is extremely knowledgeable about SmartBoards.  Am looking forward to SmartBoard II.  

1421 - information too long, but it is so interesting that I would not cut it out, just cut it down a bit.

Thank you for returning to the blog and trouble shooting the problem we had this morning getting in.

SmartBoard 1

The pace was too fast....The instructor was very knowledgeable and the information was very helpful.  I did like to see the tool in use as a way of passing on the information instead of being taught the "tools".  However, I think the pacing issue needs to be addressed.

Did learn a lot....

Thanks for the workshop. I enjoyed seeing the potential of the SmartBoard. I really need to know how to set up the standing boards with the projector and the laptop. I think we need more training in that because in the schools we go to more than likely the SmartBoards will not be set up yet. Also, we needed more time with designing of the lesson. I am looking forward to learning more in the future.

I was surprised to learn that you can't use permanent marker on the smart boards.  who knew??  Although looking back, that really answers a lot of questions...

I enjoyed the opportunity to practice with the software, sticking to a formula (ie. slide 1 is the intro, etc) but still allowing creativity.  It helps the training (and the learning) to be more memorable.

I think this should have been instructed by at least 2 people.
This way I we could support each other in the instruction.
I certainly don't know everything about a smartboard and make it known that this is a living breathing workshop that is constantly changing and we as teachers are constantly learning new techniques.

I definitely feel equipped to work with Smartboard and create lessons after taking this class. The pace was too fast at times. I think there should be time for people to follow the steps during the demonstration because it can be frustrating. It was not that I could not do the task but it was hard to keep up with each step when the presenter would go forward to the next before one step was completed. I then had to remember what was done next when it was time to practice. I felt hurried.
The information in the demonstrated lesson was a bit long. The topic was excellent and the lesson was great for demonstrating the skills but it dragged after a while.  

The content covered in the workshop was very helpful. I could have used more time to explore the different tools. The introduction could be shortened, so more time would be available to explore independently.

Overall, this workshop ws very good. The information related to the content areas and allowed opportunities for student engagement. I would like to have had more time in this portion of the training. Some tools could have been made clearer by going through them slower.

When will we be getting the Smart Board software for our computers? I'd like to spend some time practicing and developing lessons.

Overall, this workshop ws very good. The information related to the content areas and allowed opportunities for student engagement. I would like to have had more time in this portion of the training. Some tools could have been made clearer by going through them slower.

When will we be getting the Smart Board software for our computers? I'd like to spend some time practicing and developing lessons.

I would prefer less time on the 1421. Practice using the tools like smart recorder,smart video player as well as using all the tools.

Great tool

After taking this workshop for the second time, I feel more comfortable with using the smartboard and the tools.  I enjoyed the "out of the box" workshop model.  It was interesting setting up the smartboard and calibrating it.  The one to one was wonderful and the pace of the class was perfect.  

A wonderful tool for the various learning types. Every classroom should have one.  We may have one. I will have train the coaches who will need to turnkey with the ir departments.  Great for every subject area.

Hello all; I'm very excited to be here.  As a educator working with students with special needs, the SMARTBoard will be extremely helpful in differentiating instruction to cater to a diverse range of learners!

I am excited to get moving and learn more so I can turn-key to my peers.

I'm very excited to be finally getting hands-on experience on using the smartboard.

looking forward to SmartBoard integration!

I am the technology director at my school and I am extremely excited to learn about the smartboard.  With this I will be able to share my knowledge with the rest of the faculty at my school.

I am looking foward to learning about how to use the Smartboard. I feel that it will engage my sixth graders and  that it will be a very useful teaching tool.

I want to learn how to use the smartboard and bring the lessons to life.
I just want to come into the 21st century.

This is the second time I'm taking this workshop.  Now I feel that I will be able to train other teachers at the school.  This is the my first year as the Technology Coach.  We currently have 5 Smartboards in a room waiting for teachers to use them.

I have not used the Smart Board before.  I teach Technology to all of 6th and 7th grade, and would like to integrate Smart Board into my curriculum.

I would like to use the smartboard to integrate text, graphics, and video in  my lessons so that I can teach them to prepare presentations.