More on SmartBoards

CC photo by jess_mcculloch

After going to a presentation on SmartBoards, it is clear that they are very effective and fun in the classroom. Not only are there TONS of features that the SmartBoard has, but it is just a great tool to increase the interaction in a classroom. Although students can not write on the SmartBoard at the same time, it is proven that this type of technology in the classroom is very useful to increase interaction and retention of materials. A few fun features the SmartBoard includes:
- Game templets: a popular way to review concepts in a classroom as a review.
- Electronic maps: can be used for quizzes, review, and interaction -- bringing geography to life in a way students can see and interact with.
- Timers: used for games in the classroom
- Websites: teachers can actually go to websites on the SmartBoard and write on it, circle something important, highlight things, etc.

... and SO much more! I really encourage all of those who have the opportunity to integrate a SmartBoard lessen into their classroom because I can see how students will want to participate and interact with the material after they are introduced to such a fun tool. However, students need to be aware that this is a very, very expensive piece of equipment and only special erasers and pens are used on the board. I think giving the students a little introduction/workshop would be ideal so they can understand how to use it, and how important it is to understand how to use the technology.

And MORE on Google: Google Docs

Google Docs are very useful. I can see them being a very useful tool in upper elementary, middle, and high school students. Students that are in a class where they are editing papers for peers, it would be much more efficient for students to load their papers on to Google Docs and have their papers edited that way (and less paper, too!). In an elementary setting, it might be more for viewing other classmate's posts, but in middle and high school, it will be very useful for students to load their documents onto Google Docs and edit electronically. The only problem with this is possibly not having enough computers in school, or not having a computer at home.

I used Google Docs for a Spanish homework assignment that had to be corrected by peers, and it was so much more efficient than printing out 5 copies of my assignment so each of my peers could have one. Instead, each student loaded their assignment onto Google Doc and we edited them that way. It will also be helpful that students edit electronically for possible future jobs, and because so much of our world is becoming online-only. This will only help our students in the long run to get them acquainted with Google Docs.

More on the wonderful world of Google!

I chose to explore the Google Calender. It can be such a useful tool, especially in the classroom. In an elementary setting, teachers could use this in many different ways. Teachers could use this and send it out to parents to keep them updated on what is going on in the classroom. Also, as young students are learning to gain academic responsibility, I think it would be really useful to use this to have the students check what they have due. In lower elementary, it could be geared more towards parents, and in an upper elementary setting, it could be used for students checking homework and what will be covered the following day. In a high school setting, it would be very useful because it gets the students ready for college because they have to be checking their homework on their own and it will help them gain responsibility.

Since it is easy to use, many teachers may find this to be a great quality when creating a class schedule. It they are unsure of the classroom activities on a monthly basis, there are options! Day, week, month, 4-day, and agenda are some of the options teachers can chose when using Google Calender to create their schedule for their classroom!

Google Earth: How can it be used in the classroom?

After researching about Google Earth, there are many ways in which it can be effectively used in the classroom. Google Earth is a tool that can help your students of any grade level understand topics such as the progress of human civilization, the growth of cities, the impact of civilization on the environment, and the impact of natural disasters. Using Google Earth can help your students understand geography other than just on a 2D map or 3D globe, but you could use Google Earth layers to study transportation, demographics, and in specific local texts.

This week, I want to specifically look at how Google Earth can be used in an elementary setting. I am going to use Google Earth to have students explore Chicago and how it has drastically changed even from 1999. In this type of lesson, we would be focusing on urbanization and what happens when cities become more populous. This would be a really great activity for students to explore on their own by using Google Earth. I can see this being a very useful for a third or fourth grade classroom.

I think this could be a very interesting tool to be used in the classroom. However, I felt like it was hard to navigate. It was hard to find something that I think third or fourth graders could understand. This was one simple way I felt like they could use this technology on their own.

A site that I used to get some information from:
http://sitescontent.google.com/google-earth-for-educators/classroom-resources