Smart Notebook and Interactive White Boards

Whilst whiteboards (and blackboards) and computers have been in our classrooms for a while now, it is only recently that the mixture of the two have come into regular use within the school environment, in fact, I was actually at school during the introduction of SMART Boards into the classroom. (It should be made clear at this stage that whilst ‘SMART Technologies’ are one of the leading companies in the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) market, they are not the only company selling the products, however, this blog will be focused on the SMART software). As such, part of becoming a teacher means that you need to be aware of the classroom environment, and the IWBs are now becoming a hugely important part of that environment.

For the sake of this blog, I feel it is important to separate the two aspects of the SMART Technology, namely the SMART Notebook software, and the Interactive Whiteboard hardware, in order to avoid confusion...

SMART Notebook:

The SMART Notebook software, I find, is very simple to use. Whilst there are large amounts of multimedia resources available as well as colour and pen changes that can be made at the touch of a button, the software retains its simplicity and ease of use. As such, I truly believe that there is very little which can go wrong with the human aspect of the operation of the software. Below is a video showing the very basics of the SMART Notebook Software (the video itself is made by SMART Technologies)

However, this is not to say that nothing can go wrong, because it can. From personal use, I can confirm that on occasion, the software can fail to load properly, and be temperamental in places. This obviously, is not ideal within the classroom environment, and teachers should have available resources, away from the computer setting, that they can use in case of a technical failure. It must be said though, that this does not happen very often.

The Smart Board:

Although the SMART Notebook Software is a wonderful development, it remains little more than an advanced version of ‘Microsoft Paint’ without the hardware, namely the SMART Board. Again, very similarly to the software, the board is easy to use, you pick up a pen from the tray, and the tray instantly tells the board, and then the computer, that you wish to write. Same applies when using the eraser. The most obvious application for this in the classroom is using the SMART Notebook Software. The video below, again by SMART, shows the ease of use of the technology in American classrooms (the technology is the same in both The United States and Great Britain).

The other impressive thing regarding the SMART technology is that when outside of the Notebook Software, the board is essentially your computer screen, and in this case, your finger becomes the mouse. Again, the video below shows this function of the SMART Board Technology.

However, similarly to the software, problems can occur. Whilst SMART claims to do all it can to advise their customers on how to best use the hardware, things can go wrong. One of the most common problems that I have found is that many teachers are unaware of how to calibrate the hardware, and as such, find that when they write, it appears to the left or right of where they intended it to go. Furthermore, in case of school system failures, or power-cuts, the entirety of the SMART Board becomes unusable, and plans need to be put in place in case this does happen during a lesson.

Overall Opinion:

The development and usage of IWBs (and appropriate software) in the classroom has helped the teaching and learning within the classroom, I believe, by an immeasurable amount. With the wealth of knowledge and resources available on the computer and internet, it would be ridiculous to continue teaching without giving the children the access that will help and develop their education. In addition to this, I have both used and been taught using the IWB and have found it to be a wonderful experience.

As teachers however, we do have to be wary of an over-reliance on technology, as problems can and will undoubtedly occur, lesson planning needs to account for what can happen in case of a technology failure. This alongside improved education for teachers on the ability of the software and the hardware, especially with regards to the orientation and calibration issues, this is indeed a highly valuable resource.

Until next week,

Keep Calm and Blog On!

Alex

http://smarttech.com/gb

Web 2.0

Hello again!

The thought of the internet becoming more than an information resource had me intrigued, however it soon became apparent that without really realising it, the internet has become so great and so important within the society in which we currently live, that we often find it encroaching on the society we live in, and the language we use on a day to day basis.  I often find myself suggesting that I might ‘Facebook’ someone, or that I will ‘Skype’ them or follow them on ‘Twitter’. These started off as little more than websites and computer programs, yet they have become so much more than that, to the extent where they are almost accepted as part of the English language.

Whilst the majority of people will know what people are talking about with regards to the technical language of Web 2.0 (such as ‘Facebooking’ or ‘Following’), it might not be clear as to what the term ‘Web 2.0’ actually means. It is however, not an object as such, but more of a concept. The Web 2.0 mainly refers to the way in which systems are used, and their function, rather than a particular program or system itself, in fact, it is often suggested that the way in which Web 2.0 is actually being used is leading to all sorts of online communities and groups. There are also numerous videos and explanations on websites (like YouTube) which explain Web 2.0 in a variety of different ways.

In my opinion, the development of these sort of communities, whilst they have their positives, also carry with them some negatives. (This refers back to my previous blog on e-safety, so I won’t repeat myself). The positives however do allow for open and frank communication between people worldwide. This can mean that children within the school environment will be able to access the outside world, and as such, their experiences in this can be recorded online for everyone to share in.

The integration of Web 2.0 into mainstream society will not be to everyone’s liking, but you get the impression that it is here to stay. I am undecided as to whether or not this has an ideal practical use in the classroom, because whilst technology is one thing, open networking with total strangers makes me feel slightly uneasy, because there can be no effective system of controlling access to certain websites and activities that children could be undertaking on them. However, it would be naive to suggest that it is possible to stop children accessing these sites and to prevent them from seeping into learning environments.

Keep Calm and Carry On!

Alex

http://www.facebook.com/

http://www.twitter.com/

http://www.skype.com/

http://www.youtube.com/

Introduction to the Reflective Blog

Good afternoon everyone!

Before entering the more in-depth aspects of the course, it would be a nice idea if I was to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about myself...


My name is Alex, I am 22 years old and I have recently started the PGCE Primary Education course at Middlesex University, based at Trent Park. My personal interests include playing and watching sports, especially cricket, as well as learning about history (mainly the 18th century), the subject I completed my degree on about 4 months ago.

This blog is going to be mainly full of my thoughts and reflections of the ICT session held at Middlesex University, as well as discussions of any thoughts and opinions that I have using technology within the school environment.

Right, so here we go! I very much hope you enjoy reading this blog.

Alex

E-Safety

The issue of e-safety, especially within the education system, has become of paramount importance in the last few years. Several years ago, the internet was a new phenomena, one which only a selected few were able to use with any great confidence, now however, the reliance on the internet across the entire world means that few people have not seen and experienced the effects of the internet.

This is why the issue of e-safety has become more and more important. With more and more people using the internet, it means there is more and more out there that is inappropriate, and potential harmful to people, and especially children. However, the internet is now so vital that it would be a ridiculous suggestion to refrain from using it altogether, which is why e-safety policies are put in place by schools, to protect the children from these websites that could cause them harm.

Upon reflection of this, I believe that some of the procedures and policies in place are vital to helping children keep away from the possible dangers. There are now many websites for parents to access information (see the links below to ‘Childnet’, ‘Kids and Computers’ and 'ThinkYouKnow') and also schools are very keen to show they are taking the issue seriously, with some schools having their own personal rules to aid safety online (I have also provided a link to a school in Bristol with wonderful policies and guidelines. These two solutions, I believe, being the most important, because these are the two places where children have the most access to computers, and as such, need to be kept safe when using them in these environments.

Despite the dangers however, I should mention that the internet, if used properly, which it will be in the majority of places thanks to such schemes and policies, can be a wonderful and incredibly valuable resource for children, especially as children are now so confident using the technology and long let this continue!

Watch out next week for a reflection on the use of the Smart Notebook,

Keep Calm and Carry On!

Alex

http://www.kidsandcomputers.co.uk/

http://www.childnet-int.org/default.aspx

http://bristol.schooljotter.com/blaise/Parents/E-Safety

http://thinkyouknow.co.uk/