Assignment #4: SMART Board Activity

This is a chronological list to show planning of the activity:
I first went into the SMART Board program and opened it. To the right side of the board are tabs; and I chose the tab labeled "Gallery." Next, I chose "on-line resources." Then: lesson activities, United States, subject and grade level. From the next tab down chose grade: 12/subject: English Language Arts. The most interactive lessons for this grade that I could find was: "What Makes it Newsworthy?" I clicked on my selection, downloaded XBK and the SMART Board Notebook pop up with my lesson on it. From there, I deleted a couple of pages that did not pertain to my lesson. I added a feature (screen shade) to hide the answer choices and added sound (applause) to the last page. The lesson was then saved to the computer to be used for teaching others how to use a SMART Board. Participation from the class will be in the form of the student coming up to the board and using either their finger or a pen to choose an answer. Students will also learn how to use the eraser as well as the screen shade feature. This will be assessed through class/individual involvement, recall and questions answered correctly to determine understanding. Students will also have an opportunity to ask questions regarding the lesson.

Assignment #4.notebook

NETS standards for students this activity will fulfill (number sequence coordinates with NETS -- not all NETS were used for this project):

1. Basic operations and concepts

• Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.

2. Social, ethical, and human issues

• Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.
• Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software.
• Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.

3. Technology productivity tools

• Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.

4. Technology communications tools

• Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.

6. Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools

• Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions

I believe most would feel that secondary classrooms would benefit from an interactive board. Based on what I have seen, I feel that there are not very many creative or age appropriate lesson plans created for the convenience of the secondary teacher to interest students. There is the option to create your own lessons plans conducive to the classroom with age appropriate activities only limited by the imagination of the instructor; however, it would be very time consuming to create lessons from scratch for the software. On the other hand, elementary teachers not only have the opportunity to create their own activities but have a plethora of creative age appropriate lessons available to them within the program and on-line.

One great thing about the SMART Board is the fact that a teacher can use it to meet diverse needs in the classroom such as students with special needs or gifted students, as well as peak the interest of every student in the classroom with some aspect of the SMART Board activities which include: hands on (touching the board to answer questions/moving objects), visual (seeing text, graphics, and Q&A), and audio (either included or can add) aides to lessons.