SMART Board Application

Q: Tell us how you might incorporate a SMART Board into your teaching.

A: As a teacher of English / language arts, I could incorporate interactive learning using the SMART Board in nearly every aspect of student learning. After polling my students, I found them very excited at the chance of having a piece of technology like the SMART Board in their school. They expressed interest in utilizing the SMART Board in English class in three main areas: daily oral grammar exercises / “bellringers,” review games, and intense study of literature. Probably the most powerful response from the students (in all levels I teach) involved their belief that student motivation and participation (and therefore overall learning) would greatly increase thanks to the SMART Board.

When students complete daily grammar exercises either on the chalk or dry-erase board, several potential problems arise: it takes valuable class time to rewrite new bellringers for consecutively taught classes; students may have trouble reading the initial handwriting on the board; chalk or ink is messy and therefore not ideal. With a SMART Board, students may not only correct sentences, but may also use the highlighting tool to label parts of speech or diagram. Plus, my polled students indicated that there would be no trouble finding volunteers to come to the board. This may also be used with MLA citations, daily logic problems, vocabulary, and literary devices.

Students enjoy review games; several websites already exist where teachers may edit PowerPoint templates formatted to mimic popular television game shows. How much more exciting would review games be by allowing the students to manipulate the game through touch! The SMART Board allows the teacher to step away from the spotlight and encourages students to take ownership of their own learning.

My students also suggested a variety of activities using the SMART Board for intensive study of literature. They imagined that graphic organizers, such as the Venn diagram, flow charts, timelines, T-charts, plot lines, and KWL charts would be much better through the use of a SMART Board. During my past literature unit with my juniors, we read a play, 12 Angry Men. I paused at one point in the film and drew a diagram on the board, explaining to my students which movie character represented which juror in the play. With a SMART Board, I could have combined these two elements, pausing the film on the screen, allowing my students to come to the board to label each character on the SMART Board, itself. Students also indicated that character maps would be much easier and more interactive.

Overall, the entire English / language arts experience could be enhanced through the daily use of a SMART Board.

Q: Tell us why you should be selected for this SMART Board Pilot.

A: The SMART Board is an awesome technological tool that I’m sure I would utilize daily in my own classroom. Three factors contribute to this assurance: my own technological background, my personal “waste not, want not” belief system, and my open classroom philosophy.

While still an undergrad, I recognized how big of a role technology would play not only in my life but also the lives of my students. Desiring to be the best resource available for my students, I picked up a computer endorsement and currently strive to use technology as much as possible in my classes. I’ve developed a weblog for my classes, linking to educational sites outside of my blog. I also had the opportunity to use a SMART Board in a few of my master’s classes, finding myself both excited and hopeful that someday my own classroom might have one of these interactive tools.

In my family and friend circle, I probably pinch a penny more than anyone, even when it’s not my money to spend. I found my students $.99 copies of Romeo and Juliet online so they could keep and write in their own books; I shrink quizzes to fit several copies on one page; I even recycle our deskjet ink cartridges and use them to purchase jump drives for our faculty. Already aware of my philosophy, my students suggested that a SMART Board may benefit our school / me through: saving paper by allowing notes or quizzes to be posted on the board; saving time by permitting the teacher to save / reuse information on the board for classes not taught consecutively throughout the day; saving energy since the teacher will be able to easily recycle and modify lessons and share them with others. Above all, if I receive a SMART Board, I guarantee I’ll use it. I realize the capabilities of such a tool and will seek out and implement new ways for students to learn in my classroom.

My “open classroom” philosophy should be the biggest factor in my receiving a SMART Board. As technology coordinator at Bosse, I already mentor to much of the faculty; if I don’t know how to perform a task, I do my best to find the answer. I am more than willing to share my classroom with others, giving them the opportunity to learn more about the SMART Board, and how they could use one in their own classes. I believe the excitement and energy I promise to devote toward developing lesson plans for the SMART Board will extend to our faculty and beyond. With my own personal teacher website already in place, I foresee my lessons being posted online so that others outside of Bosse may benefit from them as well. What is the sense in receiving such a great piece of technology – if one isn’t willing to share her experience with others?