Oct 11, 2010

SMARTBoards for the First Time User

In teaching SMARTBoard classes to teachers, I often run into teachers who have no idea what to do with their board right out of the box. Many say they don't want to use it as a backdrop for movies because they don't want to feel as if they are misusing costly technology. They also complain that the kids know more than they do about the boards, and that is the very reason they are enrolled in the class. I recently ran across this article from Julie LaChance. Julie won the award for 2010 ISTE Young Educator. She has posted a Learning Progression chart for using Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs). With her permission, I have posted it here.



I'll often tell teachers in my class that you don't have to feel as if you should know how to do everything all at once; start out slowly and add something new to your arsenal of IWB know-how each week or each month.  Subscribe to blogs with tips and tricks to learn more as you go.  After all, learning is a life-long process and it never stops for anyone regardless of age.

What are your thoughts on using IWBs? As the chart shows, learning and use should not stop with the teacher. The kids should have a chance get interactive with the lesson and eventually create lessons of their own. Take a look at the chart and use it as a tool to grade yourself, then read Julie's article. When finished, post your thoughts here.

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