TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM
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PROMETHEAN/ SMART BOARD: As one of the only substitute teachers permitted to use the Promethean Boards in several Edison schools, I recognize that the next generation of learners adores a screen. By utilizing my background in art and tools such as ActiveInspire, I create visuals for numerous lessons, along with hands on activities. Students are eager to trace and create vertices and faces for solid shapes on the board, which keeps them engaged in lessons that might otherwise be taught by memorization. By saving our creations onto the computer, we can also return to them to alter or elaborate at a later date.
PREZI: PowerPoint presentations are a quick (or not so quick, in some cases) way to convey information. But the stagnant, repetitious pages tend to lose the interest of many students. Prezis offer the same control over the flow of information, but in a dynamic, active manner. The constant movement and visual options keep the viewer's attention, while the prezi itself is user friendly and easy to navigate, requiring little distraction to the teacher.
In a classroom lacking any technology beyond a projector, I used my laptop and said projector to create a "SMARTboard" of sorts on the class white board. While projecting the Prezi onto the white board, the students interacted with the images to partake in the lesson's activities.
In a classroom lacking any technology beyond a projector, I used my laptop and said projector to create a "SMARTboard" of sorts on the class white board. While projecting the Prezi onto the white board, the students interacted with the images to partake in the lesson's activities.
DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS: For larger classes, it can be difficult to demonstrate in a manner that is easily visible to all. It was in such cases that I would videotape my demonstration, edit it, and project it in the class as I narrated along. In this way, all students had a clear view of the demonstration and the opportunity to pause or rewind. The zoomed in taping also allowed a closer attention to detail and form, which provided modeling of proper tool usage. These videos were greatly appreciated by students who had be absent on demonstration days, as the time that would be put aside for gathering tools and demonstrating was used more efficiently.