Assignment # 2 - Interactive White Board Lesson

1.     Link to the activity that you will use in your presentations:

• Your Beating Heart 

2.     List of SMART Board features you will use during your presentation.

·         Highlighter—to highlight key points

·         Moving the Heart to reveal another image

·         Pen to fill in the blanks

·         Arrow to track the movement of blood into and out of the heart

3.     List the specific NETS standards for Students & Teachers this activity covers (at least one for each) and discuss how this activity meets the standards. 

o   Creativity and Innovation—Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues

§  This lesson allows students to observe a model of how the heart functions. Students will be able to label the different parts of the heart on the Smart Board and observe in what direction the blood is pumped through the heart.

o   Technology Operations and Concepts—Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. 

§  This lesson allows student to interact with the Smart Board and thus help them to develop a better understanding of how properly operate the Smart Board.

     NETS For Teachers

o   Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments—Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

§  Throughout this lesson, the teacher will have the opportunity to assess the students learning. At the end of this lesson students will be asked to label on the Smart Board the different parts of the heart.

o   Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership—Participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning.

§  In order to effectively teach a lesson on the heart, I downloaded this lesson off of Smart Exchange, which is a community database that allows teachers to share their Smart Board lessons.

4.     Discuss how an interactive white board could improve student learning in your future classroom.

There are so many advantages of the interactive white board that can improve students' learning in the classroom. The interactive white board allows students a chance to interact with the lesson. I believe when students have the opportunity to get up in front of the class, they are more likely to retain the information learned. This also allows the teacher to assess each student's understanding of the lesson. Through the interactive white board I will also be able to accommodate the three different types of learners: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. 

Blog # 5 - Promethean Active Board

New Classroom Tech: Interactive White Boards
The Scholastic website includes many testimonials of teachers explaining how they use Active Boards in the classroom and why they like the Active Boards. The various teachers believe that the Active Boards play a crucial role in enhancing a students learning. The interactive white board engages the students in the activity that is being presented to them. The Active Board also allows students to use all of their senses. One teachers notes that even the older teachers at her school were excited to use the Active Boards in their classrooms. 


Do some Active Boards allow multiple students to write on the Board at one time? If not what are ways teachers can keep the rest of the class focused while one student is working at the board? 

Blog #4 - Smart Board

This week I learned how to utilize all the materials and programs that the Smart Board offers, in order effectively teach a lesson in the classroom. Throughout my schooling I greatly enjoyed creating PowerPoint presentations for class projects, so I was very excited to learn that Smart Board technology allowed for a more interactive PowerPoint presentation.


How much should a teacher use the Smart Board in their lessons? Can the Smart Board cause a distraction for students that can be detrimental for the students' learning? What are the advantages and disadvantage of the Smart Board in the classroom?

Assignment # 1 - Demographics Write-Up

Classroom Demographics
Student Class Enrollment	Students: 27 Males:  14      Females: 13
Grade Level(s) in Your Class	5th grade
Subject(s) Taught	Math, Reading, Writing, Social Studies, Science, Technology
Parent Support	Due to the affluent suburban location of the school, parents are actively committed to helping their students in and outside of the classroom. The school has many parents willing to volunteer throughout the school year. At the beginning of the year parents are asked to sign-up (if their schedule allows) to help facilitate small group discussions in the classroom.
Available Technology	·   1 desktop computer           · 1 document camera          ·  30 minute lab time with IA
Classroom  Mobility *your classroom	__2__% of student turnover within the school year
Race/Ethnicity *your classroom	___7.9_% Black   __14.9__% Hispanic                                                        __53.2__% White                                                  ___0.7_% American Indian  ___9_% Asian/Pacific Islander   ___14.3_% Multiracial
Spoken Languages *your classroom	__75__% English as a first language  __4__% Fluent in English as a second language  __2__% English-language learner
Identified Special Student Needs *your classroom	1 student with reactive attachment disorder 4 pull out gifted students 3 students with vision impairments
School/Community Demographics:
School Location	___Urban     __X__ Suburban     ___Rural
School Socio-Economic Status	35.1 % of free and reduced lunch
Population	450 students K-6
Describe relevant aspects of your School & Community that influence and/or impact teaching & learning. (Examples: curriculum, reform models, school focus, community partnerships, community support level)	Out of the 27 teachers at my school many of them have been teaching for 13 or more years. Many other teachers are brand new to the school. This allows for a very diverse teacher population. Over half of the teachers at my school have also earned a master’s degree. Located in the heart of Edmonds, Washington many of the students come from upper to middle class homes. However there are also a number of lower income students that attend the school. My school has only started to update each classroom with the newest technology. Thus each classroom only has one document camera and one desktop computer. Students are sent outside of the classroom for 30 minutes per week to work with the IA in the computer lab. The school provides many services for its students including a gym, two playgrounds (one for younger students and one for older students), along with a library and a band room. There is currently no cafeteria in the school; instead students eat lunch in their classroom. The recently updated levy in the district seeks to provide support in technological advances within the school. The district also provides teachers with training programs to improve teaching within the classroom. As I mentioned above many of the parents in the school are eager to help their students succeed thus my school has a large number of parents who volunteer to help in the classroom during the week. My school is located in Edmonds and the districts spans the cities of Edmonds, Woodway, Mount Lake Terrace, and Lynwood. Many of the students come from middle to upper class families. However some areas in the district serve a much higher population of low income families.
Technology Standards	5th Grade ·         EALR 1—INTEGRATION: Students use technology within all content areas to collaborate, communicate, generate innovative ideas, investigate and solve problems. o   Component 1.1 Innovate: Demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge and develop innovative products and processes using technology. §  GLE 1.1.1 Generate ideas and create original works for personal and group expression using a variety of digital tools §  GLE 1.1.2 Use models and simulations to explore systems, identify trends and forecast possibilities. o   Component 1.2 Collaborate: Use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. §  GLE 1.2.1 Communicate and collaborate to learn with others. §  GLE 1.2.2 Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of many cultures. o   Component 1.3 Investigate and Think Critically: Research, manage and evaluate information and solve problems using digital tools and resources. §  GLE 1.3.1 Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation and plan strategies to guide inquiry. §  GLE 1.3.2 Locate and organize information from a variety of sources and media. §  GLE 1.3.3 Analyze, synthesize and ethically use information to develop a solution, make informed decisions and report results. §  GLE 1.3.4 Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions. ·         EARL 2—DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP: Students demonstrate a clear understanding of technology systems and operations and practice safe, legal and ethical behavior. o   Component 2.1 Practice Safety: Demonstrate safe, legal and ethical behavior in the use of information and technology. §  GLE 2.1.1 Practice personal safety. §  GLE 2.1.2 Practice ethical and respectful behavior. o   Component 2.2 Operate Systems: Understand technology systems and use hardware and networks to support learning. §  GLE 2.2.1 Develop skills to use technology effectively. §  GLE 2.2.2 Use a variety of hardware to support learning. o   Component 2.3 Select and Use Applications: Use productivity tools and common applications effectively and constructively. §  GLE 2.3.1 Select and use common applications. §  GLE 2.3.2 Select and use online applications.

*School demographics data was found off the OSPI State Report Card from a school in the area I grew up in. All EALRs and GLEs were copied from the OSPI website. All other data is fictionalized.*

Blog #3 - "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" by Marc Prensky

Growing up during the rise of the technology that now encompasses almost everything in today's society, I realize the importance of incorporating modern technology in the educational system. I agree that so many times teachers that are considered "Digital Immigrants" ignore the newest and latest inventions that seem to be crucial to "Digital Natives". Therefore students immediately tune out their teacher.  Today's students learn differently, thus as aspiring educators we must aspire to learn the language and eliminate any "accent" that we acquired over the years. This article made me wonder if the current "Digital Natives" will eventually become "Digital Immigrants" as technology advances more in the future.

Blog # 2 - NETS For Students and Teachers

NETS for Teachers:
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovation professional in a global and digital society.


NETS for Students:
1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.