Module 3- Rhymes of History
Interactive white boards are an example of a technology that represents a rhyme of history. SMART Boards rekindle from the past the need to display information for an entire classroom of students to see at one time, rather than the teacher having to write something on each individual students' slates or chalkboards, capturing lost teaching time, as did the inventor of the first chalkboard, James Pillans, a school headmaster in Scotland in the mid-1800’s (http://www.ehow.com/). How ironic is it that today, the teacher still only has to write something once on the SMART Board, but with other emerging technologies such as the interactive response system (clickers), iPods and iPads, it can also be shared individually with each student on a personal technology device just as the original student slates or chalkboards were used. I would also like to emphasize as Dr. Thornburg pointed out in his vodcast, “It’s not the technology, but the affect of the technology, that is rekindled," possibly coming full-circle.
References:
http://www.ehow.com/about_6458935_slate-chalkboards.html
http://www.smarttech.com/
http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4199715&Survey=1&47=5486705&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_days_of_the_web.html
I have never taught in a setting with a "smartboard". If there a way to capture what the teacher writes on the board and then to download it to a storage device or a learning management system? What make the "smartboard" more than just a very expensive chalkboard + a projector? (remember this is coming from someone who have never used one :-) Thanks.
ReplyDeleteDebbie,
ReplyDeleteYou can save your information to your hard drive or flash drive. There is a software package that comes with the smartboard that allows you to save information. The newer versions of smartboards or promethean boards are more than expensive chalkboards. The software that comes with them allows you to create what we call Flipcharts and the information on the charts can be manipulated by the students. You can also create assessment and have students use the CPS remotes to select their answer from the board and the software will record the students answer and you can go to your computer for the score. If used to it's full capacity the smartboard and/or promethean and all of it's components can be a great addition to any classroom
Thanks -- there were so many times, especially in Statistics courses, that I wished I could take the "blackboard" with me so I could keep the professor's explanation of the concept. It sounds like the smartboard make this possible.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you see coming next?
ReplyDelete