Smart Boards in the Classroom

When searching the web for information on Smart Boards, I came across a great piece called "Education Technology for the Classroom: From Blackboards to Digital Projectors to SMART Boards"

What is a Smart Board?
Smart Boards are interactive white boards that works using touch technology. Smart boards are advanced enough to act as a blackboard, flip chart, and a presentation screen at the same time while encouraging interactive learning.

How I would incorporate Smart Board technology into the classroom:

• Smart board technology can be incorporated into the classroom by acting as a piece that encourages students to learn together by solving problems as a group with the help of the smart board.
  
• Smart boards can also incorporate other technologies such as MS Excel, so this would help with demonstrations and exercises.
• I would use Smart Board technology to turn my projector image into an interactive whiteboard that I could write on .
  
• I would also use Smart Board technology to save lesson plans digitally, rather than writing everything on a board over and over again for different classes who are learning the same thing.

Advantages and Limitations:

Advantages:

• Easy and intuitive to use
  
• Efficient and reliable technology
• Instructors can use the Smart Board to control many different types of technology with the touch of a board
• Work can be saved to a notebook file, archived or printed

Limitations:

• Can be hard to write neatly on the Smart Board
• Expensive - Smart Boards cost about $1400 each
• You still need a projector to use the Smart Board
• Technical difficulties - technology isn't perfect, and there are always technical problems at some point

Reference:
Kurento, M (August 2011). Education Technology for the Classroom: From Blackboards to Digital Projectors to SMART Boards. Retrieved from http://blog.classroomteacher.ca/27/classroom-technology/

Skype in the Classroom

I came across an interesting and useful article which discusses the use of skype in the classroom. The article is called "50 Awesome ways to Use Skype in the Classroom"

What is Skype?
Skype is a software application that allows users to make video calls anywhere in the world for free with other Skype users.

How would I integrate Skype into my own teaching?
Skype can be integrated into the classroom in many ways. Some ways that I would integrate Skype into the classroom include the following:

• Field Trips - Field trips can be extremely useful as a learning and teaching experience. However, fielf trips require a lot of planning, time, effort and resources. With Skype, you can use skype to take the field trip into the classroom. An example of this would include a skype tour of a facility which your class would have taken a tour of.
• Guest lecturers - Guest lecturers can be hard to find, but bringing them into the classroom via Skype would allow students to get the same experience of an in person guest lecturer, only via Skype. This would save time for the guest lecturer, but would provide the same quality experience for students.
  
• Forign culture lessons - My class could connect with, interact with and share ideas with similar classes from across the globe. This would be an invaluable learning experience for students and instructors alike.
• Office Hours - Instructors have office hours, but students no longer have to physically show up if they have a question. Many instructors are in their offices during office hours, but simply keep skype open, giving students another option to connect with instructors to seek extra help
  

Advantages and Limitations:

Advantages:

• Free
• User friendly
• Connects classrooms to the globe

Disadvantages:

• Requires a computer
• Requires a manual download of software
• Requires a microphone, or a microphone and web cam

Reference:

50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/

The iPad 2 in the Classroom

After some searching, I stumbled upon a great article that outlines just some of the many uses of the Apple iPad in the classroom is called "How the iPad 2 Will Revolutionize Education" by Gregory Ferenstein.

What is the Apple iPad?
The Apple iPad 2 is part of a line computer tablets that are developed by Apple inc. The iPad is a super portable and highly powerful tablet that revolutionized mobile learning. The iPad also has great a great battery life of ten hours, so not only is it highly portable, it's also highly reliable. If you're still not sure what I mean, think of the iPad as a cross between a smart phone and a portable laptop computer.

Ways to incorporate this technology into teaching:
The Apple iPad is very diverse, and can be used in the classroom in many ways, including the following:

• Mobile learning - Instructors can integrate the iPad 2 into the classroom to keep students in the loop from anywhere, including deadline dates, or to keep class related discussions going after class
• Lecturing - Under the right circumstances, the Apple iPad can allow students to view pre recorded lectures on the move and on demand. This would allow students to watch videos of the instructor explaining something, or solving a problem in class while pausing or rewinding the footage.

• Mirror image lecturing - Mirror imaging projects an image from the iPad 2 to a larger screen. This would allow students to see and follow along with exactly what the instructor is looking at while lecturing.

Advantages and Limitations of the iPad 2

Advantages:

• The use of this Technology would successfully incorporate a revolutionary technology into the classroom that students identify with.
• The iPad 2 allows students to follow along with classes more easily.
• The iPad 2 allows students to stay connected to the classroom, even when class is not in session.

Limitations

• Battery life is excellent at ten hours, but what if the charger has not been connected for some time? The battery could die in the middle of a lecture
  
• Some students are reluctant to start using new technology in the classroom, and might become intimidated by the iPad 2. This may lead to a false start in the learning process
• Cost. At roughly $500 per unit, the iPad is not very cheap, so not all students will be able to afford this

Reference:

Ferenstein, Gregory (March 2011). How the iPad 2 Will Revolutionize Education. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/1733662/how-the-ipad-2-will-revolutionize-classroom-education