Tech Share Time

I have decided that I will have to start a tech share time again at my school. Everyone wants to do more with the technology but time constraints get in the way. I think that I will organize time to share ideas, websites, programs with each other. I will do this in rooms with Smartboards and without. In classrooms with a mounted LCD projector and those with one on cart. More people need to be successfully using the technology so that we can get more. Right now I feel things have stalled out which is a bummer since we have money to purchase more items. I heard a great quote from Lisa DeRoy a Smarboard trainer, "it is not in addition to it is instead of." Instead of means that you are replacing something and not just adding to it I like that quote alot. Anxiously awaiting episode 100 on the Smartboard Podcast maybe I will be a winner, but I know there will be good tips.

Mitch

Change

Today is Monday, 11-12-07. We had a staff development day last Friday. During that staff development we discussed math and different ways to improve our students algebraic thinking. This is a good thing since math is one of the things we need to improve with the testing junk and all. I found a great website that supported some of what we talked about while checking the Smartboard Podcast out. The website is www.rainforestmaths.com it is a multi grade level site that is very interactive. I shared this site with our math coordinator and she wanted me to show it off after school to our math committee. No problem. I shared the site and then the complaining started about how they could use this site and why can't parents find this on their own instead of us having to find it for them. Some teachers made it sound like they do not have time to find anything extra that could help their students on-line. They missed the whole idea this is supposed to be a different way to reach students. Obviously if what we already did worked we would not have trouble with our testing. Sometimes cleaning out the files and trying something new is not that scary and can potentially be very rewarding. I know that what they were rebelling against was the thought of dealing with technology and the internet. It is here, get over it. Anyone else have other dinosaurs that do not want to change?

Room Arrangement

I finally broke down and had to move my room around a bit. I put my Smartboard back in the front of the class covering a whiteboard. This is not my favorite set up but it gave me more room to spread my students out and giving them good vision of the front. This set up seems to help my students this year who had problems being close to one another. Previous classes could handle being a bit off center and having some more hidden work areas. Another benefit I was able to place an extra desk at each of my groups for supplies, the Senteos mainly. My only problem is getting used to the limited space around the Smartboard. I have a Smartboard on a stand, which is nice to move around. What I do not like about it is that the feet on it stick out too far and I stumble over them too much. I thought I would not like having my regular white board covered up again but I have not been using it much this year any how. How is your classroom set up?
Mitch