While trying to find more resources for the interactive white board and reading I came across the International Reading Association site of online information, International Reading Online.
There area many articles and lesson plans that involve good teaching practice that can be adapted to the IWB. An example is a lesson titled Word Wizards: Students Making Words,
retrieved 4-20-08. When looking at this lesson I was able to see how easily I could adapt the lesson to use with the IWB. The original lesson uses letters on the overhead and making letters for the student to manipulate. Now I would not want to replace magnetic letters and using them to manipulate words and letters, but I could see this lesson easily on the IWB. It is similar to word ladder and changing a letter or two to make a new word. this helps students to look for patterns in words. The author of this lesson also uses literature to integrate in the lesson. With so many books available on line, this would be another way to use the IWB and all of its tools, like underlining, highlighting making changes and writing in our own changes. Best of all, the changes can be saved and revisited. The International Reading Association has always been a resource of excellent practice in reading. I am happy to have found this reliable site and plan to visit often to see what I can use and adapt to the IWB.
Throughout this blogging experience I have worked to learn the best ways to use an IWB to help students with early reading skills and comprehension. I wanted to be sure whatever I use that it is interactive and not just using the IWB as a glorified overhead. I think I have found soem of these answers and know that I need to continue to search for the best ways to use an IWB not only or myself, but to share with my colleagues.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Something Fun for the Young Ones
With all this endless searching for information concerning Interactive Whiteboards and reading instruction I cam across a site sponsored by PBS called Between the Lions This is a fun site with loads of resources for teaching early reading. If you click on the parents and teachers link you will find various ways to search the site for different activities such as phonics, vocabulary and comprehension. When you search the Activities and Resources, there are hundreds of files. The stories have many recognizable authors and titles. The characters are from the PBS children's television show. You can print coloring sheets and play games with skills. There are some pretty contemporary videos with singing about a large variety of reading skills. My favorite activity is the game "Word Play" where lists of verbs are displayed and when you click on them the word performs the action of the verb. Pretty cute and I can imagine this would be helpful with my ESOL students.
Now what does this have to do with the IWB? Since most of the activities can be displayed via the IWB, the interactivity of the IWB is increased. One of the thoughts I have had would be if my older students could create some of their own activities after using some of the activities on theis site. Being careful of copyright of course. Let me know what you think.
Now what does this have to do with the IWB? Since most of the activities can be displayed via the IWB, the interactivity of the IWB is increased. One of the thoughts I have had would be if my older students could create some of their own activities after using some of the activities on theis site. Being careful of copyright of course. Let me know what you think.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
US Research in Primary Grades
I thought it would be good to find a little more research especially from the US and in addition this article is in the primary grades. Through the web site techLearning.com there is an article Interactive Whiteboards for Interactive Teaching and Learning by Diane D. Painter, Elizabeth Whiting and Brenda Wolters (retrieved 4-17-08) that talks about how two second grade teachers used Interactive whiteboards and journaled their thoughts. The beginning of the article refers to the research that I have already read and used for this blog.
I found that on page 3 they talk about the "nine instructional technology strategies that Brabec, Fisher and Pitler (2004) said are effective in promoting student achievement." as I read further, there were two of these strategies on pg 3 that I found most relevant to my study.
One involved using story planners, completing data retrieval charts and creating column lists. all of these strategies apply to reading and could be used to enhance the skills of reading.
Another strategy involves linguistic and non-linguistic learning which included using cloze sentences that help with reading comprehension and vocabulary. I like the way the author is very specific about the strategies used. Although the data for the results is not conclusive.
Most importantly this article is very much about the interactivity of the IWB which is the other part of my study.
Be sure to check out the teacher links on page 4 under the Conclusions and Implications heading where you can link to the teachers' journaling from the study. It is good to read about how Wolters remembers using handwritten charts and wipe off markers which took hours to prepare. I can relate to that. Not only does the IWB make charts and information easily visible, the key factor is the interactivity. That is what the IWB provides that other technology doesn't.
I found that on page 3 they talk about the "nine instructional technology strategies that Brabec, Fisher and Pitler (2004) said are effective in promoting student achievement." as I read further, there were two of these strategies on pg 3 that I found most relevant to my study.
One involved using story planners, completing data retrieval charts and creating column lists. all of these strategies apply to reading and could be used to enhance the skills of reading.
Another strategy involves linguistic and non-linguistic learning which included using cloze sentences that help with reading comprehension and vocabulary. I like the way the author is very specific about the strategies used. Although the data for the results is not conclusive.
Most importantly this article is very much about the interactivity of the IWB which is the other part of my study.
Be sure to check out the teacher links on page 4 under the Conclusions and Implications heading where you can link to the teachers' journaling from the study. It is good to read about how Wolters remembers using handwritten charts and wipe off markers which took hours to prepare. I can relate to that. Not only does the IWB make charts and information easily visible, the key factor is the interactivity. That is what the IWB provides that other technology doesn't.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Reasearch Article
In an article from the Arkansas Educational Research and Policy Studies Journal
Spring 2003, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 81-86 there is and article by Meredith A. McCormack and
Michael S. Ward, University of Arkansas Little Rock. I could not figure out how to link this since it appears as a pdf on a Google Scholar search. In this article a second grade teacher reports on her use of a SMARTboard in her classroom of second graders. I found that she talks about many of the same things others say like the increased interest of students when the SMARTboard is used. Specifically McCormack highlights the use of the SMARTboard during her language arts centers. She likes the features of students being able to save their work and she can check it later, she can also see what level the students are achieving to guide future instruction. In her writing center McCormack features the ability for students to edit and revise their work and again be able to save it for future use.
McCormack repeatedly speaks of the feature of being able to save work, changes, lessons, etc. and the ability to retrieve the information for future uses.
This article supports the many others that the IWB affects the make up of the classroom. It doesn't give statistics as to the learning results of the students. The article definitely is supportive for the benefits for the teacher.
McCormack uses several references to support her statements but as I said not much documentation of her research. It is a worthwhile article on the subject and gives food for thought.
If anyone can tell me how to link a pdf, let me know.
Spring 2003, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 81-86 there is and article by Meredith A. McCormack and
Michael S. Ward, University of Arkansas Little Rock. I could not figure out how to link this since it appears as a pdf on a Google Scholar search. In this article a second grade teacher reports on her use of a SMARTboard in her classroom of second graders. I found that she talks about many of the same things others say like the increased interest of students when the SMARTboard is used. Specifically McCormack highlights the use of the SMARTboard during her language arts centers. She likes the features of students being able to save their work and she can check it later, she can also see what level the students are achieving to guide future instruction. In her writing center McCormack features the ability for students to edit and revise their work and again be able to save it for future use.
McCormack repeatedly speaks of the feature of being able to save work, changes, lessons, etc. and the ability to retrieve the information for future uses.
This article supports the many others that the IWB affects the make up of the classroom. It doesn't give statistics as to the learning results of the students. The article definitely is supportive for the benefits for the teacher.
McCormack uses several references to support her statements but as I said not much documentation of her research. It is a worthwhile article on the subject and gives food for thought.
If anyone can tell me how to link a pdf, let me know.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Story Line Online
I have found a nice site that has members of the Screen Actors Guild read stories online. You can find it at: http://www.storylineonline.net/
The reason I like this site is the feature to have the reading at full screen. The video quality is excellent and it is always nice to have someone different read a story. The selections are many of the stories I read to the class in the school year. There are related activities and more related activities that are very useful. They incorporate comprehension and extended activities. Another nice feature is the ability to print the activities guide. This is helpful when working on lesson plans.
Now to tie in the interactive whiteboard, I could see myself using the readings full screen and it would be like a movie for the students. We could do the activities together on the IWB using the pens to highlight and answer the questions. When the activities provide a website to search further we could do this as a whole group. In keeping with the key focus of interactivity, the students would be working on the board as we discussed the story whole or small group. My purpose for searching for activities for the IWB is to have a many ideas that I can use to help students in reading. While this sight would also be great for one or two students to work on the computer, the IWB allows for guided instruction all students can benefit from.
The reason I like this site is the feature to have the reading at full screen. The video quality is excellent and it is always nice to have someone different read a story. The selections are many of the stories I read to the class in the school year. There are related activities and more related activities that are very useful. They incorporate comprehension and extended activities. Another nice feature is the ability to print the activities guide. This is helpful when working on lesson plans.
Now to tie in the interactive whiteboard, I could see myself using the readings full screen and it would be like a movie for the students. We could do the activities together on the IWB using the pens to highlight and answer the questions. When the activities provide a website to search further we could do this as a whole group. In keeping with the key focus of interactivity, the students would be working on the board as we discussed the story whole or small group. My purpose for searching for activities for the IWB is to have a many ideas that I can use to help students in reading. While this sight would also be great for one or two students to work on the computer, the IWB allows for guided instruction all students can benefit from.
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Media Equation
This is a little divergence from the main topic to include an assignment from my Ed Tech coursework this semester. After reading the first chapter of the book The Media Equation by Reeves, Byron, and Clifford Nass. 1996, Cambridge University Press, I had to think about the claims of "media equal real life". Now I can easily understand how that applies to young children. Young children are very literal and it doesn't take much for them to think things on TV or computers are real. I can remember my elderly grandmother wondering how an actress on one TV show had died and then is alive and well on another show. There is also the concern of the violence on videos and games desensitizing youth to violence. But I'm not sure that I'm a part of this equation.
If media is the same as real life, then we need to think about how and what we present to students using technology. As I think about this in relationship to the interactive whiteboard use, I need to realize that the students can and often will believe whatever is presented is real. The IWB allows pictures to be life size which would only add to the reality factor. I already know that the students are amazed by the interactive pens and can't figure out why they only work on the IWB and how you can interchange the colors and also use your finger for writing. They have difficulty understanding the technology behind the writing on the IWB. You can see the emotions on their faces when photos and or film is presented to them. Sometimes you can even catch a child talking back to a character or picture. When the students are playing a game on the board, they will press harder as their excitement increases as if that would make a difference in how the IWB will react. Although this hasn't happened in my class, I can imagine very young student peeking behind the board looking for the "real" thing.
I have never really thought about this topic and it's relationship to teaching. I do know that the ages I teach are very literal. Like when I had been talking about us having a make-up day due to hurricanes and one young girl asked if that meant we would have to wear make-up. I will look differently at what I use on the IWB and help the young ones to recognize the that the images are media and not real. It also affects the use of movement on the screen, as Reeves, Byron, and Clifford say, to orient the students to the screen. This could be why the interactive dice I use with the IWB are so popular with the students.
As for me, well, when I am talking to my computer to try and get it to do what I want or lamenting the frozen screen or laughing at a photo that touches my funny bone I guess I am treating the media as real life. Hmmmmm.
If you would like to read the chapter, go to:
http://guir.berkeley.edu/courses/cs198/papers/mediaeq.pdf
If media is the same as real life, then we need to think about how and what we present to students using technology. As I think about this in relationship to the interactive whiteboard use, I need to realize that the students can and often will believe whatever is presented is real. The IWB allows pictures to be life size which would only add to the reality factor. I already know that the students are amazed by the interactive pens and can't figure out why they only work on the IWB and how you can interchange the colors and also use your finger for writing. They have difficulty understanding the technology behind the writing on the IWB. You can see the emotions on their faces when photos and or film is presented to them. Sometimes you can even catch a child talking back to a character or picture. When the students are playing a game on the board, they will press harder as their excitement increases as if that would make a difference in how the IWB will react. Although this hasn't happened in my class, I can imagine very young student peeking behind the board looking for the "real" thing.
I have never really thought about this topic and it's relationship to teaching. I do know that the ages I teach are very literal. Like when I had been talking about us having a make-up day due to hurricanes and one young girl asked if that meant we would have to wear make-up. I will look differently at what I use on the IWB and help the young ones to recognize the that the images are media and not real. It also affects the use of movement on the screen, as Reeves, Byron, and Clifford say, to orient the students to the screen. This could be why the interactive dice I use with the IWB are so popular with the students.
As for me, well, when I am talking to my computer to try and get it to do what I want or lamenting the frozen screen or laughing at a photo that touches my funny bone I guess I am treating the media as real life. Hmmmmm.
If you would like to read the chapter, go to:
http://guir.berkeley.edu/courses/cs198/papers/mediaeq.pdf
Monday, April 7, 2008
Tumblebooks
I have been struggling to find good sites to use with the Smartboard to help students with reading comprehension for two nights. Then I just remembered that our school has a subscription to Tumblebooks. You can receive a trial at their site http://www.tumblebooks.com/
What I like about this sight is the variety of leveled books, the easy to navigate sight and the quizzes that are available. Presenting the books on the Smartboard allows the entire class to read the story and work through the quiz together. Comprehension test taking skills can be worked on with highlighting of important text. The books are readily available in the school library so the students can practice independently. In the search for helping young students with comprehension, I find this program very useful.
Another very useful tool is the feature to allow you to write a book report on the story. The student is provided a template to write a book report. This could be very effective on the Smartboard. When the report is completed, then the report can be printed. There are also options to have French or Spanish print also.
I can see this being very useful toward helping students to understand comprehension.
What I like about this sight is the variety of leveled books, the easy to navigate sight and the quizzes that are available. Presenting the books on the Smartboard allows the entire class to read the story and work through the quiz together. Comprehension test taking skills can be worked on with highlighting of important text. The books are readily available in the school library so the students can practice independently. In the search for helping young students with comprehension, I find this program very useful.
Another very useful tool is the feature to allow you to write a book report on the story. The student is provided a template to write a book report. This could be very effective on the Smartboard. When the report is completed, then the report can be printed. There are also options to have French or Spanish print also.
I can see this being very useful toward helping students to understand comprehension.
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