Smartboards have increased on campus and so have teachable moments

This year, we have added many Smartboards across campus. Each division received several with Middle school coming “online” for the first time. This has led to an increase in discussions surrounding ways to best use these new tools to enhance the learning experiences of our students. From Linda Whites use of mathematical animations with her 4th grade classes to Jaye Andrews linking the 2-D world of the board with 3-D manipulative's during an algebra lesson. New skills are being acquired by all, new ways of teaching are being explored. Below is a new lesson developed by Claudia Loewenstein. This will give you an idea how this new technology has been used to increase student engagement and “teachable moments”.

Claudia Loewenstein 8 th grade Spanish
Chile -- Smart Board Project

SAMPLE PROJECTS

Chile Presentation 1
Chile Presentation 2

This was a long-range in-depth project that was designed in varied steps over the course of the term. The multifaceted project was broken up into phases that were woven into the core curriculum (textbook) that covered the standard grammar, vocabulary, and general curriculum. Varied assessments were given throughout the process.

Smart Board: The Smart Board enabled students to integrate their power-point presentations using multimedia resources and the teacher assessments, and kept their peers engaged. Students could use authentic materials and link images and places in a dynamic way. The technology reinforced their facts-recall and also proved to be an extraordinarily good conversation stimulator.

Note: I found that as a language teacher, I had to let go of my expectations of having their texts written out to perfection. Initially I spent too much time correcting, and kids would still make typos and mistakes and auto corrections plagued some of the texts, despite my proofing. The good news is, as it turned out, when the students presented in front of the class, when the grammar errors appeared on the smart board, it turned into teachable moments, and students had fun finding the mistakes and correcting one another.

Goals:

1. Research on the country of Chile/ recall of cultural, historical, geographical, political/ facts
2. Use the project as springboard for conversational Spanish

a) communicate competently

b) initiate and sustain a conversation

c) able to respond to ad hoc questions

1. Memorization of vocabulary lists
2. Develop research and note-taking skills (in Spanish)
3. Write text applying topic-specific vocabulary words and grammar
4. Use of cooperative working skills (group work)
5. Listening and reporting skills
6. Pass the assessments
7. Teach one another, build leadership skills
8. Effective whole-class participation and engagement

Break-down of lessons:

• All the students read a variety of reading selections in Spanish that covered various topics of interests relating to Chile.

• They worked in groups translating the information, then wrote out 5 questions, created three riddles, and chose 5 vocabulary words of interest to them.
• Each group did a brief presentation to the class; reading the selection, asked their prepared questions and vocabulary words. Students responded. For every correct answer given, I gave them a point. This put them in both teacher and student roles and also made them accountable to respond to their peers’ questions.

• I gave them thirty vocabulary words that related to their readings and they had to memorize them from English to Spanish.

• two assessments were given

• They watched a documentary on Chile, and I taught them to take notes in Spanish (this was extremely challenging for them, but eventually they all had the information.)

Students then began different research topics. At the end, all the students shared their information and they gained knowledge of all the assigned topics from one another rather than from their teacher.

• They were assigned to a group, and each group was assigned a different topic or region to research: Patagonia, Atacama Desert, Central Chile, Santiago and imports/ exports.

• Each group found information on specific, teacher-assigned information and were also allowed to explore on their own and add to the information.

• They created a power point using narration text and images, integrating the accumulated information.

• Each group created and wrote up riddles connected with the content they had presented and asked the class to respond at the end of their presentations. They were again, awarded a point for every correct answer.

Presentation: The final class presentation included:

• Introducing the teacher’s vocabulary list (the one they had been tested on) so kids could remember the words. I made two slides of the vocabulary list and the two quizzes so that they could project them and use this format to quiz their classmates. (They loved doing that!) Again this put them in the teacher role and I tracked students with points per correct response.

• Presenting and explaining (in Spanish) their group power-point project

• Asking the class to answer their riddles/ again, another chance to earn points through participation