SMART Content Creation Training

On Thursday we took part in a SMART training session which allowed us to become more familiar with this software and open our eyes to a number of possibilities of ways in which we can use this to enhance teaching and learning. 

Here is a picture of a SMART board which shows the different parts of the Board needed to be able to use this effectively.

SMART boards are interactive whiteboard systems which can be connected up to a computer or laptop and used for a range of tasks. This board allows you to be more interactive as you can replace the computer mouse that would previously have been used at the computer screen with one of the board pens or your finger on a large screen. Whether you are teaching a lesson in a classroom or doing a presentation to the rest of your company, this technology can allow you to move around freely and interact with others whilst allowing people to see ideas clearly and learn effectively. When using this you can have presentations ready made up and place these on the screen and edit these including other peoples ideas or setting up a question and answer session through erase and reveal, one of the many features of this software.

The tools shown above are provided with the board and allow you to edit presentations or activities you have made up or create a new page which could be used for a whole class Mindmap. If using these tools with a group you can get other people to come out and write up their answers and ideas using the tools which gets them actively involved in the lesson and can give children especially a sense of importance.

"Think of a SMART board as a bridge or a connector something that is going to connect people with the digital information they need whether its to teach, to learn, to explain a complex idea, to make a decision. The SMART board was designed in a way to make that interaction as rich and as seemless as possible," Abbott (2010, no page).

Prensky, cited in Buckingham (2007)  refers to children as "digital natives" arguing that they have grown up surrounded by developing technologies. Therefore, he argues that children are tuned in with this technology and interested in what they can do with it. Through making use of SMART software you can allow children to be involved in active learning and learn using technology which can motivate children and engage them in an activity.

The main focus for this session was to learn about how to create lesson activities which were referred to by Anne Forrest as a "Bitesize of a lesson." During this we learned how to make up our own lesson activities and the features we could include in these along with where to access templates and partly made up activities which we could use and adapt. The training was very practical which I enjoyed as it allowed me to work through how to do things so I knew how to do them for myself as opposed to watching someone do it but not actually getting to try it out. We were able to watch each demonstration one at a time and then try it out for ourselves which worked best for me as we weren't having to watch how to do a few things and then go to try them out when we may not have remembered what we had to do and the steps to follow. Before the session I did not have a lot of experience in using this so I was not sure how well I would cope with this but through support from the trainer and being able to work collaboratively with a small group I was able to understand how to do things and how I could use the software for different activities within the class.

Reflecting upon all I learned during this session I can see the benefits of using SMART software in helping children to become engaged in a lesson and making the lesson more active allowing pupils to get out of their seats and use the software for whole class activities. The features available for lesson activities such as erase and reveal and the ability to edit activities allows you to put together what the children know and what their ideas are there and then reveal the facts. However although I recognise the ways this can enhance lessons I also recognise that this may not be suitable for all lessons.

I believe it is important to consider when planning a lesson what is you are wanting to teach and what the purpose of your lesson is so you are focused on what you hope the children to learn and how you can achieve this. When planning, I think it is important to consider whether use of technology such as SMART will help children in achieving what you want them to or whether you are just using it as you think the children enjoy using it. Use of technology may not always be necessary in every lesson you teach so it is important to think about whether you think it will enhance the lesson or whether it will not make any difference to what your teaching.

Overall, I found this session very interesting and as a result of this I feel a bit more confident in using SMART software. Through more practise of this and trying it out on placement I hope to become more familiar with this and try using this for lesson activities.

References


Abbott, R. (2010) Introduction to SMART and it's extraordinary products video clip.


Available online  http://vault.smarttech.com/demos/ipo/index.html?WT.ac=AboutFlash_ipoVid_111010


Accessed [21/01/12]


Buckingham, D. (2007) Beyond Technology: Children's learning in the Age of Digital Culture. Cambridge: Polity Press.