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    Gwen
    **Technology in my classroom**
    Conversation posted April 2, 2012 by GwenGold, last edited May 4, 2012 , tagged Technology
    17109 Views, 1018 Comments
    Title:
    **Technology in my classroom**
    Content:

    iPods, iPads, document cameras, smart boards... these are frequently requested items on DonorsChoose.org, and it's hard to believe that just 10 years ago they didn't even exist. As a teacher, you witness these rapid changes in technology right in your classroom -- how have they changed the way you teach and the way your students learn?

    If you’re a new teacher, what have been some of the biggest surprises in the way technology affects your class?

     

    ** Thanks for your contributions and congratulations to the lucky contest winners. 

    Comment

    • Melissa Kaplan
      posted April 2, 2012 by Melissa Kaplan  PermalinkShow/Hide Replies

      I am fortunate enough to have a document camera, laptop and projector in my classroom.  With the projector screen that I got through Donors Choose, this combination is now essential to making technology in my classroom work. 

      I do not have enough computers for a 1-1 classroom, so using this combination for the classroom is how I am able to best integrate technology into my lessons.

       

      One of my favorite uses of this has been with e-books.  Our school can't afford to purchase novels for each student in the class, so I've been able to download one copy of a novel as an e-book and use the e-reader on the computer and display it on the projector so the entire class can read.  The words are large and clear, and since it's an e-reader, we can highlight as a class as well as look up unfamiliar words as a class using a built-in online dictionary.  It's a great way for us to read as a class and use the technology at the same time.

      • Colette Babson
        posted April 2, 2012 by Colette Babson  Permalink
         I have a laptop, projector and document camera as well. Unfortunately, I have not had access to a Smart Board this year, and my students and I really miss it! Being able to project from the Internet to the screen is a great thing! It is easy to supplement ideas for lessons by accessing the Internet. thank God for technology!
        • Shannon Hughes
          posted April 12, 2012 by Shannon Hughes  Permalink
           I too have a laptop, projector and document camera and was so excited last year to finally get a Smart Board! I not only use it to project lessons, power points and videos but my students use it independently every day during centers to play educational games. I often wonder how I would make it if I moved to a school without the level of technology I have access to now. I feel so fortunate!
          • Tiffany Jackson
            posted April 12, 2012 by Tiffany Jackson  Permalink
            This is the first year that I have been fortunate enough to have a document camera and laptop in my classroom! It opens a world of possibilities. I look forward to the day when we will have access to smartboards in our classrooms! I love expanding my students experiences in math and there are so many opportunities for them through new technology!
            • Mrs. Haines Drezek
              posted April 12, 2012 by Mrs. Haines Drezek  Permalink
               I agree... I am so glad to have received a document reader through DonorsChoose! Sometimes I wonder what I would have thought of it as a student way back when... Someday we'll all have Smartboards in our classrooms but I believe that we're doing the best with what we have, which makes such a significance in our teaching.
            • Stephanie Brown
              posted April 13, 2012 by Stephanie Brown  Permalink
              I teach students with severe cognitive impairments. Two years ago I was lucky enough to also get a document camera and projector in the classroom. The impact was amazing. My students have increased their participation in group activities and dramatically increased their focus on these activities. They are so excited every time I pull down the screen. They consider all of my PowerPoint presentations as "movies"! I would LOVE to get a smart board. My students would have immediate reinforcement instead of waiting for me to click on the laptop for "cause and effect". Technology in the classroom is vital!!!
              • Gloria
                posted April 14, 2012 by Gloria  Permalink
                 Thank you for sharing your story. I agree techhnology in the classroom is vital! Good luck!
            • Nola Hoffmann
              posted April 13, 2012 by Nola Hoffmann  Permalink
               This is the first year I have had a document camera, too! I use it to show rocks and minerals as well as documents. I'm able to point out individual minerals to the students and show them the characteristics of fracture. It is really a versatile tool.
          • Debra Pendleton
            posted April 13, 2012 by Debra Pendleton  Permalink
             I have a laptop and a SmartBoard in my classroom. Thanks to Donorchoose.org we now have three tablets. Technology makes the difference in students who are excited to learn. They want to use the SmartBoard everyday and are engaged!. What a difference technology makes!!
        • Susan Howe
          posted April 12, 2012 by Susan Howe  Permalink
           I have been teaching for over 30 years. It is absolutely amazing how technology has evolved during this time. I have a laptop, desktop, document camera and projector as well. Additionally, I have a MOBI tablet. It costs under $250 and turns my laptop into a Smartboard. I would recommend it to anybody. I don't know how I could teach without it. It is definitely worth every penny, and is much, much cheaper than a Smartboard. I can access the internet with it, and it comes with folders full of demos and ideas for every subject. I highly recommend it.
          • Gloria
            posted April 14, 2012 by Gloria  Permalink
             MOBI tablet, huh, I have to check it out. Thanks
          • Ms. Alvarado
            posted April 14, 2012 by Ms. Alvarado  Permalink
            Our school has limited funds for technology but I am fortunate to have a document camera, projector and laptop. I will have to find out about the MOBI tablet because it sound like a great addition. Our students have limited access to computers so I definitely am interested in writing a DC project for tablets for the coming school year. Thanks for the idea!
          • Xiong Thao
            posted April 15, 2012 by Xiong Thao  Permalink
            I've heard of MOBI as an extension, especially for making .pdf files readable on readers, such as Amazon's Kindle. Is the MOBI tablet the same thing? Is it wireless?
        • Lynda Walsh
          posted April 14, 2012 by Lynda Walsh  Permalink
           I love the having a SmartBoard to access the Internet as well. When kids get to see the topics come to life on the screen it is awesome. My Smartboard took a little fall this year but luckily it survived.
      • Laura P
        posted April 2, 2012 by Laura P  Permalink
         
      • Ms. Romanos
        posted April 2, 2012 by Ms. Romanos  Permalink
         Great idea!!!
        • LAURA
          posted April 12, 2012 by LAURA  Permalink
           I teach physical education and need ideas of how to incorporate technology into my classroom. I do have a laptop, projector, and active slate at my disposal.
          • Mirana Moore
            posted April 12, 2012 by Mirana Moore  Permalink
             We use our smart board often for freeze dance activities. On rainy days our PE teacher has also shown active kids video that show children doing dance routines that the students follow along with in the classroom. We've also learned Beyonce's dance routine "Move your Body" by watching the video on youtube. Another thought if you have younger students is to project images that would encourage students to move in a certain way. For example, show images of different animals and then have students move their bodies as if they were that animal.
          • Susie Criswell
            posted April 12, 2012 by Susie Criswell  Permalink
             You could take pictures of the students as they are exercising or playing a game and show them the images. You can demonstrate which students used the best form in their volleyball stance or their lay ups or whatever sport you have demonstrated. You could pull up images of athletes from history to show the students how equipment and uniforms have changed over time and have them discuss why? If you are also teaching health education there are many sites that will offer interesting ideas such as BrainPop.
          • Sandy Beesley
            posted April 13, 2012 by Sandy Beesley  Permalink
             Have you thought about WII Fit? I know our Phys. Ed teacher has used it occasionally.
      • Lee Ann Nixon
        posted April 2, 2012 by Lee Ann Nixon  Permalink
         I am hoping to write a grant to get some sort of e-reader in my classroom and I had not thought about hooking it to my document camera. That is an awesome idea. Thanks so much!
        • Michelle Hanscom
          posted April 12, 2012 by Michelle Hanscom  Permalink
           I want to write one for e-readers as well. I just got an old smart board that does not work very well, but can see the benefits already. I just love teaching with this new technology.
      • anonymous
        posted April 3, 2012 by anonymous  Permalink
        I have seen a document camera in action in a fellow teacher's classroom (received from Donorschoose actually)and it was truly amazing! What an incredible tool for the classroom! AND it will save $ & trees on photocopying worksheets and articles when I want the entire class to read something exciting or do practice problem that would take too long to write up on the board. I can't wait until my ELMO project is funded: www.donorschoose.org/antoniettapace
        • Todd Bessey
          posted April 12, 2012 by Todd Bessey  Permalink
           Another great feature of Document Cameras is when you are reading a book to the whole class, and the pictures are really small, just put the book under you document camera for all to enjoy! Very important when teaching primary!!! Check out my project @ www.donorschoose.org/todd.bessey
        • Tracy Behl
          posted April 12, 2012 by Tracy Behl  Permalink
           I have also seen the document camera in action that a colleague received from Donorschoose. I think it is a great tool. As a special education teacher, the students need a variety of ways to present material. This may be the way to go!
        • Mrs. Haines Drezek
          posted April 12, 2012 by Mrs. Haines Drezek  Permalink
           You and your students are going to love the document camera! My class just received ours last month and what a difference it has made with my teaching and their learning. I never thought my project would get fully funded and I made a commitment that if it was fully funded, I would buy the projector (as I requested the document camera alone). After $450 for the projector, I do not regret what I did. I could never have done this without DonorsChoose!
      • Angi Mullhatten
        posted April 3, 2012 by Angi Mullhatten  Permalink
         I am also fortunate to have a document camera... It is wonderful for giving demonstrations to large classes in my art classes!
      • Ann Taylor
        posted April 4, 2012 by Ann Taylor  Permalink
         Good idea with the e-books. How do you deal with different reading levels?
      • Susan Mescall
        posted April 4, 2012 by Susan Mescall  Permalink
         The e-books idea is a super idea! I am moving back to teaching reading next year and I want to use novel units. Having the e-book for the class is one idea I plan to incorporate next year. Thanks for the heads up. We are very lucky to have two different sets of laptops that can be checked out for use in our classrooms. They are in great demand. I am looking for a grant for Ipads as we want to stay on top of advances in technology. Our county has given each teacher a laptop and it has become my right hand with my Smartboard lessons.
        • Judi Bixler
          posted April 12, 2012 by Judi Bixler  Permalink
           My district is not as up to date as some of yours. We have one smartboard per grade level at this point. There are 6 second grade teachers at my school. The teacher that has the SB has offered to have our class come visit--and this is great but I would love to have one in my own classroom. Guess that will be an idea for a new project. There's always tomorrow. LOL :)
          • Paula Walker
            posted April 12, 2012 by Paula Walker  Permalink
             I work in a small school with less than 200 students and we only have 3 interactive boards in the whole school. I would love to have a smart board to implement in my special eduction classroom!
          • Melanie Pierce
            posted April 13, 2012 by Melanie Pierce  Permalink
             Wow. I teach in the 2nd largest district in Oregon and my school does not have a single Smartboard. I don't even know how it would change my teaching, but I have a feeling it will happen one of these days. I'm just getting the hang of using my document camera and figuring out new ways to use it. It's funny though, once you have new technology, you're not sure how you used to get along without it!
        • Tina Denton
          posted April 13, 2012 by Tina Denton  Permalink
           We are very fortunate at my school as to technology. We are a 1:1 Apple school from grades 7-12 and we have Apple labs for technology classes at the middle and high school levels. I am all for e-books and downloading apps such as the Kindle reader for students to be able to read from, but our administration has an aversion to reading on the screen. Personally, I don't see a difference in what I read on my computer and what I read from an actual book. I would love to be able to purchase e-books for all of my students! What is your opinion?
        • Cindy Kapodistrias
          posted April 13, 2012 by Cindy Kapodistrias  Permalink
           There is a link on Pinterest with e-books and levels.
      • Mary Lib Zeigler
        posted April 8, 2012 by Mary Lib Zeigler  Permalink
         I love the idea of using a document camera with a laptop and projector. I just had a projector and mimeo board installed in by room a few months ago. It's made teaching more interesting for both me and my students. I'm using my own laptop since there wasn't funding for one. Of course, there is no document camera either (maybe a future project). I hadn't thought about bringing my e-reader to use at school. Thanks for the idea.
      • Melinda
        posted April 9, 2012 by Melinda  Permalink
         I cannot imagine not teaching my K class without my doc camera and projector. I am able to show my students so much more this way...it is amazing for modeling the steps of an activity and making sure everyone can see what I am doing. Plus it really just exposes students to technology which they need to learn about to be competitive in this world.
        • Maribel Vallarta
          posted April 12, 2012 by Maribel Vallarta  Permalink
           I completely agree..... with the use of my ELMO Projector and Camera my Kindergarten students are all on task when utilizing thinking maps for writing and through modeling the writing process they have improved tremendously on concepts of print and handwriting. Thanks to Donors Choose, the Lap Top I received is utilized daily through morning routine power points of letter sounds and high frequency word practice. I teach a Dual Language Class (english/spanish). Having internet access makes it easier to find power points and videos in spanish to facilitate concepts and skills across the curriculum. Love...... Technology.....
        • Tammy Ferguson
          posted April 13, 2012 by Tammy Ferguson  Permalink
          We just recently got document cameras for 3rd-5th grade and they have expressed how much more engaged the students are. The primary teachers hope to get them next year. It is difficult to keep up with technology with the budget deficits we are facing in California
      • Mrs. Pati
        posted April 9, 2012 by Mrs. Pati  Permalink
         I have recently received a document camera form Donor's Choose and scrunged around the building and found a projector that no one was using. Now I am able to project my Do-Nows on the whiteboard and save markers and copy paper. Students are more engaged and actively want to participate. I have 1 computer in my class and am hoping to connect to the projector/camera so that I can show math and science videos on my whiteboard. Right now I can only have a center of about 6 students at a time viewing at the computer. I am hoping to find out more about ebooks.
        • Laura Loutensock
          posted April 12, 2012 by Laura Loutensock  Permalink
           A couple of good free websites for digital stories are: http://www.storylineonline.net/ and http://www.signedstories.com/index.cfm My kids love the stories.
          • Laura Trudeau
            posted April 13, 2012 by Laura Trudeau  Permalink
            I also really like storylineonline.net. I did not know about signedstories.com. I work very closely with our DHH teacher and will have to see if she knows about that one. We might be able to use those with the students in their reg ed classrooms. It looks great! Thanks for the tip!
          • Elizabeth Reynolds
            posted April 15, 2012 by Elizabeth Reynolds  Permalink
             I like to use tumble books as well, it is a subscriber site, but we are able to go through our local public library and access the books. Stories are leveled and can be sorted many different ways.
      • Kelly Schultz
        posted April 12, 2012 by Kelly Schultz  Permalink
         Barnes and noble also has a great online story teller. The authors tell the story too!!
        • angela
          posted April 12, 2012 by angela  Permalink
           I didn't know that. I am going to look that up right now. I think the children will really enjoy listening to the authors.
      • Deverne Jackson
        posted April 12, 2012 by Deverne Jackson  Permalink
         It is important for teachers to use whatever available technology is present in their classroom. My classroom is equipped with a projector and a computer. This school year I learned, from a student teacher, how to make my own document camera. I can tell that my students are much more engaged when I use this form of technology.
      • Kathryn Thomas
        posted April 12, 2012 by Kathryn Thomas  Permalink
          Melissa, I also have found that digital copies of books have made my life ten times easier. I can highlight different features with different small reading groups. It means not having to run off several copies of the books because of the inevitable tearing/marking that occurs over the course of the year. It also means that we can revisit the same text and the students can use the same tools to make marks or highlight after I've modeled how to analyze the text. The students can really mark up the text without the stigma of "writing on a book." So far we have used digital text via laptops, but for next year I'm trying to think of how to best incorporate a few e-readers into my class.
      • Carla
        posted April 12, 2012 by Carla  Permalink
         I am also fortunate to have an electronic board, ELMO and projector. We also have a portable Mac lab that has been great to have one-one computers in the classroom (sharing of course). The problem with this is that we can't save on the desk top or use certain writing programs and if we have to use different computers for whatever reason, students would have to start over. To solve this problem, I use "drop-box" (cloud storage). My students each have their own folder and they can access it from anywhere...some even get excited to use it at home. I can access it from anywhere too. It is somewhat cumbersome to open each document individually but I am not going to complain! Another idea for e-readers is to use "kindle cloud" or the "Nook app". If you purchase a book on either app students can read it on any computer with these apps loaded...actually you only have to get to the website and sign in. iTunes, Google and others also have these apps. Many books can convert between different apps. too.
      • Ben Campbell
        posted April 12, 2012 by Ben Campbell  Permalink
         I haven't used e-books in my class yet. After reading your post, I thought how neat it would be to get a copy of the books I regularly read to my class. I could then project them onto my whiteboard so everyone could follow along. Thank for the great idea!
      • Mary Bell
        posted April 12, 2012 by Mary Bell  Permalink
         I am an art teacher and have found that the Smartboard is a very good tool, but I absolutely don't know what I'd do without the projector. I have made my own "books" for the class to view by recording my voice and showing the illustrations. I introduce a story and then relate it to our art lesson. What a difference it makes in getting the student's attention.
      • Cheryl Stowe
        posted April 12, 2012 by Cheryl Stowe  Permalink
         We just had smartboards installed in our classrooms along with projector, ELMO, and laptop computer. I hadn't used them too much this year. Two weeks ago, I received an email from Discovery Education asking if my Science class would be interested in participating in a Webinar. A Free Behind-the-Scenes Expedition to the Arctic with Your Students this Earth Day. I thought it would be an excellent way to bring the real world into my classroom. I registered my classroom, and had two students write questions for the scientists to answer. Today, we all sat down to watch the webinar, LIVE feed. There were over 800 viewers. It worked out absolutely perfect. The highlight was the reading of one of my student's question. He was so elated that they took the time to read his question, and answer it with real visuals. It made his day! I would definitely do it again and would highly recommend it.
      • Ashley LaRose
        posted April 13, 2012 by Ashley LaRose  Permalink
         I have a SMART board and 3 classroom computers in my classroom. There is also a computer lab across the hall from my classroom that my students have access to but it is also used by all the other classes in the middle school hallway. It is sometimes hard to plan technology based lessons because I am unsure of when I will be able to access the computer labs. I would love to have a set of laptops for my students to use in my classroom. Our school is moving in htat direction but it still makes it difficult to plan accordingly and integrate technology into my teaching.
      • Gail Burak
        posted April 13, 2012 by Gail Burak  Permalink
         I have a document camera hooked up to my laptop. That has changed my teaching the most so far. I pop on the web whenever I need to bulid comprehension, by showing an image, or by looking up a famous person in history. Having easy access to the web has changed my classroom for the better. I have a personal ipad, which I let my students use as if they were my own kids. They play math games, monkey around with Dragon dictation, and other educational apps. I want a smart board next.
      • Sheri Morey
        posted April 13, 2012 by Sheri Morey  Permalink
         I have a document camera listed on my donors choose. Our school had two of them but the technology didn't match the computers or the projectors so they wouldn't work. We all are hoping to acquire many more document cameras in the years to come. That sounds so exciting what you are doing with your class. I can't wait to be there.
      • Catherine Walker
        posted April 13, 2012 by Catherine Walker  Permalink
         Wow, I would to have the capabilities to do all of that! Be thankful that you are fortunate enough to have thos eitems in your classroom. I barely have a teacher computer that works well enough for me to enter attendance and aplly for grants on this site. Keep up the good work...technology can be amazing.
      • Cindy
        posted April 14, 2012 by Cindy  Permalink
         I love tumble books .... I pull up a book... On my pc and sensitive via document camera to board... Then later they take an AR test on the class computers!
    • Room 13 Students
      posted April 2, 2012 by Room 13 Students  PermalinkShow/Hide Replies
       I just couldn't live without a document reader/projector for classroom "whole group" teaching! "Elmo," as our schools' classroom projectors are referred to-makes it easy to present to the visual learning modality of my students. In small groups, iPod touches and MacBooks are wonderful tools. But...they are difficult to come by.
      • Cheryl Ware
        posted April 3, 2012 by Cheryl Ware  Permalink
         I can only imagine what is must be like to have a document reader/ projector. My project on Donors Choose is for one of those. For whole group it has to be priceless because you can reach everyone at the same time. For my Learning Disabled students, some of them are non-readers, this will be a valuable item to have. Enjoy.
        • Maribel Vallarta
          posted April 12, 2012 by Maribel Vallarta  Permalink
           You’ll definitely enjoy incorporating your document reader and projector into your daily instruction. I can’t do without it in my classroom. Through morning routine power points to elaborate and real life pictures on-line to videos, the skies the limit. Your Learning Disabled students will benefit greatly from this essential tool. Good luck on your project. I’m sure it will get funded soon....
      • Cheryl Ware
        posted April 3, 2012 by Cheryl Ware  Permalink
         I wish I had one. Enjoy
      • Cheryl Ware
        posted April 3, 2012 by Cheryl Ware  Permalink
         That is a true blessing. I am requesting a document reader projector for my classroom project. It must be priceless when it comes to being able to reach the whole group as opposed to going from desk to desk to make sure everyone is in the right place.
      • LP
        posted April 3, 2012 by LP  Permalink
        Yvonne, Yes! It is so true that incorporating technology into the classroom is so important. I also use the document reader/projector(ELMO)along with my laptop to present a visual way for the students to learn. Thanks, Tawny
      • Ben Campbell
        posted April 12, 2012 by Ben Campbell  Permalink
         My Elmo is the greatest teaching tool ever! I love having the ability to project anything I need to right up on the whiteboard. During science I love to zoom into my rocks and minerals samples. During writing the kids love to have their stories displayed on the Elmo for the whole class to enjoy. I've found that during math I prefer to write using the Elmo in place of writing on the whiteboard. I couldn't live without my Elmo!
    • Craig Barishman
      posted April 2, 2012 by Craig Barishman  PermalinkShow/Hide Replies

      My biggest surprise is how fast the technology keeps changing.  I've got a smart board in my classroom.  I use a projector on the smartboard.  Now I've heard you can project the smart board right on a wall.  No need for a smart board platform.  That means I can project a bigger screen on to my wall.  I wonder what will be next.  I would like to see a computer textbook on a handheld platform.  Students would be able to do research at their desk.

      • Jillian Grimm
        posted April 3, 2012 by Jillian Grimm  Permalink
         If you have a smart board, have you ever checked out http://exchange.smarttech.com/#tab=0 It is an amazing share site for smartboard lessons. It's free to sign up and very user-friendly. I'd strongly suggest checking it out!
      • Diana Barcelos
        posted April 3, 2012 by Diana Barcelos  Permalink
         One would need a SMARTboard projector though, no? I would love more info on this! I am not fortunate enough to have a SMARTboard at this time. =( Diana
      • Laura Glynn
        posted April 3, 2012 by Laura Glynn  Permalink
         I also have a smart board in my classroom which I received about six years ago. Our school was one of the first ones in the district so we have the projector on a cart and have to realign it every time. I would love to have the ceiling mounted one or the one you are talking about sounds awesome. We are working on getting our IPADs hooked up so we can also use them with the smart board.
      • LaVonne Walter
        posted April 4, 2012 by LaVonne Walter  Permalink
         Hi Craig, I am wondering if your Smart Board is the same as our Promethean Boards? I am thinking it is not. I like the wall board better because the PB boards are not high enough for students who are sitting near the back of the class. Someone's head is always in the way. I recognize using the wall might reduce the interactive nature, but not being able to view the board in the first place seems to be the first problem, I guess. This happens a lot at faculty meetings when training 100 people on a freestanding PB board. It just doesn't go high enough. I am not sure of the perfect set up.
        • Machele Martin
          posted April 12, 2012 by Machele Martin  Permalink
           We have the Promethean boards at my school and they are mounted on the wall. The younger grades have their boards mounted lower than the upper grades for students to be able to see and to write on the boards. We have the projectors mounted on the ceiling so we dont have to deal with the cart and cords being in the way any more. Our middle school has the Smart board brand and they are boards just like ours but they are touch screen where ours have to use a special pen.
    • rikki Fayne
      posted April 2, 2012 by rikki FayneSilver  PermalinkShow/Hide Replies

      I am very lucky to be at a school that values and utilizes technology.  I teach K and every day use my smartboard and my iPad.  The iPad allows my students to use the entire white board (the itty bitty guys have trouble using the top half) every day.  Their favorite subject with technology is math.  We use all sorts of manipulatives on the smartboard to create patterns, to sort, and to show our math equations in additon and subtraction.  My readers take Accelerated Reader tests on the iPad, and I use Splashtop to run the Smartboard from all over the room (now THAT's an amazing app!).  They even love to see me use StickPick to randomly select students for question/answer or to help around the room.  

      The newest technology highlight?  Our school copier will scan and email documents directly to my computer, allowing me to bypass the document camera and get a clearer picture to post on the smartboard for whole-group lessons.  

      • Teri Brooks
        posted April 2, 2012 by Teri Brooks  Permalink
         Our school system is going wireless next year and I'm excited to learn that it is possible to connect my iPad to my interactive whiteboard. I have a Promethean board. Does anyone know if this will work as well?
        • Machele Martin
          posted April 12, 2012 by Machele Martin  Permalink
           Yes, it works pretty good. There's a cord you use that's called a "Mini Display Port to VGA Adapter".
          • Jennifer Brock
            posted April 12, 2012 by Jennifer Brock  Permalink
            So, all I need is the iPad, Promethean Board, projector, and a Mini Display Port VGA Adapter? I was going to write a grant for an iPad, but I couldn't find information on making it connect to the Promethean Board.
      • Veronica Fowler
        posted April 2, 2012 by Veronica Fowler  Permalink
         Wow, I would love to know more about your school's new copier. One of my team teachers creates many of the documents she uses with pen and paper. To be able to scan and then email the documents to the whole team would surely be helpful for the rest of us. Thanks for the info!
      • Ehzra Cue
        posted April 3, 2012 by Ehzra Cue  Permalink
        Thanks to the Samsung Galaxy Tablet I received through Donors Choose, my students are also able to interact with the SMART Board through the tablet, using the Splashtop app. I was wondering, do you ever notice or experience a delay in the interaction between the tablet and the SMART Board. Students use the tablet to underline and annotate text, but frequently we have observed a delay between students writing on the tablet, and their writing appearing on the SMART Board. Also, do you use a stylus with your iPad? If so, what stylus do you recommend. Thanks! Another tip for the Splashtop app is to use the tablet as a sort of mini SMART Board during small group discussions. I teach eighth graders, so during the group or individual practice portion of the lesson, I am able to carry the tablet to each small group and hold smaller discussions, or have students write responses on the tablet, BEFORE I turn on the projector to share out to the whole class. The small group discussion environment, in addition to the use of technology, further motivates students to participate!
      • Kate Stinchfield
        posted April 5, 2012 by Kate Stinchfield  Permalink
         This all sounds very exciting. I teach first and some people believe that technology is wasted on the primary grades. It's so encouraging to hear a K teacher using technology and getting such great responses from her students. My district is going wireless this summer so the oportunity will be there, now we just need the hardware and the time to learn to use it!
      • Christy
        posted April 8, 2012 by Christy  Permalink
         Wow, I didn't know that a copier can have the capability to scan and email the document to your computer directly! Thanks for the tidbit! I definitely have to check this out on my school copier. Currently, I scan documents on my classroom printer and then copy it onto my smartboard files. But sometimes, the documents can be fuzzy. I currently have scanned all the units for my students' TERC math booklets and transfererd them onto the Smartboard. In class, we go over the pages I want them to do for mathh workshop and for homeowrk on the Smartboard. I can easily demonstrate the lessons to my students.
    • Cari Shapiro
      posted April 2, 2012 by Cari Shapiro  PermalinkShow/Hide Replies

      I just LOVE my SMART board and document camera.  I'm trying to remember what it was like teaching before, without this phenomenal technology.  Technology allows for more interaction and student engagement.  I can't wait for each student to have a tablet at their desks.  

      • Louise Kupfer
        posted April 2, 2012 by Louise Kupfer  Permalink
         What's really handy for a teacher to have is an "air slate" which allows the teacher to write/project on a smart board even when across the classroom.
      • Edwin Valencia
        posted April 2, 2012 by Edwin Valencia  Permalink
         I certainly agree with you, thechnology in the classroom is an excellent way to keep children motivated and engaged in the learning process. I have found the smart board a wonderful tool to extend children learning. I use the Board to teach children how to make their own flip charts that soon become part of my didactic materials.The students have a better concept aquisition and are able to share that with his/her classmates, taking more ownership of his/her learning processes. I also use other resources such as the Ipod touch to do individual work and help the struggling students.Nowadays I would like to have more information and elements to introduce the video conference to my class. I am sure that technology would be a great help for my children in achieve the school and disctrict goals. I am so sure the techology is the right path to create a new learning enviroment where children really have a different way to see the world and face its challenges.The elmo has become the leadership instrument that brings children to gain more confidence in the use of their abilities.
      • Diana Barcelos
        posted April 3, 2012 by Diana Barcelos  Permalink
         I'm so jealous! I would love a SMARTboard in my classroom. As a primary teacher, I think it would be so visually engaging for my students. How did you get one in your classroom? Diana
      • Lauran
        posted April 12, 2012 by Lauran  Permalink
         I agree. Having a SmartBoard for reading stations and math lessons has been wonderful. I love having pictures or maps on the board and being able to circle, zoom in, any simple thing that really helps students make connections through images, not just words.
    • Melissa
      posted April 2, 2012 by Melissa  PermalinkShow/Hide Replies

      I am already jealous by reading the 4 posts that have been submitted.  My school does give each classroom teacher 5 computers to use within the classroom.  We have hoped and begged for interactive boards but with budget cuts it is not a priority right now.  I am lucky to have an infocus that allows me to show different videos or powerpoints to my students but I feel that we are so very behind other students in this country.  With the 21st century standards for students I am afraid that my kiddos will not have the computer skills needed to compete with their peers. 

      I also would love to use an interactive board because it would help cut down the need for paper copies of everything!  I have used one for a summer and the kids were fully engaged and I never had to worry about behavior problems because they wanted to help. 

      So when it comes to technology I will live vicariously through you. 

      • Peggy Baxter
        posted April 2, 2012 by Peggy Baxter  Permalink
         I am in a school that has smart boards in just a few of the classrooms. I was given a machine that is almost like a smart board, but I haven't been given any information on how to use it to its fullest extent. I can get on the internet with it and works like a document reader. I don't think that it is interactive so that I can captivate the class and eliminate bored student problems. I would really like technology in my classroom that would keep my kinder babies focused.
      • Michael Mitchell
        posted April 3, 2012 by Michael Mitchell  Permalink
         I can relate to you completely! I still have an "overhead projector" where I have to go make transparencies (black and white of course). I have been gifted an Elmo but our school is so far behind in technology, I don't have a projector to attach it to. It is frustrating to know that they are not getting the same exposure to technology at our inner city school as they do on the other side of town. Technology is not our district's focus with all of the budget cuts, but the kids are the ones that lose out in the end.
      • Diana Barcelos
        posted April 3, 2012 by Diana Barcelos  Permalink
         I'm in the same boat as you! I would love to get a SMARTboard for my classroom as well. The possibilities with them seem endless! Have you thought about posting a project for one? I am considering it, but I don't know what kind of response I would get!
      • Dana Coghlan
        posted April 3, 2012 by Dana Coghlan  Permalink
         Melissa, I know how you feel. When I started at the school that I am currently teaching at, all I had were 3 dry erase boards and 1 teacher computer. So, for 3 years, that was all I had! Just keep the faith and keep hoping because last year, I got a Promethean Board. Good Luck!!!
      • Rebecca Hester
        posted April 12, 2012 by Rebecca Hester  Permalink
         That is awesome that you have computers to use in your classroom. I have 5 computers also. I use them everyday for Math Workstations and Reading Workstations. There are so many interactive math websites that my students love! I also use Tumble Books, Bookflix, Pebblego, and Wegivebooks for my students to listen to reading during my reading time every day.
    • BJ Bowden
      posted April 2, 2012 by BJ Bowden  PermalinkShow/Hide Replies

      Technology is for sure a way of the future and putting it in the hands of kids is amazing. I recently had a career day and was able through donor choose and sparked site have presenters from all over the world skype with my students for our career day. It was amazing and the students afterwards talked about how amazing it was for them to talk with careers all over the world. We live in a very rural area so this is huge we never would have been able to get a foreign diplomat to come to our school but through skype we could.  I know technology is just growing and in 4 years we will look back and not believe the stuff we use today because it will be so faster and better. The hardest part is as a teacher keeping up with all of the technology so that we can really help our kids keep up with learning it also. 

      • Marguerite Johnson
        posted April 2, 2012 by Marguerite Johnson  Permalink
         I am in total awe of how children of poverty are already masters of the technology that is available to them! We are the ones that learn to try to keep up with them. I agree that as soon as we are comfortable with the new stuff, something better comes out, and totally takes a new twist on the educational environment from back in the day! BBJ
      • Kerri
        posted April 5, 2012 by Kerri  Permalink
         I just signed up with Donor's Choose Skype to chat with classrooms but I have not had the opportunity to do so yet. I want my students to be able to experience the world around them and learn about other cultures. So, I am excited to get that going. It is great that you did a career day, I might have to look into that!
    • Angie Lancaster
      posted April 2, 2012 by Angie Lancaster  Permalink

       I became a member of donorschoose.org three years ago.  In that time I have received 2 digital cameras for my students to use in developing strories and books.  Once their stories are ready to be published they can print them out on our color laser jet printer we also received through a donorschoose.org project.  My students favorite piece of technology we have would be our three ipod touches.  There is so many awesome learning apps that they students can play.  The best part is they beg to play the games and do not realized how much they are learning from the ipod touches. 

    • Christine
      posted April 2, 2012 by Christine  PermalinkShow/Hide Replies

      When I first started teaching, I had an LCD projector in the closet and nothing to use it with. Since then I have gotten a teacher laptop, a document camera, a projector screen, a class set of laptops, and an iPad. All thanks to Donorschoose! This technology has transformed my classroom and my teaching. My students are so much more engaged and their technology skills have grown significantly. They no longer just have to hear about other kids using these things but instead have first hand experiences and skill development that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives! It is fantastic!

      • Carla
        posted April 12, 2012 by Carla  Permalink
         I have found that students are much more motivated to learn when they use technology. In the high school setting, students aren't as eager as they were during the younger years, so it is important to pull out all the bells and whistles of technology when teaching.
    • Robin Farnsworth
      posted April 2, 2012 by Robin Farnsworth  PermalinkShow/Hide Replies

      I am surprised at how easily the students can access the information on technology. They were born in a digital world and these tools are familiar to them. 

    • Laura Williams
      posted April 2, 2012 by Laura Williams  Permalink

      I also cannot live without my document camera.  i also just received student response systems which give me instant  feedabck, and the students love them.  In a lot of ways technology has changed our way of teaching.  i love having instant access to information and being able to share it with the students through use of a laptop and projector.

    • A Science Lover
      posted April 2, 2012 by A Science Lover  PermalinkShow/Hide Replies

      You don't realize how much you depend on technology until it goes down.  We have interactive whiteboard in our room and one time it went down and I was at a loss of what to do.  That is our only board space so I couldn't even write on the board like I used to.  Not all of the rooms have overhead projectors so it was a challenge to find one of those so that I could project things on the board.  It just goes to show that you don't even know what to be prepared for until it happens. 

      • Laurie Williams
        posted April 12, 2012 by Laurie Williams  Permalink
         I agree, Chris! We are struggling with bulbs and color wheels going out. PTA originally planned to replace these, but since all of the Smart Boards were put in at the same time, they all seem to be going out at the same time. We're having to hold additional fundraisers for support. Anyone have any ideas for repairing/servicing projectors?
    • Melinda Walsh
      posted April 2, 2012 by Melinda Walsh  Permalink

      I have seen many surprises in the way technology affects a class. I find it really helps to get to those learners who struggle or are bored in the classroom. It allows students to remediate information needed, along with enriching students who need that. I am blessed with a document camera, an interactive white board, and a classroom response system in my classroom. Everytime my students see me turning on the projector I hear squeals of excitement. The students love being able to come up and manipulate the board. I have found this really helps with my English Language Learners as well. Something about the interactivity of using technology really helps to reach all students.

    • Sara Zackowski
      posted April 2, 2012 by Sara Zackowski  PermalinkShow/Hide Replies

      Being a fairly new teacher (4th year) I have found that the four computers I have in my classroom have really helped with implementing interventions in the classroom.  I teach in a district that is very diverse.  We are always getting students that do not speak English or need extra support in general.  Having the computers in my room allows me to have four students at a time participate in the interventions that our school has purchased for us to use!

      • Kerri
        posted April 5, 2012 by Kerri  Permalink
         I agree with you on the computers in the classroom. I have 3 student computers in my classroom and they have definitely come in handy for small projects that I have my classes work on. I am a resource room teacher so I have a variety of students with different needs in and out of my room all day. It is great to see them with such confidence in their technology skills!
        • Brandi Meacham
          posted April 8, 2012 by Brandi Meacham  Permalink
           I also have four student computers in my room! I do love letting my students use this technology. However, this year my class was given 6 student iPads! This technology is so much easier for the students to use. Less time is wasted on logins and finding websites. I can work with my students on interventions, or set them loose to relearn a skill. For keyboard skills, computers are best, but for intervention, iPads rock!
          • Nancy Gilchrist
            posted April 10, 2012 by Nancy Gilchrist  Permalink
             I think that iPads are the new wave. I have been fortunate to be in districts/schools where I have had student computers in my room since 1984. I notice now though, that there is a move to provide each student with an IPad and the feedback I have read is very positive. I too cannot imagine teaching without my SMART board, document camera, and response system. The kids are so much more involved, I can only think about a classroom with iPads. However, I have also seen classrooms outfitted with technology that is not used, so it is only as helpful as the teachers who feel comfortable incorporating technology into their teaching routine. I use my 5 classroom computers with my kids all day long...whether they are taking AR tests or doing research on their most current writing assignment, to playing math games at sum dog.com. On my laptop and SMARTboard I now use an online discipline system with cute avatars the kids love (classdojo.com), with email parent reports that I love (so do the parents!) I agree with a previous poster, we are going to look back in four or five years and be amazed by the changes.
            • Jeff Palmrose
              posted April 12, 2012 by Jeff Palmrose  Permalink
               Couldn't agree more. Technology is only useful if the classroom teacher embraces it. I see too much hardware go unused at my site.
              • Teri Landy
                posted April 13, 2012 by Teri Landy  Permalink
                 I love reading all these posts. I get so many great ideas but the downside is I want SO MUCH more now! :o) Thank you for having the lounge where we can share. As teachers, there is never enough time to share with one another.
    • Brittany Rowe
      posted April 2, 2012 by Brittany Rowe  PermalinkShow/Hide Replies
       I have been so blessed with technology in my classroom. I have 4 computers for students, a Promethean board with ActiVotes and a doc cam. The ActivVotes are my favorite. They're little half-egg shaped voting devices. I can put a quiz or question on the Promethean and the kids can vote on the right answer. When voting ends, I get an immediate graph showing the number of right and wrong answers. The kids love them! I think the biggest surprise to my colleagues is that these kids come in with so much knowledge of technology already. Being one who has grown up with technology as well, this is a great thing for me. I love that these kids have such a passion for technology-it makes them more interested in what's being taught I feel.
      • Dianne Spencer
        posted April 13, 2012 by Dianne Spencer  Permalink
         I have a simular setup in my classroom. I only have 3 student computers but I do have a slate. I have found that my kindergartens don't like the slate as much as writing on the white board. They like the activotes more if they are more sure of the answers. Since I feel my job, as far as the technology is concerned, is partly to teach them how to use it, the more fun it is for them, the better. (But, then that's really always the case!) Some of my kids have caught on very quickly and can "fix" the board when another student makes a mistake and "messes it up" (minimizes a window or flip chart, changes a preference, etc.). I love the new technology and can't live without it. A power outage shut down everyone's white boards and you could hear a collective groan thoughout the school, followed by chears when power and white boards were restored!