Week 11 discusses IWBs and CLEM. I thought it would be a good idea to learn more about IWBs and I found that the Wikipedia page on Interactive Whiteboards provided a useful description. Something I learnt is that two blog posts ago I wrote about how the IWB uses a program called ‘ActivInspire’. Turns out it’s not the program the IWB uses, the IWB itself is known as a Promethean ActivBoard 300 Pro. The things you learn! There is small and large ‘pens’ that we use to touch the IWB at my professional experience school however sometimes it is challenging as you have to press the screen a few times to draw on the drawing board!
Tahnee has introduced me to Smoothboard Air, a program which enables students to insert data up on an interactive whiteboard through the use of their tablets/iPads. I have already downloaded this program to use in my lessons next week. I think my mentor will also benefit from this program as she has been trying to find something similar that does the same thing! Win-win situation! Jodie shared the site Starfall, which has a systematic approach, in conjunction with audiovisual interactivity and is perfect for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, special education, homeschool, and English language development (ELD, ELL, ESL). Jodie also shared a site which I have explored called Amazing Classroom which gives you access to Promethean flipcharts!
Till my next blog post,
Skye
skyeclarkson 