NewsStudent LifeFaculty/StaffPre-K to 8ServiceAcademics
Kindergarten gets SMART
Sep 15, 2004 8:00 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
Written by Patricia Ayer, Lower School kindergarten teacher
By the time you are 5 years old it is likely you have mastered not putting your hands in your mouth, but touching everything is still essential. Hands-on exploration is one of the first ways we as humans learn about our environment and life, and for many of us it may always be one of the best ways to learn. By utilizing technology in the classroom that makes use of this basic need, schools can have a cutting-edge program that is educational, innovative and guaranteed to put smiles on any youngster’s face.
The SMART Board in my kindergarten room is connected to a computer and to our television/DVD/VCR. This allows us to explore the Brazilian Rainforests via the Internet, check out PBS programming or chill out with favorite video on rainy days. We can also watch a slide show of our newest digital photos. The technology of the SMART Board allows the class or visitors to view big screen programming, but goes much farther down the pathways of education.
The greatest asset, in my mind, is the touch-point feature. I can place a game on the SMART Board for the whole class to view and then demonstrate how to play the game one time instead of 16 times. Instead of using the mouse on my computer, I can stand beside the board and use my finger to manipulate the cursor or any program command. Sometimes young children have trouble with the control of a mouse, but by using their fingers they will be quicker and have more success with the computer.
The children enjoy writing and/or drawing on the SMART Board with the color stylus (they can even erase with the board’s eraser) then capturing their masterpieces for print or to be saved. The text written with the stylus can be “touched,” and a text box will appear. If the corner of the text box is pressed, the writing will change into the font (style and size) that has been set (or highlighted and changed) by the teacher.
I can put a lined template on the SMART Board, the students can practice forming their letters or words, then we change them into computer font … if they have not written a letter properly the computer will not translate it correctly. This is great practice for the children, because they want to beat the computer and their teacher does not have to keep pressing for neatness or correct formation. This type of computer monitoring of their handwriting skills becomes a fun activity instead of a tedious ordeal. I have children who come by after school hours just to write on the SMART Board.
By using programs such as MS Publisher, PowerPoint or Kids Pix, I can create worksheets for the children that are tailored made for what we are studying. I would have normally copied these on the printer and had each child draw a line to match the answers or circle the correct response. This type of worksheet can be useful for review or assessment, but is sometimes boring to the student. With the SMART Board, the class as a whole or a small group can work together. There can be dialogue about the subject covered by the group, or I can use it for directive teaching. The touch and drag feature of the SMART Board can really make these types of review exciting.
The Open Court Reading Program has an “Alphabet Book” CD-ROM that we have just gotten in our class. The Superstars love it! The poems are read by great narrators with background music and sound. The words are highlighted as they are spoken, and there are games for us to play with each letter. The large touch screen makes it wonderful for the whole class to explore each letter as a part of our daily lesson.
I learned of the SMART Board technology while taking the InTech program, required for all Georgia educators, three or four summers ago. The instructor, Vicki Brock, did not have one to demonstrate or show us, but we did discuss the technology and its merits in the classroom. Those of us who took the class came back very enthused about the possibilities of this new technology. As I recall, Diane Lumpkin, assistant principal at the Lower School, looked into the feasibility of our purchasing SMART Boards, but the cost was so great that we thought they would have to stay on our wish list.
After awhile, we learned that two units would be purchased for the Lower School through gifted monies. To be considered for the new technology, I had to write a proposal for Principal Mark Tayloe about how the SMART Board and projector would be utilized in my classroom and how it would enhance our curriculum.
The SMART Board is pressed into service on special occasions such as Parents Night and Open House. During the summer, it is used by Camp Delightascope for rainy day activities and the weekly Parent Tours. But, most importantly, it is used on a daily basis as a valuable classroom tool.
*Note: Upper School English teacher John Cox also uses a SMART Board in his classroom. This purchase was funded by a Darlington Parents Association Faculty Development Grant.
By the time you are 5 years old it is likely you have mastered not putting your hands in your mouth, but touching everything is still essential. Hands-on exploration is one of the first ways we as humans learn about our environment and life, and for many of us it may always be one of the best ways to learn. By utilizing technology in the classroom that makes use of this basic need, schools can have a cutting-edge program that is educational, innovative and guaranteed to put smiles on any youngster’s face.
The SMART Board in my kindergarten room is connected to a computer and to our television/DVD/VCR. This allows us to explore the Brazilian Rainforests via the Internet, check out PBS programming or chill out with favorite video on rainy days. We can also watch a slide show of our newest digital photos. The technology of the SMART Board allows the class or visitors to view big screen programming, but goes much farther down the pathways of education.
The greatest asset, in my mind, is the touch-point feature. I can place a game on the SMART Board for the whole class to view and then demonstrate how to play the game one time instead of 16 times. Instead of using the mouse on my computer, I can stand beside the board and use my finger to manipulate the cursor or any program command. Sometimes young children have trouble with the control of a mouse, but by using their fingers they will be quicker and have more success with the computer.
The children enjoy writing and/or drawing on the SMART Board with the color stylus (they can even erase with the board’s eraser) then capturing their masterpieces for print or to be saved. The text written with the stylus can be “touched,” and a text box will appear. If the corner of the text box is pressed, the writing will change into the font (style and size) that has been set (or highlighted and changed) by the teacher.
I can put a lined template on the SMART Board, the students can practice forming their letters or words, then we change them into computer font … if they have not written a letter properly the computer will not translate it correctly. This is great practice for the children, because they want to beat the computer and their teacher does not have to keep pressing for neatness or correct formation. This type of computer monitoring of their handwriting skills becomes a fun activity instead of a tedious ordeal. I have children who come by after school hours just to write on the SMART Board.
By using programs such as MS Publisher, PowerPoint or Kids Pix, I can create worksheets for the children that are tailored made for what we are studying. I would have normally copied these on the printer and had each child draw a line to match the answers or circle the correct response. This type of worksheet can be useful for review or assessment, but is sometimes boring to the student. With the SMART Board, the class as a whole or a small group can work together. There can be dialogue about the subject covered by the group, or I can use it for directive teaching. The touch and drag feature of the SMART Board can really make these types of review exciting.
The Open Court Reading Program has an “Alphabet Book” CD-ROM that we have just gotten in our class. The Superstars love it! The poems are read by great narrators with background music and sound. The words are highlighted as they are spoken, and there are games for us to play with each letter. The large touch screen makes it wonderful for the whole class to explore each letter as a part of our daily lesson.
I learned of the SMART Board technology while taking the InTech program, required for all Georgia educators, three or four summers ago. The instructor, Vicki Brock, did not have one to demonstrate or show us, but we did discuss the technology and its merits in the classroom. Those of us who took the class came back very enthused about the possibilities of this new technology. As I recall, Diane Lumpkin, assistant principal at the Lower School, looked into the feasibility of our purchasing SMART Boards, but the cost was so great that we thought they would have to stay on our wish list.
After awhile, we learned that two units would be purchased for the Lower School through gifted monies. To be considered for the new technology, I had to write a proposal for Principal Mark Tayloe about how the SMART Board and projector would be utilized in my classroom and how it would enhance our curriculum.
The SMART Board is pressed into service on special occasions such as Parents Night and Open House. During the summer, it is used by Camp Delightascope for rainy day activities and the weekly Parent Tours. But, most importantly, it is used on a daily basis as a valuable classroom tool.
*Note: Upper School English teacher John Cox also uses a SMART Board in his classroom. This purchase was funded by a Darlington Parents Association Faculty Development Grant.
