1. What new learning occurred for you in this course?
- I learned about the various ways an interactive whiteboard could be utilized in the classroom. I also learned about the possible pros and cons of the board and how to avoid pitfalls that could be detrimental to a classroom using an interactive whiteboard.
2. Indirectly, what did your students and/or other teachers learn from this course?
- Indirectly, my students will receive the benefits of the knowledge I gained while researching the boards. I found many new and interesting sites related to interactive whiteboards. I also discovered the best practices for using a whiteboard in the classroom.
3. What did you learn that will help you address diverse student needs and promote equitable access to current technologies?
- I learned that the interactive whiteboard could be one of the best tools for addressing diverse student needs because it works well for multiple learning styles. It also helps promote movement in the classroom, which is very important for active middle school students especially when they are in a block situation.
4. How would you design professional development for other teachers who are interested in expanding their knowledge and skills related to the goals of this course?
- I would encourage my district to have training for all teachers in the school (including teachers without a board) during department or team meeting time. This would spark an interest in teachers to get a board and would also provide them with the hands-on training they would need if they were to receive a board. I would encourage my district to set up a training schedule of twice a week.
5. How has this course enabled you to take a leadership role in your school or district?
- I believe because of the research I have completed in this course my school will look at training for the SMART board in a different light. I believe that I will be one of the leaders in implementing training for all teachers even if they don't currently have a board in their classroom during our school department time. This way when teachers do receive a board they will be ready to go.
