Assignment #2

My activity is about the Flags of Europe. It includes both an activity and a quiz.

This activity covers a couple NET Standards for teachers. The first one is 2.a. which says, "Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity." I didn't design this activity (or "learning experience"), but I did have to adapt it to fit my needs. I knew I wanted to use it for my activity, but I had to work with it and adapt it to fit what I wanted to do. It definitely incorporates digital tools because I am using a SMART created activity and I had to use MS Power Point to adapt it. There are different points in the activity for students to be creative using the SMART Board. The second NETS-T this activity covers is 3.a which says, "Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations." Although I have not fully achieved this standard, this activity helped me become more fluent with technology, specifically the SMART Board. It was great being able to play with the SMART Board and use it to "teach" something, even though we are only doing it for fun. I definitely have a better understanding of how the SMART Board works and how I can use it in the classroom. This activity also helped me become more fluent at Power Point. I haven't used Power Point in so long that I forgot some of the features and this activity gave me the chance to refresh my knowledge of how it works. I also love how you can use Power Point and the SMART Board together.

There are also a few NET Standards for Students this activity covers. The first is 3.b. which says, Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media," and 3.d which says, "Process data and report results." If I were to use this activity in a classroom, each student would pick out a European country flag to research and report on using technology. For example, the students would research the meaning behind the flag of Estonia, when it was adapted as the country's flag, etc. and create a report using Power Point, or by publishing it on a blog. By doing this, the students are meeting those two standards. The other standard that fits into that is 6.a. which says, "Understand and use technology systems." The students have to understand and be able to use technology systems to participate in the class activity and even more so to complete their research and do their report. Having an understanding and ability to use technology are fundamental to this activity.

I really hope I have a SMART Board in my future classroom because I think it really improves student learning. First of all, students are immersed in technology in their everyday lives. They are used to using technology so it is "cool" when they come to class and get to use new technology like the SMART Board. Students' minds are wired for technology, so using the SMART Board helps to teach them in a way that they better understand. Another reason is that using the SMART Board is easier and much more effective for the teacher. If I had a SMART Board, I wouldn't have to worry about turning my back to my students and writing something on the regular white board. I can have everything already prepared and loaded into the program and pull it up when I need it. I can write on the SMART Board when I need to and prepare interactive activities for my students that will keep them engaged more. I also think the whole class can participate more with a SMART Board. Because it is at the front of the class and everyone can see it, everyone can contribute. This is even more true if the Clickers are available to use with it. I would love to have a SMART Board in my future classroom.