Reviewing trends and technology in education

In a grant proposal to purchase Smart Boards for Pelham’s (NY) Middle School, Kathleen McGrath, Director of Technology for the district, highlighted the following ways interactive boards support learning:

• Students see large, colorful, movable images and diagrams.

• Students physically interact with information and images by moving letters, numbers, words and images on the screen with their fingers.

• The large visuals make information easy to see and to read.

• All notes written and displayed can be printed for students or can be uploaded to the class page on eChalk.

• The board engages students with different learning styles, whether visual, auditory or kinesthetic.

A belief expressed repeatedly by teachers and administrators using the Smart Board, was that it has the potential to change and enhance the way teachers teach and students learn.  In order to realize the board’s potential, teachers must invest the time to learn how to use Smart Board and how to change from more traditional ways of preparing lessons.  As McGrath pointed out, “Teachers must be accountable to use the Smart Board for its designed purpose – not just as a white board.”  There is no doubt that there are teachers who resist change and prefer more traditional methods of instruction.  However, visits to schools housing Smart Boards revealed that many teachers are embracing, rather than resisting change.

During a recent open house night at Seven Bridges Middle School in Chappaqua, NY, 8^th grade math teacher, Meredith McMillan, demonstrated an algebra and math properties lesson for parents.  The visuals were large, consistently drawn, and easily seen from the back of the room.  At Seven Bridges, they use RM Framework lesson plans (highly interactive) and supplement those plans with their own notebook lessons.  The physical representations behind what may have previously been thought of as complex math problems seemed to shine a light on math for parents that evening.  Many commented that if they had been taught algebra this new way, they may have had a better understanding of the physical reality behind seemingly abstract assignments.

Frank Zamperlin, Vice Principal of Seven Bridges, recently addressed the sentiments voiced by parents. “By being able to interact with lessons on the board, students and teachers are able to see each step of the thinking process.  The result is often a deepening of understanding.”  Zamperlin went on to describe the high level of enthusiasm on the part of both students and teachers.  He described the process as changing the way teachers teach and students learn and how he envisioned advances in technology leading to a greater level of project-oriented learning.  Asked about any resistance on the part of teachers to learning the Smart Board, Zamperlin said he hasn’t observed any.  In fact, he said, “when other teachers see what this board can actually do, many more teachers will be asking to have boards in their own classrooms.”

Raymond LoGiudici, 8^th grade science teacher and Suzanne Woodrow, 5^th grade math teacher, received delivery of their boards this past September.  LoGiudici reported that it has already changed the way he develops and plans lessons, and appreciated being able to highlight instructions and key points and have easier access to internet sites.  Woodrow shared the enthusiasm and spoke about the impact using the board has already had on her students.  Talking about its motivational factors, she said, “it gets students to get up and participate, it fosters a sense of community and speaks to students who use technology all the time outside of school.”

Just down the road from Seven Bridges is one of Chappaqua’s elementary schools, Roaring Brook School.  Miriam Bedus, 1^st grade teacher, and Todd Matthews, 4^th grade teacher, both fairly new users of the board, also addressed the issue of motivation.  Matthews talked about how visually impaired students greatly benefit from this new technology stating that it left them “feeling more empowered than frustrated."  Bedus stated, “The level of student engagement is huge and their being able to really be "hands-on" with all the different types of lessons has greatly enhanced the entire curriculum.”

Enthusiasm for Smart Boards was not universal. During research for this report, comments about it being an overpriced toy were heard more than once.  There are teachers who are comfortable with lesson plan development and who see very little benefit to reworking a system that has been in place for years.  For those merely using the board as a glorified whiteboard, it is most certainly a high-priced toy.  For teachers who believe in their own proven methods, the benefits of changing to a new system remain illusive. But for teachers and students committed to tapping into the board’s power to illuminate math, build sentences, construct graphs, log onto the internet, share lessons, highlight notes – to name just a few of its benefits – the Smart Board has the potential to help students and teachers find greater meaning, better understanding and a closer community through more interactive learning experiences.

Photos: Top: Screen shot of "Line of Four" a strategy game. The winner(s) place four crosses in a row.  Center, right: In this activity, students group the like terms by 'dragging' elements of the expression using the interactive whiteboard. Both lessons are from RM Educational Software. Bottom: Fifth grade math teacher, Suzanne Woodrow, leads class discussion on the scanned image of a student's worksheet.