SMART Board

I'm actually a very big fan of the SMART Board and I use it alot. There are so many great lessons out there and the best part about them are their interactivity. I think SMART Board is a great addition to any classroom because of its interactivity. The students can actually be a part of the lesson, get up, move around, put things on the board themselves...it really is a great thing. My favorite lessons on the SMART Board are the lessons you can use with the Jeopardy template. I think they are a fun creative way of reviwing any lesson you want in the classroom. I've actually used this a few times in different classes I was taking and teaching, and students loved it! They got excited about it and more imporantly it was a fun way for them to learn.

The SMART Board makes it so easy too. You can download the Jeopardy template and you simply just input your own questions and answers based on the subject and/or unit you are going through with the class. You can split the class up into two teams, or you can have more smaller teams, which is how I prefer it. Gives more of a chance for everyone to participate and have to answer. The template even comes with Jeopardy music...so while the students are thinking over their answers they can here that famous tune!

Open Source Software

XMIND

So after combing through the sourceforge.net website, I was trying to decide what kind of open source tool I would be looking for. I’m always a big fan of brainstorming, idea organization skills, content mapping, etc. So I decided to research for a tool like this and came across Xmind, which so far seems very useful. I saw that it had a lot of great reviews and it was even won an award in 2008 for being the best Eclipse RCP application and the best project for academia in 2009 in the SourceForge community, so I thought I would download it and give it a shot!

First off, let’s talk about what Xmind is. Xmind is an open source software that allows to create and edit topics with content maps. You can drag and drop, reorganize, move markers, take snapshots, and add attachments. This software even allows you to use google to search for images and drag them into your map. You can use Xmind to give presentations and you can easily export files to PDFs or Word documents so they can be printed and/or shared.

Xmind is free but they do have upgradeable functions that you would need to pay for. But I think free version has more than enough functions that can be considered useful and beneficial in the classroom.  As I mentioned previously I am a major promoter of brainstorming and organization of ideas. For example, when going to write a paper I like to get my main ideas in order, follow them with sub ideas, and really map out exactly what I want to put into my paper. Doing this by hand, with a paper and a pen, can sometimes leave you in a disarray. Everything can get jumbled, you want to move topics around and then you just end up making a big mess that you can barely read. Using Xmind you can make a content map of your choice…whether it be a topic web or a tree version, you can color code, use different themes and outlines and you can use markers to label priorities, provide ordering, mark ideas you think are most important or ideas you questionably want to remove. Another great function is that you can add your notes right into it, so if have a sidebar, you can come back to it later.

This FREE software tool reminds me a lot of the PAID tool “Inspiration”. I actually really like Inspiration as well, but seeing that you can get something so so similar is great! I would definitely use this with my class of students. I think tools like this are beneficial to all students.

Virtual Learning Environments & Personal Learning Environments

This week I read a very interesting blog entitled:

Edufountain: Virtual and Personal Learning Environments My Thoughts

It’s from John Fontaine’s blog:

Fountains of Fontaine

Education, Technology, Baking & Other Things

http://www.johnfontaine.com/?p=104

The blog has a lot to say about Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) and Personal Learning Environments (PLE).  Different VLE’s are of a lot of interest to me as I currently help teach Blackboard ( a very popular virtual learning management system) to faculty at Pace University.  Using a VLE as both a student and a professional I see them as great tools. They are constantly making changes to them and new improvements keep coming down the pike. Stephen Downes said that “VLE’s are inherantly closed and inflexible”, but I don’t agree with this at all. As John Fontaine points out, are people who feel this way just having a misunderstanding of what is possible? I think this is the case. As I mentioned, with my job, I get to see faculty using Blackbaord all the time, and I hear them whine and complain…”this can’t do this, and I want to do that, or why can’t it do this?” And it’s frustrating for me, because for the most part it’s a function that can be done.  Everyone is just so quick to harp on the system that they don’t really stop and see what it can do. How it can be used and how it can be used to really improve their students’ learning process.

                The tools on systems such as these does continue to grow and now you can incorporate them all into one area, whether you want to use the tool provided by your LMS or you want to incorporate an ad-on into the system.  I think one of our main issues with this is that “people do often see the VLE as a simple tool, or perhaps as imperfect copies of other tools”, but I don’t think these teachers are being trained properly. I truly believe that VLE enhances learning for students. Speaking as a student myself I think the VLE supports instruction and done correctly is extremely effective.

It’s funny that the blog posts makes mention of a recent editorial from GW Hatchet arguing to make Blackbaord mandatory. This is funny because I’m always saying it should be mandated for teachers. I would love to see a survey of students and see their thoughts on this. I know based of myself and some of my friends that they love the idea that everything can be posted at your fingertips, or everything is conveniently located in one area, and you can discuss online with ease, etc.

I think its interesting to note that the blog was also trying to compare the differences between the VLE and the PLE. Under the PLE they put things like mobile phones, bookmarks, RSS, Readers, Social Networking Sites, etc. In my opinion these things are all being converged. What I mean by this is that all these tools can be used in conjunction with the VLE and honestly that’s how I see it being used as its most effective! I’m looking forward to seeing both PLE & VLE expand…how about you?