Tuesday, November 20, 2012

SMART Professional Development=LOVE!


SMART Techologies….my love for you shall not end.


Not only do you provide products worthy of an educator’s time and energy that engage the over stimulated student, but you provide Personal Development (PD) to use these products even better!

Typical PD usually is far from where I am, cost too much, or are not what I expected and a complete let down from the course description. However, I have taken several online courses and classes from SMART and the SMART Learning Space and they are truly valuable and worth your time.

My favorite training was during my SMART Certified Lesson Developer (SCLD) course. This is a packaged course where, at completion and passing the final test, earns one’s SCLD Certification. All these courses helped me hone in my skills on creating effective engaging lessons for all my students. By far my favorite was the Lesson Development Workshop. This hands-on course takes you step by step on how to maximize your lessons for maximum student engagement. I not only improved my lesson design, but I met and worked with a SMART instructor and other colleagues (class members) with ideas, suggestions, and their own experiences to bring to the class. It was priceless!

Each of these courses changed the way I think about lessons for my students. Yes, there is interactivity, but how effective is the lesson was key. For example, thinking about how it looks to students is completely different to how it would look to me. Simple, yet so powerful.


I absolutely recommend taking a peek at SMART’s new Training Guide. You will not be disappointed!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Advancement in Technology

Wow! Please check out this video!!

Wow! I would LOVE this technology now! I have a SMART Board 800 series, but this would take it to a whole NEW level! Incredible! Amazing what students, teachers, educators, business people, EVERYONE could do with this kind of technology!!!


 There's our SMART Bar!!! I need one!!


It is just amazing what SMART is thinking of and what it could do for our classrooms and world! Wow!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Unused Space

Happy November!

The students of #JepsonD4 are off to a great start this year! As is my professional growth!

Through teaching, I have been so fortunate to meet many wonderful professionals, work with colleagues...learning has never been better!

On this road...I have been involved with the Gold Star SEE Challenge with SMART Technologies and other SMART Exemplary Educators.

We use and promote SMART products, take courses, collaborate with others, and just share our love and knowledge of SMART! It's FABULOUS!

But a current challenge has got me thinking...specifically about some unused space in my classroom. See below:

Now, it may look like it is "used space" but it is not. Sure there are posters and memorabilia on the wall, but it is not truly used space!
 
What these spaces need is a SMART Board or an interactive projector. With such a product, my students could interact even MORE with content, create their own projects and lessons, and thus learn more.
 
The possibilities are ENDLESS!
 
hmmmm........I am getting excited!