My new computer has been installed in my room and my tablet has been issued. Although I’ve had no training yet, informal or formal, I’ve played just a tiny bit on the new equipment.
From this tablet, I am able to instruct my students from anywhere in the room. I can activate my computer (Internet, word documents, PowerPoints, etc), or a blank screen in which I am able to write on a blank pad with several options including highlighting or color. I can even save what I've done and upload it to my wiki page!
Next week I am planning on using it for a review on the types of sentences. Using this pad, I’ll be able to highlight dependent clauses located within sentences. I am hoping this visual will help students see that dependent clauses can be removed from independent clauses and leave a complete sentence still intact. They will also be able to refer to my wiki for the "answers" to their review.
Just from the minute of play, I’ve realized a couple of things. Writing is incredibly difficult on the pad because you write on the pad, but you can only see what you are writing by looking up at the screen. You cannot see anything on the white background on which you are writing. My writing looks like my six year old son’s!
I also noted that what I hoped would allow for better classroom management, might actually not better it that much at first. I disliked having to stand at the front of my classroom all the time in order to use my overhead projector. However, now that I am able to walk around, I find that I’ll be awfully engrossed in my equipment for awhile.
Also, I often diagnosed my student’s comprehension and attention based on their expressions while I stood in front of them, looking directly at them. Now I am facing the same direction as they are! I’ll need to be more aware of the fact that I will not be able to read expressions—guess I’ll be using lots of exit cards!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
You can't see what you're writing? That's really lame design..... I hope that you're able to finesse this. I'm so visual that I don't think I'd ever get used to it.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about the disadvantages you were discussing, Jenn. My handwriting already looks like scribbles on a chalkboard; I can't imagine it on a board that I can't see what I am writing. I get distracted when I am operating a new (or non-functioning) piece of equipment; the students, of course, take full advantage of my inattention. I also pick up cues from facial expressions when I am in the front of the classroom. The tablet you received may be beneficial with more practice, but it sounds nightmarism now. The best piece of equipment I ever got when teaching in high school is the clicker I used to operate my PPTs or move the mouse on a website. I was able to move around and stand close to those students who need a special touch. :)
ReplyDelete