Week 3 Journal

Questions for the Week 3: 

What techniques and strategies specific to teaching with SMART Board did you like a lot?

I like how we were able to make the answers bounce out if wrong and give audio feedback when it was correct.  I also like how the board will work with the touch of a hand.  Preschool students who aren't yet holding a pencil correctly can still manipulate the board.  With the board giving the feedback, I would be able to set up the board as a learning center that a small group of students could do without constant adult supervision.  My only concern with that is the height of the board.  Preschool students won't be able to reach it without standing on a platform.  A table in front of the board would solve that problem assuming the students could safely stand on it and be aware of the edges so they wouldn't fall off.  

While I can see the advantages of the SMART Board, I still am advocate of hands on learning.  Preschool students will learn the parts of an apple better if we are cutting open a real apple.  All 5 senses can be involved in learning the parts that way.  The SMART Board would be good as a follow up using sight and sound.  Touch is involved but the touch wouldn't be about the apple, just the board.