Where Are You...Oh Dear Smart Board Workshop

8:10pm: Christine and Ben are now answering questions that the students in this classroom have. One girl asked how you save stuff, she said that everything is just saved right to the program. The Smart board is like its own computer. Neat! And that is the end of the workshop. The teachers left, and the students who are head of the CEC on campus, are handing out certificates.

8:05pm: Christine is now telling us that teachers should design their classrooms around the technology. If the Smart board is in a kindegarten classroom, the Smart board should be mounted lower so students can actually reach it. Christine also says that you need to bring your own writing tools and erasers to use on the Smart board. Apparently people steal the Smart board tools, which makes no sense, because the pens for the Smart board, are nothing but glorified sticks. They don't do anything expect work on the Smart board.

Ben says if you have any questions to come to the technology department and ask questions. He gave us a handout with numbers, names, and even directions. The handout they gave us also has tons of websites to visit to learn more about the Smart board, as well as different tips on how to use it successfully.

8:00pm: Christine just told us that she actually works right here on campus. She also told us that they actually make smart board tables now. Students can actually sit at a table, and the top of the table is actually a smart board. Students can then sit at their tables, eat their lunch, and work on their smart board tables. She said that Ben Clansy is now going to show us how to use the document camera.

She just told us that Smart boards are wonderful. She said that her daughter's teacher got a Smart board, and her teacher actually didn't even want it. She said that once her daughter's teacher used it though, she couldn't imagine her classroom without it.

Ben is now telling us that you can use the document camera on the Smart board, and use the Smart board pens to write all over the document. Pretty neat. He's letting students play around with it. He says that teachers are still kind of afraid of using these new technologies, but they shouldn't be because they are awesome.

7:50pm: Christine is now showing us smart resources on the web. You can actually just do a simple google search for Smart board ideas for both elementary and adolescent education. There are also tools right on Smart board that give you ideas on what lessons you can do with smart board in your classroom. She seems to be double clicking things on accident, you can sense she is getting frustrated. This Smart board is really touchy. One wrong touch seems to lead you in the wrong direction.

A girl sitting at the table in front of me just looked back at me as if my clicking on the keyboard is secretly pissing her off.

My bad...

7:40pm: Smart board comes with software that allows you to dissect a frog! How much better is that than actually using a knife and cutting up a frog. I always thought that was gross in school. Now, you can do it right on the smartboard!! It's also paperless. Yay for going green!

You can also use the smart board for math. Christine says that kids love to work out math problems on the smart board because they get to use technology. Students are learning, and they don't even know it.

The pens that come with the Smart Board, also work as a mouse. Christine says never to use real markers or erasers on these boards because it will destroy them.

Christine tried to get one of the students in the crowd to work out a math problem, its funny that no college student would volunteer even though these are elementary math problems. College students are lazy.

The smart board is also good for spelling. You can program the board to display vocabulary words. You can use your hands to put the vocabulary words in alphabetical order. Kids would love this!

Christine is complaining about how hot it is in this classroom.

7:30pm: Christine just showed us that you can write anything on the smart board in a word document the notebook software that comes with the Smart board.  just by using your finger. She wrote her own name on the board, and spelled it wrong. She forgot the, i, in her name. haha. She just said that if you try to write fast on the smart board, it won't catch what you are doing. She says that when you write on the board, you must write slowly. Now, the whole class is writing their name on the smart board with their fingers. Oh, what fun.

7:20pm: The room is filling up with students. Two other girls just sat at the table with me. I can't find any information on Christine Paige. There is another guy standing at the front of the room with her, I heard him introduce himself as Ben. Looks like the presentation is going to start at 7:30pm.

7:10pm: I just found out that a woman named Christine Paige is teaching the workshop. I am trying to do some research on her.

7:01pm: A girl came and opened the door. I am sitting in the library classroom. The girl on the couch was waiting for the workshop too. I'm in, and ready to learn about these smart boards. Updates are on the way.

7:00pm: Still, no one is here. Perhaps this flyer was right all along. This event has to be taking place at 7:30. I just saw a girl who was wearing shorts and a tank top look into the classroom. Is she here for the same thing as me? She is sitting on the couch texting on her phone. I think I may go ask her if she is waiting for this workshop.

I will keep you updated.

6:50pm  I just got up and asked the reference librarian if this event was still taking place. She said that the room is reserved from 6:30pm until 10:00pm. That is a pretty wide gap of time. Who the heck were those formally dressed people? I didn't recognize them as teachers from campus, what were they doing in the Neil Hellman library? I am really beginning to think that this event isn't going to go down. This is funny, but it kind of stinks because I actually was looking forward to learning how to use a smart board. The library is getting louder. Four students walked in and appear to be working on some sort of group project. They are working on a laptop, but two students have a side conversation going on about their weekend. One girl hooked up with Dave at his apartment.

Still patiently waiting..

6:40pm:  I saw some important looking people walking in the direction of the library classroom, but then they turned around. There was two men, and a woman. They were dressed formally, and looked important. I got excited for a second that these were the leaders of this workshop...but nope, now they are gone.

Still waiting...

6:30pm: No one is here. 6:30 cannot be the correct time. The door to the classroom in the library is locked. No one is around. The library is quiet. I am looking at a girl who is typing frantically on her computer. It looks like her head may explode soon. Other than that, nothing is stirring in the library. I am hanging in.

So here I am with three different times, sitting in the library waiting to see if this event is actually even going to go down tonight. I could be waiting here all night, but I prepare to live blog what happens. Stay tuned!

Back at the library again, I find out that there is an event scheduled in the library classroom, but it is to start at 6:30pm.

Then, I decided to visit the ITS department in the basement of the Lally building on Saint Rose Campus. These nice people informed me that there was a Smart board event to take place in the library classroom at 7:00pm. I was surprised at this, because I was pretty sure that the flyer that I read clearly stated 7:30pm. I proceeded back to the library, and on my way, I stopped at the Albertus building on campus, where I had originally saw the flyer. I proceeded to rip the flyer from the door, and head to the library to prove that I didn't just make up this workshop. I had proof that it was to take place!

I decided to do some research. I wanted to find out who was giving this workshop. I proceeded to the library in hopes that the librarian would know more details on the event. The librarian however, had not even heard of the event which was supposed to be held in the classroom in the library. I decided to then go to the curriculum library on campus, a library for specifically education, and contains materials for classrooms. Yet, the librarian in this library knew nothing of this event either.

At the college of Saint Rose, I saw this flyer. I decided that this would be an interesting event to live blog. I thought it would also be useful for future teachers because Smart boards will soon fill all new classrooms, and as teachers we should be aware on how to use them effectively.