Smartboard



1. The lessons that I utilized for the smartboard were mostly description. According to the standard it is important for students to be able to recognize how the process of erosion and weathering effect the way the Earth looks. Once they are able to really see erosion I attempt to make it applicable to their daily lives. I would ask the students something like, "Notice here how this home has fallen off the cliff, why is that?" The higher level of thinking involved actually looking at a landscape and attempting to notice exactly where the erosion was occurring. This is important because erosion is everywhere, everything on the face of the Earth undergoes weathering too. I am sure that very few people realize the impact of erosion.

2. The targeted curriculum standard is science standard 4 in which students should be able to identify how natural processes shape the Earth's surface. The technology standard was 7.3 in which it lists, " Utilize technology to manage and communicate information" and 7.2 "Use technology to increase student achievement." and also 7.1 "Apply technology to the delivery of standards-based instruction."

3. The problems that I had mostly just involved becoming familiar with the Notebook software because there are several buttons I was not familiar with and commands that needed some clear instruction on. It is also difficult to create an appropriate lesson plan because I am not sure what exactly it is the students need or do not need to know. I feel like the assignment could have been easier if I was creating it for a real classroom. Even despite the standards being more detailed, I wasn't sure if I should combine weathering and erosion together or make them more or less the same thing. The is also two types of erosion, chemical and physical, so I was not sure if I needed to really get too deep into that yet. I also understand this program much more now. Had I started this assignment knowing what I do now, I would have been able to create a much better lesson, hopefully more engaging. But ultimately, I had a ton of fun with this assignment and I look forward to using it in the future if I get the chance. I feel as though my capability to share information is endless and will allow my students to get more into the lesson and see things that they would not usually be able to comprehend by listening to me just talk or by reading a book.

4. I like the idea of allowing the students to work with me in creating assignments. "why would this work?" or "How might we be able to express and show the meaning behind a process like erosion or another topic like evolution, gravity, etc.?" Not only would the students be the receivers of the lesson but also the creators which I feel reveals much more understanding.

5. I am used to trying to use computers and technology so this is a rather comfortable program and technology to use.