Anthony Imburgia

About Me

My name is Anthony Imburgia and I am a 30 year old graduate student through SUNY Albany's Distanced Learning Program. I am an elementary school teacher on Long Island, and I live in Glen Cove, NY. I hold my teaching certification in Childhood Education 1-6. In my free time I like to write, record and perform music. I also enjoy watching sports, and playing basketball. I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, so I am a huge Chicago sports fan!

My Topic/Purpose

My mini-course, Integrating SMART Board Technology in the Classroom, is a course for teachers who have SMART Boards (or technology much like it, any kind of interactive whiteboard) and are not quite sure of the potential they have in front of them. Many teachers are unaware of the goals they can achieve with this technology. We are in an age of technology in which many programs, pieces of technology and courses can make teaching more engaging for students and much easier for teachers. This course will show them what they didn't know they could do, in a simple, easy to follow fashion.

Needs Assessment

Instructional Problem

SMART Boards (and other interactive whiteboards) are found in many classrooms. More often than not, you will come across a district that has them. The problem? A great deal of teachers aren’t aware of the capabilities of these boards. Through direct interviews with elementary school teachers, the demand is for ways in which teachers can make their usual classroom routines more accessible, easier, and more interactive.

Using SMART technology has many advantages. Some of these advantages are (taken from Larson & Lockee)

· Differentiate instruction to accommodate to learners with different needs

· Gain or maintain attention

· Provide for interactivity

· Enable learners to represent and simulate meaningful real world problems, situations and contexts, beliefs, perspectives, arguments and the stories of others

(Larson and Lockee, p.184)

According to Cox (via K-12 Teachers Alliance on teachhub.com) "It (SMART Boards) also makes differentiated learning much easier because teachers are able to accommodate different learning styles. Visual learners are able to observe the whiteboard, while tactile learners can learn by touching the board." If teachers are including SMART Technology within their daily routines, the chances of student involvement can only increase. If a teacher can reach the full potential of the technology available, the possibilities are endless!

Analysis of the Learner and Context

What is to Be Learned

Teachers will learn how to create their own interactive lessons, how to navigate around SMART Notebook and locate the necessary tools for simple instruction, and how to notate and screenshot a website or other source on the internet. Teachers will also learn where to locate pre-made lessons online and how to edit these files to their own liking.

The Learners

The learners of this mini-course are elementary school teachers from Pre-K-3rd grade who are familiar with SMART boards but not quite as experienced as they would like to be. By the end of this course, teachers will know exactly how to approach finding what they need to accomplish goals when using SMART Notebook.

Context for Instruction

Teachers will complete this course fully online. In order to do so, teachers will need access to SMART Notebook, the internet, and preferably a SMART Board or interactive whiteboard. It is also important to note that learners with a computer and the internet can download a free trial version of SMART Notebook to use and complete the course.

Exploring the Instructional Problem and Solution

Learners will complete modules within this course that will examine reasons and benefits for using Google classroom, steps to create and set up a classroom, and steps on educating students how to properly navigate the classroom. Learners will engage in activities that will allow them to set up their classrooms step-by-step and create their first Google assignment for their class.

Goals for this Mini-Course

The first goal of this course is to familiarize teachers with capabilities of SMART Notebook that may be able to aid them in the classroom. The second goal is for teachers to know how and where to locate pre-made files that will aid them in daily routines. The third goal is for the learners to be able to know where to locate the tools to create their own lessons from scratch.

Performance Objectives

At the conclusion of the Mini-Course, learners will be able to:

• create and access interactive whiteboard lessons that involve the instructor/learners actively participating

• locate and adjust pre-made artifacts that can assist classroom teachers with routines of their classroom

• navigate SMART Notebook and other interactive whiteboard/screen annotation programs

• successfully annotate on a website and screenshot material to save for later use

References and Resources

Larson, M. B., & Lockee, B. (2013). Streamlined ID: A practical guide to instructional design. New York, NY: Routledge

Cox, J. Technology in the Classroom: The Benefits of SMART Boards. 2009-2016 K-12 Teachers Alliance http://www.teachhub.com/technology-classroom-benefits-smart-boards