Technology Reflection: Instructional Use of Portaportal and Interactive Whiteboards

Technology Reflection Assignment

Description/Experience

     I found the portaportal and whiteboard seminar to be an extremely practical demonstration. Portaportal can be customized by the teacher for the students to quickly access learning websites. We thought it was going to be something we would use in our own classrooms. It was easy to use and a great way to organize webpages as well as fun for the students.

Application

          Using the white board and the software that comes with it I would have the students split into two groups and have them compete against each other in a spelling activity on the white board from the portaportal site my PDS has created.

• 
  Learners: The learners are first graders from my PDS
• Learning outcomes: Through this activity the students will be able to practice their spelling or sight words, and will know them better by the end of the activity.
• Assessment: Their spelling tests are a good way to gauge if the activity has helped the students learn their words better.

-          The students would first be introduced to the spelling game projected on the interactive whiteboard and how the game is played.

-          One at a time the students would be allowed to come up to the white board and have a chance to spell one word with the game so they understand how the board reacts to them. While they are doing this I would be going over the spelling words with the other students for a review.

-          The game would begin with one student from each team coming to the board at once and racing each other to spell as many words correctly with the game as they could.

-          While students are up at the board the rest of them at their seats would be trying to write down the same words the students at the board were spelling, but on their paper.

Reflection
   For my first grade students this is a great technology to help them get excited to spell. The students seem more motivated when they are using a technology that is new to them. Even when the students aren’t new to the interactive white board and the educational games they can play from portaportal on it they are still motivated by the competition between the two teams I’ve divided them into. The ease of which the teachers and students can use it also makes it a good choice for a first grade class.

--Pedagogical-Content:

     I like to use hands on and real life connections when I’m teaching spelling. Getting the students active helps them stay on task and focused and engaged on the lesson at hand. This technique is effective because students are competitive and in order to win the game they have to spell the words correctly.

     Heading into the lesson the students would have some experience with their spelling words. Older students would be quicker and more competitive than the younger students at the spelling game that they find on portaportal. I don’t have any concerns about their prior knowledge or experiences, but if the students don’t have the motivation to learn the spelling words for their test they may be motivated to learn them for the game.

--Technological-Pedagogical:

     What I like about the interactive whiteboard and the software is that it allows kinesthetic, visual, and hands-on. The interactive whiteboard supports the way I’m going to teach this activity because the students can interact with the lesson in a way they weren’t able to before while playing a game that motivates them.

            Keeping a class of young students under control during an activity like this is difficult. The students who aren’t at the board will have to be monitored, as not to disrupt the class myself I think that proximity and time outs would be the best methods to manage the classroom. If students are acting out or not on task during the game I would use proximity to correct their behavior. If the proximity didn’t help I would sent the student to time out on the other side of the room and they have to miss a turn at the game and have to write the words the students are spelling on the board.

--Technological Pedagogical Content:

            The interactive whiteboard and its spelling game from portaportal is an excellent way for the students to practice their spelling. Other than practicing words the whiteboard can also be used as a visual aid when the teacher is first introducing the words to the students. For instance, compound words can be shown in a math problem format to help the students understand the words inside the compound word.  This interactive white board enhances the way I would teach because it allows me to have another way for the students to interact hands on with their lesson. The students are able to get excited about playing the spelling word game and have a hands-on experience with spelling that is fun. Most students don’t see spelling as fun, but this way the game motivates them to want to learn the words.

            I think that the students would be able to learn the spelling words without the technology, but I think the use of the whiteboard is more effective. The whiteboard allows the students to have a hands on experience, see the words visually, get the students kinesthetically involved, and motivate them to learn. As the student gains knowledge of more and different words they can be challenged by different difficulty levels and expanded vocabulary on the learning games from portaportal on the interactive whiteboard.