Apple TV In The Classroom – The New Smart Board

An iPad and Apple TV can combine to provide an advantageous alternative to more expensive, traditional interactive white boards. Guest writer and High School Principal David Mahaley is using this approach and offers his insights, and observations from educators in his school. With the integration of the iPad into the instructional environment, teachers and students have discovered many new ways in which the device can expand and enhance the learning environment. As a school administrator and teacher, I have explored the Apple TV and its offerings as an alternative to one of the many types of interactive whiteboards currently available to instructors. Image by K.Walsh, Apple TV logo source: www.apple.com/appletv Historically, we have relied upon the interactive boards as a way to infuse the technology of the computer and software to the learning objectives found in the various content areas of our curriculum. Print This Post

Spotlight: Engaging Students with Interactive Whiteboards Discuss “interactivity”, “engagement”, and the benefits of using an IWB Identify classroom activities that can be enriched through the use of an IWB, leading to increased student engagement Provide additional resources for professional development and extended learning Demonstrate how to use the technical tools available in IWB software 1Build Your Understanding I Have an Interactive Whiteboard, Now What? Workshop (21 min) 2Put This Concept Into Practice - Classroom Projects Building Acrostic Poems (16 min) Hide & Reveal (33 min) Interactive Multiplication (33 min) Saturn Flip (26 min) What’s the Moral? 3Reflect & Apply Professional Development Workbook Adapting 21st Century Skills Projects to the Classroom Workshop ePortfolio ? ActivStudio® Courses ActivPrimary® Courses ActivInspire® Courses Easiteach® Courses Epson® TeamBoard Draw Courses Mimio® Courses SMART Board™ Notebook Courses SMART Board and Notebook are trademarks of SMART Technologies, Inc., in Canada and the U.S.

10 Beneficial Facebook Pages For Educators To Check Out A selection of Facebook Pages providing resources and dialogue focused on education and instructional technologies. Like most Facebook users, many educators use Facebook to connect with friends new and old, but the Internet’s most popular site can also be a great learning (and teaching) tool. There are many Facebook pages that have been created as a resource to collect, share, and disseminate information about education and education technologies. Here’s 10 of our favorites. Facebook In Edu Facebook in Education examines ways in which Facebook is being used in an educational context. National Education Assoc A popular and active page. The ISTE is the International Society for Technology in Education and their goal is to provide “leadership and service to improve teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in education.” [Bonus Page!]

Apps in the Elementary Classroom One area that I have not written much about on this blog is educational apps. This is mostly due to the fact that my school has one first generation iPad and two iPod Touches for the entire school. We also ban cell phones and other electronic devices, so these are not available for use in the classroom unless the teachers specifically plan for the kids to use them for a lesson or activity, hand them out to the kids and collect them at the end of the lesson. I won't pretend to be an expert on apps in the classroom, which is why I haven't covered their use here. However, with more and more schools investing in iPad carts, iPods and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies, it's an important topic. What is the Role of Apps in the Classroom? Why should we be using apps in the classroom in the first place? What Does It Look Like to Bring Apps into an Elementary Classroom? Cost If you're not sure whether an app is worth paying for, the resources below should help.