Teaching students in the 21st Century
We all can remember being in school and the tools that our teachers used. All research was done in the library, and information was written up on the chalkboard. Depending on how old you are, the changes can be staggering. Chalkboards have given way to white boards that were erasable to SMART boards that interfaced with a computer and the Internet. A book report is no longer just a written report but formatted as a newsletter or another type of project generated with a software program.
The next level of a 21st Century classroom is being introduced into the Maryville school system through the aid of the Maryville City Schools Foundation: the Promethean ActivClassroom. Promethean is white-board technology that allows teachers and students to interact with it and each other. The foundation is raising money in order to provide these systems to all core classes in each of the schools.
Recently, teachers currently using the system explained how they have been able to incorporate Promethean in their lesson plans and the capabilities of the system. They also shared insight into how it is changing and improving the way students are learning.
Carol Anne Scarlett, an eighth grade science teacher at Maryville Middle School, said Promethean helps draw students into lessons by allowing them to interact and provides information to the teacher about what they understand. The system operates like a PowerPoint, but the user has the ability to move objects around and make them appear or disappear.
Ginni Jabbour, who teaches algebra and introduction to algebra II at Maryville High School, said the system’s interactive qualities appeal to today’s students.
“The kids are much more engaged now than they used to be,” Jabbour said. “You could always send kids to the board and write but for some reason, when you involve a technical tool where they’re doing technology, all of a sudden, they’re much more interested. That’s the way they do everything now. To keep them interested you have to communicate the way they are used to.”
Both Scarlett and Jabbour said one of the great features of the system is Promethean Planet, an online source of materials and lesson plans that they can use in the classroom. Teachers use what are called “flip charts” that contain the lesson plans, but they can customize their lessons by picking and choosing which pages of the flip chart they want to teach as well as adding their own information. Jabbour said the Web site allows teachers to search by state standards, topic and grade level, and has lessons that are taught around the world. The site also has a forum for teachers to share information and ideas.
The system includes an activboard, an activslate, an activpen, an activote, and an activwand. The activboard serves as a screen that students and teachers can use with an activpen or activwand to move and display objects.
Tags: Activclassroom, Blount Education Initiative, Carol Anne Scarlett, Maryville City Schools Foundation, Maryville High School, Maryville school system
