2012 Tatnall School SMART User Conference

[Matt Granger]

I presented again last weekend at the Tatnall School SMART User Conference in Wilmington, Delaware. The conference is organized by SEE and SBRev member Greg Mentzer. He did a marvelous job with the organization and logistics. There were 500 participants and close to 70 presenters. 

Everything from participant check in and lunch to presenter needs and volunteer staff runs so smoothly from a presenter's point of view. I know Greg would be the first to say that he couldn't do it without the help of the staff of his school. Many of them present or volunteer to staff the check in and lunch set up and all the other logistics. It is a testament to Greg's leadership as a SEE at the school and what he's done for them and their professional development.

Thanks, Greg. I'm proud to know you and be able to learn from you.

The Keynote address was by SBRev member Bret Gensburg. What a dynamic teacher (He'd kill me if I called him a presenter!)! His title was "Technology in the Classroom: Looking at the Big Three: Why, What, and How". It was very thought provoking. He asked us to reflect on why we do certain things in Notebook. What is the educational rationale for it? "Attention does not equal retention." Flashy pages and tricks that get students' attention doesn't necessarily mean that they will get the content. They may be too focused on the flashy and miss it. Not conventional Notebook lesson creation wisdom and practice. But something to consider.

The formula for successful technology integration is teacher need plus professional development to meet that need equals successful integration. But that isn't the ultimate goal. That is student achievement. To get there you need successful integration plus professional maintenance. That will get you to student achievement. What is professional maintenance?

Bret talked about the three activities that are often called professional development. A conference like the Tatnall School Conference is called professional development by some. He called it Professional Exposure. At conferences like this, a 45 minute to  75 minute session isn't long enough for development. Participants are exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking, and "a mind stretched by a new idea can never go back to its original dimensions." (Oliver Wendell Holmes) Bret didn't say that, but go ahead and use it in the future if you want, Bret. Conferences stretch the mind and can lead to trying something new, but it isn't development.

Professional Development requires large blocks of time. A whole day workshop where you use the tool and make something, like a SMART content creation seminar, could be considered development. You develop skills through use. There may be teaching time and learning theory thrown in, but there should be a good amount of time for practical application of the learning.

After development there needs to be sessions for Professional Maintenance. These are follow up times to answer questions, take something to the next level, discuss issues of implementation, and share successes and lessons learned from unsuccessful attempts. And, as stated above, this Professional Maintenance is what takes successful integration to student achievement.

Another interesting comment he made was that using the board as a whiteboard, and just writing on it, is okay. Some people apologize that they only write on it and don't do fancy lessons with it. Bret said that is what is known as "teaching." We shouldn't just be "presenting" information to students. We should be teaching it. And writing on a blank Notebook page is an acceptable form of teaching at times.

It was a very thought provoking keynote. It may have stepped on a few toes. But I get the feeling that Bret does that from time to time.

Bret, if I misrepresented anything, correct below in the comments.

[Joanne Villis]

Wish I was there. I’d like to meet Bret.  I agree, just writing on a SMART board is OK. The teaching notes can then be saved and accessed by both students and teachers at a later date. I find it frustrating when teachers write on a white board (which is often positioned right next the SMART board), rub out notes and then continue writing. How can students access the information at a later date? Using the SMART board as a writing tool is one of the first ways to familiarize yourself with the technology.

I also agree with what you wrote about 'presenting' information to students. SMART boards can easily and are readily being used as presentation tools (data projectors). This has been evident for many years, especially in higher education. You often hear University students say, ‘Can you just give me a copy of the presentation?’

Bret’s comments about professional development for teachers, I can’t agree more. The cost for professional development should match if not be more than that is required for the product and installation.

I’d also like to comment on ‘Attention does not equal retention. Flashy pages and tricks that catch student’s attention doesn’t necessarily mean they will get the content’. This may be true in some cases but if you consider students who sit in our current classroom, this is their world. 93% of teenagers go online everyday (Lenhart, 2009). Our students are technological savvy; they are bombarded with flashy images, catchy music, video clips and interactive games. They are engaged with these tools, so why not bring them into our classroom. I think this the point where I need to acknowledge that he may have stepped on a few toes! (humour intended).

In terms of student retention, you can also upload all content onto a wiki or an online environment for students to access how ever many times they need to and they can access it any time of the day. Bring on the flashy tools, the multimedia and engage our students using SMART technology!

Below is a video that I used with my son who is in year 6 (11 years old)  who is ICT savvy, obsessed with games (Mine Craft), anything electronic,  lacks interest in education (his teacher last year used an over head projector to project images onto the SMART board surface) and the need for school. He watched it, over and over again. He became motivated; he wants to learn Math, Science and Technology because one day he is going to create a computer program. Embrace the technology that our students are engaging with on a daily basis! Then think about the future possibilities.....

[Obe Hostetter]

Thanks for sharing.  Interesting thoughts to ponder...