Interactive WhiteBoard PD & User Groups November 9, 2006
Posted by Joseph Papaleo in AGQTP/AISV, IWB, UserGroups, podcasts, wiki.comments closed
Today, a group of our staff (Primary and Secondary) got together and had Jeremy Radkovic demonstrate the SmartBoard software. I have been using one for some time, but as it ties in with the Australian Government Quality Teachers Program I am leading, I attended anyway. Although it was aimed at “beginners”, I was still able to pick up a few tips.
It was interesting to see how some staff members could see how they could use the technology in their classrooms. In the past, it didn’t matter to them, but as we will be getting a few more SmartBoards as of next year, more staff will have access to them and therefore, the interest levels increase.
Jeremy’s knowledge of the product is excellent and I would recommend anyone in Melbourne to ask for him if they are organising a PD session for their staff. He is able to take an idea and show how the resources contained within the board can be used.
A way to ensure our staff keep the interest levels up was to form a Technology User Group. So far, our school and 4 or 5 others have shared PD sessions and we hope to continue similar sessions in the future. We hope that through this User Group, teachers with similar interests will develop and share resources with each other. Also, having meetings once a term and sharing resources via a wikispace with each other means lessons can be designed for our Victorian curriculum.
In the near future, we will be having our first Podcast User Group meeting. If you would like to join us, please let me know. Again, the idea would be to share ideas with interested teachers, rotate the meeting venues, and develop resources with other like minded people. Something like social networking, only in the flesh.
Has anyone out there in the edublogosphere had success with developing and sharing resources with others in your district instead of working on their own? I’d love to hear how it went.
