It's always a challenge to plan for and implement new technologies in the school scenario. That's been my role in the purchase of our school's new ActivBoards. Well, I know that interactive whiteboards are hardly a new technology in the scheme of things but they are a relative newcomer on the Aussie primary school scene. There are a few primary schools here in Adelaide who have got SmartBoards throughout their classrooms - Hillcrest and Ingle Farm come to mind but we are the first to purchase and install the alternative, ActivBoards. To me, the two options are a bit like comparing PCs and Macs. Both provide educational benefits but are significantly different, doing various things better than each other. I've detailed the decision making processes in an earlier post.
So, my next move in my role at work is to stay ahead of our dedicated group of ActivBoard teachers so that I can offer both support and direction to them. This Monday, we have a Student-free Day for staff development and the team have chosen to spend it getting more familiar with their new ActivBoard. So it's been my job to concoct a plan of attack and compile a program that will blend some basics with some vision. Here's what I came up with:-
Welcome:

Trouble shooting – where to get help, how to solve your own problems, accessing and using the Promethean website.

What’s cool? A sharing time where each team member can show something (it doesn’t have to be spectacular) that they have done with their ActivBoard.

How do we document our students’ improvement, how do we document our own learning? Introduction to the ActivBoarding wiki, get everyone’s permissions covered, possible use of blogs as reflective journal, links gathering and posting tool. Use of Schoolblogs as possible forum.

Hit the web. Exploration of posted links, discovery of new links. Go to the Computing Room or plug in shared laptops in venue. (LA22 ? Printer, bring in scanner, cameras etc.)

Personal planning time. In partners, teams or solo - time is put aside to develop lessons, resources etc. for Term 4 and beyond. Graham available to troubleshoot or walk team members through various steps etc…

Future directions – what have we achieved today and where to from here? What are the various directions that we would like to pursue and what support will be required to work towards them.
Recess and Lunch breaks to be negotiated along the way. This is a flexible timetable and can be altered along the way. Feedback to me:
graham.wegner@lnps.sa.edu.au

Visit the wiki prior at http://www.activ.schtuff.com