Anyone using their board as a center?

[susydisney]

I am a first year teacher and just started using my Activboard. I teach fifth grade and was wondering if anyone is using their board as a center and how it's going. I would love ideas for this as well.

[markrobinson]

I am not sure what you mean by "center"?

[LisaD]

Through Googling, I found the following description:

"Centers are valuable educational tools that teachers can incorporate into their classroom. An effective center provides an educational activity to supplement classroom instruction. Centers allow students to work independently or together in small groups at various stations set up around the classroom. There are lots of different activities that can be incorporated into center time. Well structured centers can be very beneficial to a classroom's environment because they provide students with fun enrichment and variety. "


I believe the Activboard would make a great "center" if the work given to the group is clear to follow independently.

I would also love to hear from teachers who are using the Activboard in a center. I'm sure they exist as they have told me so but not being full time in a classroom, I would love to hear what they have to say.

I have only seen centers in elementary classrooms (or in high school "tech" labs.) But I could be mistaken!

Lisa

[markrobinson]

Ah.... then you need to wait for the imminent release of Version 3 of Activprimary.

A new feature is a "Student Lock in".... this is a password protected mode in which a group of children can be left to use a flipchart in activprimary but are unable to get to design mode, the desktop and to save their work until unlocked.

Effectively this means the whiteboard or more accurately a whiteboard and Activprimary can be used for group work and the teacher can leave the kids to it - knowing that they are safely 'locked into' the task that has been set.

Sound like a "center" to me.....

[Marnie]

My children loved creating their own stories using the ACTIVboard during reading time. I put in a few criteria(which changed according to the level of the group using the ACTIVboard) ie. their flipchart had to have a minimum of 3 pages (as a story has a beginning, middle and end) etc. I had the same group working at the ACTIVboard all week for the 30min reading slot and at the end of the week they shared their story with the whole class.

They started off with the basics ie. using the backgrounds / objects / sounds from the library and then adding text but they got really good at it - using digital images of themselves in the story, scanning backgrounds, adding characters thoughts as translucent sound files etc.

I didn't 'teach' them how to use AS but they knew because we used it everyday! It was a great way to develop skills such as co-operation and turn-taking.

Hope this gives you an idea to start with anyway! :-/

[Marnie]

Oh - I should have also added that I had a child with dyslexia and he used the board everyday for story telling. At the beginning of the year he would not put pen to paper (Y5) - he used the ACTIVboard (backgrounds / objects etc) to create stories and he used the sound recorder to record the story. He was very imaginative - but the bext thing was that by the end of the term he wanted to write!! :)


There are heaps of ways the ACTIVboard can be used effectively for all children.

[Dug]

Hi again, Marnie. Any chance you could post them here: http://www.prometheanplanet.com/common/html/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=2840

[Marnie]

Hi Dug - I have now moved home to NZ and that was when I was teaching in the UK. However here are a few pages that will give you an idea. They come from a couple of fantastic schools here in NZ.

Pancakes - this is from a whole flipchart which showed how to make pancakes. It wasn't just the story but also maths problems to solve along the way!

Eyes - just an example of how children shared their work with the class after reading a non-fiction text

Walking Through the Jungle - one of my favourites! Complete with sound files! The groups also learnt how to download sound effects from the internet (Y1 - 6 years old!) I have taken out the photo of the child on this page as we do have to be careful with children's photos on the internet which I am sure you will appreciate!

Hope it helps someone out there!

Marnie

[Dug]

I couldn't see them. Not sure why. It's past my bed time anyway. I'd actually meant that you should post them in the ACTIVprimary forum under ACTIVprimary - Featured Resources - Children's flipcharts, but that doesn't matter.
Thanks for sharing[clap]

Oh and night, night+wave+

[Marnie]

Sorry Dug - they are flipchart pages so you'll need to save them to your 'my flipchart pages' folder and drag them out one at a time!

I have no excuse because it is lunchtime here!
Marnie

[Peter Lambert]

Yes, reminder or "heads up" to everyone.
.flp files are flipcharts
.as2 files are Activstudio flipchart pages
.ap2 files are Activprimary flipchart pages

[Margaret Allen]

Flipchart pages are also something new in Primary. This folder was not available to us in 2.5..... So another new feature worth exploring in V3[clap]

Go to the library and you will see that pages is now an option to view +wave+

[rmwither]

I use my board for a center several times a week. For example every week I scan the grammar lessons from the weekly reading story into a flipchart . After explaining the directions to the whole group I have my senior adult volunteer stand near the board just in case anyone needs assistance. The students put their number next to the problem they have done. Then when all of the pages on the flipchart are complete I go over the grammar lesson- whole group- instruction and explain or correct any misconceptions. My directions might read: "highlight the helping verbs in yellow", or "underline the adjective in red", or fill in the blank. By changing directions the kids get to "play" with the board and enjoy it even more.
I teach 5th grade.

[ELJ]

This sounds interesting, it's nice to hear the board being used in different ways. [clap] [clap]

To clarify I take it by "center" you do mean as a work station or a group activity? I used to use (back in the days where I had a class!) my board in a similar way so that I got the most out of it - and so did the children. Sometimes I would have groups, pairs or individuals at the board doing an activity associated with the objective - dependant on what the focus was. It's good for collecting evidence of their understanding which as you said can be addressed in the plenary.
I think it'd be great to hear some more of this type of board use. . .:-/ :-/

[JanP]

I think it is a great way to make use of boards in classrooms. I make a point of suggesting this type of learning when I am doing a training session. There is no reason why the board needs to be used solely for whole class learning, or even groups being supervised by and adult. The potential for what students can achieve when left to collaborate at a boards themselves is endless.

Using it as a 'center' sounds a little bit like what used to be called an 'Intergrated' day. The classroom was set out with a series of 'stations' covering a variety of topics and curricular areas. The children would move round the stations to complete the work for the day with the teacher supporting and supervising. Having one station using the board would really add to this style of teaching I think.

Janice
Celtic LTA, Edinburgh

[jurczak]

I have had my board for about a month now, and I love it! I teach 2nd grade and I use my board as a center on an almost daily basis for both math and reading. For reading, I have reading stories w/ comprehension questions for each week. The students read the story as a group, then use the highlighter tool to find sentences in the story to support the answer they chose on multiple-choice questions at the end. We practiced this both whole-group and in our guided reading groups until I felt they got the hang of it, and they are old pros now! It's hard to believe how well my 2nd graders do w/ technological resources:) For math, I have a few flipcharts that I created to go w/ the chapters that we are studying. We practice the same way as above w/ the reading, and once they understand how to use the chart, I open it up as a center.

[katielong]

I also use my board as a center for first grade students. Mostly for reading because the prep work is time consuming. I create activities on the board that tie to our reading skills. For example one is usually a phonics flipchart. It has sound sorts, word matches, context sentences, phonics flips, word building, etc. The second is usually a skill chart that has things like high frequency word practice activities, synonym or antonym match, etc. I find it is a wonderful way to provide self checking activities so that you don't have to constantly be there. I also record the directions so that if they can't read them they can click and it reads it to them. This is great for your students with IEPs that have directions read aloud. Hope this helps!

[gfannin]

YES--I use mine for a workstation (center) and I usually have 2 students working from the activboard on a flipchart that covers a skill/concept we have covered. Sometimes it's an actual flipchart we may have used with a lesson, other times it is completely new to them and made for their use. I've found some good flipcharts on prometheanplanet (especially liked the new Marcy Cook Math charts but had to pay for them :mad:) An aspect of promethean that I personally resent (considering the outrageous cost of the boards/activvotes/projectors/etc.) but Marcy Cook stuff is always excellent--very hands on and highly engaging/motivating. These were some of her 100s board activities and if you have ever used her stuff--you will feel very comfortable with the flipcharts, but if you aren't familiar--they are easy to follow.
They especially like flipcharts that give them feedback on correct actions/responses (with sounds or restrictions that only allow correct motions/objects)
I also have an overhead station and a whiteboard station so there are 6 kids up at the same time using our "wall" space --spread out --but those are some of my kid's favorite workstations.

I've also used them for cursive writing practice (just as a new way to practice handwriting--they LOVE writing in colors and on handwriting paper that is so large).

I have the EveryDayCounts Calendar Math flipcharts (that I downloaded from a wonderful friend Heather Temske and I've modified them for 3rd grade because she made 4th and 5th) so they will get to work a day from the Calendar for the month as a workstation too.

We have EnVisions Math which comes with a CD of Math Quiz Show and they can play it as a class or 2 person player on the activboard as a workstation.

Websites work well for workstations also.......marking up the text strategy is great when used with a word document or website reading material that you want them to take notes on using the pen (in annotate over desktop mode)

Many of my kids (3rd grade) simply love playing school or teacher so be prepared to "hear" them emulating their teacher when they're up there--+wave+ Hope this helps--

[gpatrenos]

I know a second grade teacher who uses her board as a center.:)
When the students have finished they print their work ( if it needs to be turned in )
and reset the page for the next group.[clap]

[angiemccp]

There are some great interactive websites at internet4classrooms.com. Search for the content you need and make it a center for one group of students and then you can work with the other students. I have my class divided into 3 ability levels and they each rotate through the Promethean board center. They love it and it is like having an extra teacher in the classroom.