The Whiteboard Challenge

I just read about the Interactive Whiteboard Challenge in The Edublogger. What a great idea! The purpose of the project is to:

To improve the use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom and to stimulate more discussion about how they can best be used.

The project, organized by Jess McCullock, includes 7 challenges to improve your Interactive Whiteboard (aka Smartboard) skills. Each challenge involves you using a Smartboard tool (cloning, transparency, recording, containers) to create something for your students to use. Once you’ve completed a challenge, you will compose a blog post reflecting on the experience. If you don’t have a blog, no worries. Contact jessATtechnoloteDOTcom for an alternative.

To get started, access the Whiteboard Challenge wiki to sign up and view the challenges. Even if you don’t want to participate, you can benefit from viewing the challenges, which demonstrate how to use various whiteboard tools. You will also find a Lesson Files page on the wiki for the sharing of files (notebook files, word, gallery, etc) by the participants. If you complete all the tasks, your name will be included in drawing for 1 Flip Video camera. The challenge has started and runs for 14 weeks.

The Willard Challenge

Willard Staff: If you participate and complete at least 3 of the 7 challenges, I will put your name in a local drawing for a new Flip Mino video camera to be used in your classroom. There will be 1 camera awarded per every 3 participants. So if we have 3 participants, 1 name is drawn and 1 camera awarded. If we have 4+ participants, 2 names will be drawn and 2 cameras awarded, etc. The deadline for completing your 3 challenges is December 8th.

If you need any assistance with the challenges or sharing your reflections, need to borrow a microphone or webcam,  just let me know. I’m more than happy to help.

If having easy access to a Smartboard is keeping you from participating, please note that there will be another Willard Challenge next month that might better suit you. (Thanks for the inspiration, Jess!)

Second Annual World Teachers’ Day Video Contest

• Educators are invited to create videos demonstrating classroom best practices.
• Videos Due : June 21, 2007
• Winner announced Oct. 5, 2007
• Prizes
  • Seventy-five finalists will receive an iPod shuffle.
  • Five regional winners will receive a SMART Board interactive whiteboard
  • One global winner will receive an all inclusive trip to attend the BETT 2008 education trade show in London, England.
• See the web site for all the details.

 I know several teachers in our District who could pull this off. Whadaya say guys?

Ego Breed. “camcorder.” Ego Breed’s photo stream. Feb. 14, 2007. April 25, 2007. http://flickr.com/photos/egobreed/390127118/

Technorati Tags: Second+Annual+World+Teachers’+Day+Video+Contest SMART+Board iPod+Shuffle London

Oh, this is so much fun. artPad is a basic, free on-line tool provided by art.com. When you first access the site, you can watch a series of strokes, as it replays the steps in creating a particular masterpiece.  It even has controls to speed up the animation, jump to the end or to the beginning. There are some amazing pieces to view. You can add to this painting, or choose to create your own.

You have a paintbrush, paint bucket, and text tool at your disposal. You can choose the color and opacity, and set the paintbrush size. Once your work is complete, you can select a frame and view it in the gallery of your choice: vintage, sports, modern or fantasy. Clicking the save and send button will assign a webpage address to your masterpiece and allow you to send the link to someone via email.

I think this site would be especially fun to use on a SMART Board.

Technorati Tags: art artpad smartboard paint draw