Engaging Students with Interactive Whiteboard Technology

Here are notes from another SMART webinar I attended on Engaging Students with Special Needs:

The biggest strategy mentioned in engaging students, especially through the use of SMART Boards, are using images and visual representations.  One of the teachers featured (I didn't get names on this one) talked about how she uses movies, flip cameras, text with key words written in a different color to add visual engagement to any writing activity she is doing.  She will also use pictures and words in collaboration with each other as much as possible.  For students who need more help with writing activities she also will use audio by recording her voice and using different voice tones.  She then uses buttons from the gallery and links it to another page with the correct tone used and the students push a button to identify the tone.

Another teacher uses the board as a way to help with organization and responsibility.  She creates a chart with assignments on it that she leaves up and when students have completed an assignment they check it off. 

When she begins teaching new vocabulary, she uses the word, then shows a picture, and then the students have to guess the definition of the word.  To make it more engaging, she layers the picture on top of the definition of the word and then uses animation to make the picture disappear revealing the correct definition.  In math class, she uses the random number generator tool from the gallery to randomly create numbers.  Underneath the tool are numbers and the students have to write out in word form the number that was generated.  Something like this:

To do this, create the words and then right click and select "infinite cloner".  You can use the same words over and over again.

Her favorite tools to use with special needs students are the spotlight (to help focus student's attention) and screen shade tools.  One thing I learned was that you can use the screen shade in any program, I previously thought you could only use this in the notebook software!  She also suggested using Vizzle, a web based visual learning website that has curriculum driven interactive lessons just for special education students.

The last thing talked about were working on student's social skills.  I think this is a great idea!  I worked with our social worker last year to create stories with students using PhotoStory.  You could really see the improvement later in the year!  This teacher uses www.do2learn.com/games to help with social skills.  She also takes pictures (from magazines, internet, or of themselves) and attaches word bubbles to the picture.  The students then have to write in the facial expressions they see.  This helps students talk about how they feel or how other students may feel.

One of the most important things they mentioned in the webinar was actually for teachers.  They said don't be afraid to try new things in front of the students; show the students how valuable problem solving skills are, even when things don't work out right!  Show them the strategies we teacher them to solve a problem or ask students, they often know quick ways to fix it too!