Patric+Peloquin

My name is Patric and I teach at Ecole Bonaventure.

There are so many ideas and programs out there these days that for anyone who is just starting off teaching with technology, it can be very overwhelming. Sometimes, individuals can feel intimidated at first but if they can simply start with one thing and try to perfect it by playing with it and practice using it as much as possible, then they may feel like they've accomplished something. In other words, starting with one thing is better than nothing.

One thing that I have done with the smartboard is that I've connected a scanner to it which allows me to take any worksheet, direction on paper, rubrics, etc and project it up onto the smartboard which in turn aids students as it becomes more visual. I really enjoy using it for correcting worksheets together with the kids, at the same time, students correct their work properly without too much distraction and / or confusion. It can also be very useful for when you need to project anything that you need to quickly and saves wasted paper as well.

Another technological tool that I rely on all the time as a teacher is the Smartboard. I have tried to link as many concepts and lessons as I can with this amazing teaching tool. I find that if I can connect a worksheet that I will be giving the students to work on in class with something directly connected to the smartboard as a visual reference, it guides and facilitates students' comprehension similar to any other form of resource out there. For example, I may project an interactive diagram of the digestive system at the same time where all the students are working on a similar worksheet. I may also then choose to have individual students come and interact with the diagram projected at the same time that everyone else is working.

I may even choose to modify these ideas further. The possibilities working with technology are endless and it is important to also keep a balance while working / teaching with technology. This "balance" of ideas that I am referring too seems to get tricky and somewhat difficult for myself. However, one rule of thumb to follow is simply reviewing the rational behind doing what you are doing. By looking at and reviewing the Literacy with ICT continuum as much as possible becomes best practice for guiding individual teachers through the use of ICT in the classroom.