FAQ

 =** Frequenty Asked Questions: Educational Technologies, Smartboard, Software, Wiki, Blogging, Kidspiration/Inspiration, Podcasting **=
 * Educational Technologies FAQs**
 * 1) How do I incorporate technology into my daily lessons without going to the computer lab?
 * 2) How will I know if the computer abilities of every student in my class are sufficient for what I ask them to complete?
 * 3) How do I go about making sure that every student knows how to properly use a computer and the specific programs before I allow them to use it independently?
 * 4) How can I take my class to the computer lab and make sure all children can get to the site link I would like them to use?
 * 5) What is an Elmo projector and how can I use it with my class?


 * SmartBoard FAQs**
 * 1) How can I use the Smartboard during the Lanugage Arts block time of the day?
 * 2) How do you fix your Smartboard when you are writing with tools and the writing does not show up where you are actually writing?
 * 3) How can I use my Smartboard in the primary grades to teach handwriting?
 * 4) How can I use the Smartboard during Math?
 * 5) How can you make a lesson and use it on your Smartboard?
 * 6) What are benefits of teaching using a Smartboard?


 * Software FAQs**
 * 1) What is iMovie?
 * 2) How can I use iMovie in my classroom?


 * Wiki FAQs**
 * 1) What is a Wiki?
 * 2) How can I use a Wiki in my class?
 * 3) What is podcasting?
 * 4) Do I need an ipod to receive a podcast?
 * 5) What is a blog?
 * 6) Who can use a blog?



Educational Technologies FAQs
A:** One of the simplest way is to employ powerpoint presentations in your daily lessons with the use of projectors so that the students will see technology been exhibited.
 * 1 Q:** **How do I incorporate technology into my daily lessons without going to the computer lab?


 * 2 Q: How will I know if the computer abilities of every student in my class are sufficient for what I ask them to complete?**
 * A:** Have students complete a needs assessment form to better understand what they already know about using computers.Make sure to include everything you would expect students to know about how to use the computer properly.Use the results of the forms to create a mini lesson on how you expect all students should be using the computers.Every student should then be at least to the level you will like him or her to be,which should be sufficient for what you expect them to complete.


 * 3 Q: How do I go about making sure that every student knows how to properly use a computer and the specific programs before I allow them to use it independently?**
 * A:** Show the class how to use each program properly.Use a projector or large monitor so everyone in the class can see at the same time.Show step by step how to find the program,such as web browser or preinstalled educational program,and how you expect the students to use it.Students may have similar questions to their classmates,which can be answered all together for everyone to hear.


 * 4 Q: How can I take my class to the computer lab and make sure all children can get** **to the website link i would like them to use?**
 * A:** Make a class Wki page and include all the links you would your students to use on there.This is an easy way for students to travel to one website and have all the links they need there.


 * 5 Q: What is an Elmo projector and how can I use it with my class?**
 * A:** An Elmo projector is much like an overhead projector but you can project almost anything without transparency.Students can easily view whatever you are projecting,such as a book,document,or math manipulators.'Elmos' can also be connected to a pc or mac to show what you have on your computer screen.

top

Smartboard FAQs

 * 1.Q**: **How** **can** **I** **use** **the** **Smartboard** during **the** **Lanugage** **Arts** **block** **time** **of** **the** **day?**
 * A:** You can use the Smartboard by incorporating it into literacy centers. You can make a poem in Smart Notebook and have your students circle sight words, chunks, and blends with tools, such as the highlighter or creative pens. You can train your students how to use all the tools so they're independent at that center while you are with a reading group.

A: To fix this problem, you have to alignb your Smartboard. To align your Smartboard, you need to open up the Smartboard tools and click on "align." Then you will need to be precise on where you tap your Smartboard when the plus signs appear on your screen. This will make sure the Smartboard is recognizing the tools where you write on the Smartboard.
 * 2.Q**: **How** **do** **you** **fix** **your** **Smartboard** **when** **you** **are** **writing** **with** **tools** **and** **the** **writing** **does** **not** **show** **up** **where** **you** **are** **actually** **writing**.

A: The Smarboard is a great tool to use while teaching handwirting in a kinesthetic modality. You can use Smart Notebook to teach each letter in manuscript as well as cursive. You can select the letter and drag it into your blank notebook document. Students can practice tracing over the letter with their finger or selected tool.
 * 3.Q:How** **can** **I** **use** **my** **Smartboard** **in** **the** **primary** **grades** **to** **teach** **handwriting?**

A: You ucan use the Smartboard a vareity of different ways while you are teaching math. One way to increase student motivation is to use virtual manipulatives on your Smartboard. There are many great sites that have free virtual manipulatives, suce as illuminations. Students will enjoy bieng able to mnove and use the manipulative while solving problems.
 * 4.Q:** **How** **can** **I** **use** **the** **Smartboard** **during** **Math?**

A: A good way to build your lesson is to use Smart Notebook. This program allows you to build a lesson from scratch. You can choose graphics, background colors, templates, and even insert educational movies. The gallery has a variety of items that can be used to teach most content areas. The best way to get started is to search the gallery and see the endless possibilities you can use to build your own lesson.
 * 5.Q:** **How** **can** **you** **make** **a** **lesson** **and** **use** **it** **on** **your** **Smartboard?**

A: The Smartboard is powered by a computer where you can save all of your lessons and content you use while you teach. This makes it very easy to save documents and use them the following year. this also helps you stay very organized when storing your lessons.
 * 6.Q:** **What** **are** **benefits** **of** **teaching** **using** **a** **Smartboard**?

top 

**Software** **FAQs**
A:iMovie is a program that is mac based. You can create a quicktime movie very simply by downloading digital photos or video into this program. You can use transitions, animations and titles between your photos or video clips to create a personalized movie.
 * 1.Q:** **What** **is** **iMovie?**

A:iMovie can be used to share events that happen in your classroom with parents. This not only increases the home-school connection, but also excites children about what they are doing in school. You can create an iMovie of events during your year with your class and share the video online on a class website.
 * 2.Q:** **How** **can** **I** **use** **iMovie** **in** **my** **classroom?**

top

**Wiki FAQs**
A: A collaborative/community website that can be edited by multiple users. Editorial rights can be specified to particular pages in the site and to specified users.
 * 1.Q:** **What** **is** **a** **Wiki?**

A: Wiki's can be incorporated to class learning in many different ways. One class Wiki can be created for a particular topic or project then students can work independently or in groups to contribute their own page in the Wiki. Students can collaborate to post information they learned on the topic and review what others in the class learned by viewing their pages. Teachers can also post important information they would like their class to know, such as homework assignments, test dates, and important dates to remember, as this site can also be viewed from home.
 * 2.Q:** **How** **can** **I** **use** **a** **Wiki** **in** **my** **class?**

A: The name comes from ipod and broadcasting, which basically means recording audio files with software tools such as garage band and audacity, and placing them in an RSS 2.0 feed. Podcasts are designed to include tutorials, talk shows, etc. normally available in MP3 form
 * 3.Q:** **What** **is** **podcasting?**

A: No, you do not need an iPod to listen to podcast.
 * 4.Q:** **Do** **I** **need** **an** **ipod** **to** **receive** **a** **podcast?**

A: A blog is simply an online journal. The name came from 'web log', it was chopped and condensed to blog. There is one creator of a blog, like a journal but other people can make comments on the entries from the creator. If you think of it like a newspaper column, the writer publishes an article and readers send their feedback to to publisher. This skips that step and lets everyone know what the reader in thinking.
 * 5.Q:** **What is a blog?**

A: Anyone can create a blog and be the 'writer'. There are many sites that will host your blog for no charge. Most sites have blogs open to the public but there are blogs that can be private for a selected office. A school friendly site that I like is 21classes.com. This a link to see blogs by others for examples.Top 20 Blogs top
 * 6.Q:** **Who can use a blog?**