Smart+Notebook



Geometry: Area of Shapes This smart notebook assignment deals with geometry and specifically how to find area of shapes and why they are related. This has higher level thinking because it shows the students on a step to step basis how area is found and how it is related to every other object. They will have to attempt to find the area of multiple objects as well as determine why pi is pi. I believe this will help them understand the formulas better, and possibly allow them to come up with the formulas on their own by relationship cognition.

Although I am not familiar with what grade level currently studies this, it is set for grades 4th -8th. I do not believe that this will be addressed until at least 5th grade, but since I am not currently teaching, I am not positive exactly at what year they will learn the concept of area and volume.

The CO-PBST content standards that is covered in the curriculum is to solve problems involving perimeter and area in two dimensions, and involving surface area. The CO-PBST technology standards that are met are familiarization with the smart notebook, as well as linking and getting familiar with all of its tools.

I had a few problems with the notebook and I was not sure if it was my computer. I had a hard time using some of the pre made activities. I tried to follow the directions, but they simply would not work like they said they should. I eventually just stopped trying and made my own activities. I also had an issue where the undo button quit working. I really do not know why, but one of my activities, involving infinite cloning needed that in order to set it up in a timely manner for the next class. I found that most of the directions that the program gave us to use were limited and inferred advanced knowledge of their pre-existing program. I know I will need to work with this more since smart boards are in every classroom, or should be, but this was my least favorite program to work with. This is simply because it did not seem to be to user friendly.

This software can be used for everything in the classroom. Really, this can be used as a lecturing tool as well as an interactive tool for the students to use to show understanding. It also can be used as a way for students to show their own reports and ideas. The possibilities are endless.

Shockingly, I feel very comfortable using this tool. I think this is mostly because I had to come up with my own ways to make the activities and games work. There was a big learning curve, but I believe that I can use this product without difficulty. I just would like to have a users guide to go with it if I were to use it more often in my own