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Schools get interactive whiteboards |
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Tuesday, 10 November 2009 |
By LESLIE MIELKE
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BLACKFOOT — Teachers and administrators from each school in the Blackfoot School District became students themselves Monday afternoon.
The educators learned how to make better use of the mimio interactive whiteboard system, which allows teachers to more easily connect with their students.
By LESLIE MIELKE
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
BLACKFOOT — Teachers and administrators from each school in the Blackfoot School District became students themselves Monday afternoon.
The educators learned how to make better use of the mimio interactive whiteboard system, which allows teachers to more easily connect with their students.
Individual admistrators purchased the mimio systems with grant money from the school district. Thirteen mimio systems have been purchased—one for each school, one for the district office and one for the special education department. “Our hope is to purchase more next year,” said Assistant Superintendent Chad Struhs.
Groveland Elementary third grade teacher Elisa Miskin has been using the mimio since the beginning of the school year. Groveland was the first school to utilize this system. Today, the other schools in the district will have the same opportunity.
The mimio system connects to a computer. A
memory pad allows the teacher to move 35 feet from the computer to possibly bring a shy student into the lesson.
“Mimio makes any whiteboard into an interactive computer screen,” said Miskin.
“This is such an interactive world; students almost need something like this to stay involved in the lesson,” Miskin said.
Students can see the lesson on the screen and have the visual cues where they should be in their book, she said. The visual aspect adds to the audio learning experience.
“My students love it,” she said. “It grabs their attention right off.”
“I use it every day for reading and math,” she said. “It’s especially helpful in math.”
“My students say it’s like magic,” Miskin said. “More of my students say their favorite subject is math where I don’t think it would usually be true.”
Every classroom has a projector, thanks to the efforts of Christine Silzly, Groveland Elementary’s principal last year. This year, Silzly is principal of Irving Kindergarten Center.
“The mimio allows us to access the adaptations education has made to the fullest,” said Groveland Elementary principal Troy J Thayne. “Many of the textbooks have interactive websites on line and the mimio allows them to utilize this technology to the fullest.
“Kids love technology,” Thayne said. “All around it’s a better method of delivery.”
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 11 November 2009 )
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