EDU 777: Reflection 2

Reflection 2

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The Process & Its Challenges 

    When I first created the proposal, I was extremely eager to get started on a process that could ultimately change the way our teachers teach, and students learn. Coming up with the first proposal felt fairly easy and straightforward, as I knew the struggles our students face when it comes to certain content areas, and I understand the day-to-day challenges of our teachers wanting to implement technology efficiently. Unfortunately, with technical issues, we know that those challenges can be even more difficult when we don't have the correct and necessary resources to ensure that our lessons are effective for students. I kept all of those issues in mind when I wrote up the original proposal. 

    As the process of the project dug deeper and deeper, I, personally, began to feel the pressure as I found it quite challenging to find the information necessary to back up my proposal. I knew there was evidence out there; there has been such positive feedback from schools and educators on how much their students have improved since they implemented the usage of a SMART board, I just had no idea where to even begin looking for it.

    I have to say that I lucked out--eventually--because I approached our school's principal about the matter. He, too, believed that the SMART board would be beneficial for both our staff and students in the classroom, which was why he was already in the process of obtaining a donation of a SMART board for our school. Also, to have someone to talk to through the process is beneficial. The principal and I were able to bounce our ideas off each other until we came up with a solution--or a proposition for both my project and the school board.

    The data can still be difficult to obtain as SMART boards are still relatively new to the majority of schools. Most teachers use them as a regular projector, especially if they did not receive the proper training on the boards and do not know all of the features that they entail. Other educators know how to work SMART boards just through hands-on experience and teaching themselves in the process. They learn what works from trial and error. 

    Continuing the process with our school's principal and digging up all the research I possibly could, I was able to gather enough information to figure out both how teachers can effectively use the SMART board in many content areas, as well as how the use of them can benefit students in day-to-day academics and overall test scores.

    Though overwhelming, the process was one I would definitely go through again if it meant I would achieve the exact or similar results.

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    After completing this project, I have to admit that I feel accomplished. Our principal may have had the initial idea of obtaining a SMART board, but I approached him about purchasing boards for each of the classrooms for all teachers (content area and specials) to enhance our students' learning experiences. Perhaps our principal would have come up with the idea himself (sooner or later), but I'm glad that I proposed the idea, and that we worked together to work up a plan. Sure, the process of raising the money will take up some time, as will purchasing and installing the SMART boards, but ultimately, it will be worth every moment and any obstacle that we may face in the process.

Positives & Negatives

    The only downside to the project was figuring out the pricing, how long it will take our school to raise the money, and how long it will take for the SMART boards to come in. It's clear that they are in high demand since so many schools and businesses are seeing that they are effective in a working and learning environment. However, if we keep our eyes on the plan for the long run, we'll be able to get passed the challenges of this process. During the waiting period, our teachers can continue to work on understanding the SMART board and learn about its features. We can collaborate on lesson plans and activities that will engage our students and provide active learning rather than having students disassociate themselves from the lesson when working independently on their individual devices.