Rationale
My rationale for incorporating the use of the SmartBoards in H.I.B.S is mainly for the fact that H.I.B.S has SmartBoards in almost all of the classrooms, but as a teacher, I don’t know how other teachers and students feel about this technology and its use I want to take a closer look at the use of SmartBoard technology used at Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi The only classroom without a SmartBoard was 12 th grade’s classroom, which is getting it installed in the immediate future, and now has been installed since I first began researching this project In years past, H.I.B.S has had SmartBoards, however not many teachers used them because of lack of knowledge or lack of good software I have observed this myself through theory and in practice, while teaching for this school since the beginning of the 2011 academic year This year H.I.B.S has aimed to train the teachers on the use of SmartBoards, although the training was only part of two mornings, and has supplied the teachers with program materials to be used on the SmartBoards H.I.B.S hopes that all teachers now have the necessary skills needed to make use of the SmartBoards H.I.B.S has resources from the publishing company that they have purchased their educational books from H.I.B.S also has attempted to train its teachers on how to create simple SmartBoard lessons
I tried to incorporate the use of the SmartBoard more into the lessons that I prepared for teaching to high school students in Horizon International Bilingual School, although I’m not sure if I feel that I have been trained enough I do not know how other teachers feel about using the SmartBoard This thesis will show the teachers and students’ views of the use of SmartBoard technology in teaching at
H.I.B.S during the 2013-2014 academic year and show suggestions to improve its use, based on my observations and data gathered and analysis.
Purpose
The students that I taught while teaching for H.I.B.S were at many different levels of English competence In some of the classrooms that I taught, the student body consisted of learners from several different countries, who could not fully express themselves in the English language as of thus far Therefore, in a situation such as this, some communication barriers are put up between some students who really want to talk with each other, but cannot I have personally seen that when the students use a SmartBoard, they are more interactive with learning and cooperating with each other and looking at each other with expressions that can be understood without the use of too much formal spoken communication However over my years of teaching at H.I.B.S (three academic years from 2011-2014), I have been wondering about the effectiveness of the utilization of this technology in teaching at H.I.B.S., considering many issues that I have seen during these years
In a localized context-sensitive approach, it will be with the use of Oxford iTools programs, for secondary and high school students, which are supplied to the teachers at H.I.B.S.; therefore the subject matter presented in the textbooks will be reproduced to give the students an extra advantage on memory retention The information covered in the student’s book and workbook will be presented in a third way in the use of audio-visual interactive programs The same information will be presented, but in a more interactive way to promote the retention of the topics or points learned
In the beginning this was my thought: Practicality, or the way in which teachers could intend to overthrow the unequal power relationship between theory and practice, may be seen by the students being more active in class and using what they’ve learned proudly in front of members of their peer group This would mean that the students would learn the theory and then work with the subject matter more in their workbook, and after completing these two tasks, the students may be more willing and able to show their knowledge gained through interactive programs that can reinforce the learning that has been presented In theory, the students would have more time to practice with interactive lessons involving native speakers
According to Kumaravadivelu’s possibility principle, the incorporations of SmartBoards in the classroom will show social transformation because of the daily use of high technology in the students’ lives The identity formation of the students is being altered by today’s modern lifestyle, which we can see in our everyday lives
These include the use of the personal computer, iPod, iPad, smartphones, electronic translators, and many more items that students of today encounter in their everyday lives This technology can also teach culture as well, because most ESL learning involved learning about aspects of culture along with learning the language itself
SmartBoard technology can be a big asset to the teaching of English as a second/foreign language today and in the future Teachers must be able to understand these technologies so that they can teach with their use within a classroom Students in today’s modern classrooms are rapidly adjusting to the newest of technologies used in the teaching of English and other subjects All people involved with education should be informed about the use of SmartBoards and how they can be used as a great learning tool in fostering the acquisition of a new language or new subject material
In this research project I will involve students and teachers at Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi, Vietnam, during the 2013-2014 academic year I believe that students can be able to have a better understanding of each other and each other’s cultures through the use of SmartBoard technology, while at the same time increasing their knowledge of the English language, and other subjects, while becoming more engaged with their learning and social processes as the grow from adolescents into the young men and women who will have a huge impact on our world’s future The research that I will show in this paper, conversely will be research focused on the evaluation of the use of this technology in teaching and learning in the classroom at H.I.B.S., Hanoi, Vietnam
While teaching for H.I.B.S during the 2013-2014 academic year, I taught 8 th grade international students as well as all students in grades 9 through 12 Grades 9 and 10 are heavily engaged in learning English and love to try to use the Smartboard when we have time in class Eleventh grade, which is our largest class, has trouble focusing at times, and 12 th grade (which got a SmartBoard installed just recently) is uninvolved in the learning process, with the exception of one student It is discouraging to see the 12 th grade students not care about education during their final year I propose, with the aid of a SmartBoard, and the proper teaching techniques, teachers can keep the students more engaged in their learning processes and development as individual social beings
In classes that I’m not seeing much progress, I decided on changing my teaching methods In the future I want to see the students be more involved in participation in the classroom setting and become more comfortable in the practice of the use of language, and widening knowledge of other subjects, while at the same time becoming more culturally aware and culturally sensitive I also had the benefit of teaching an extra class, of my own choice and design, to international students from grades 8 and 11 combined My students came from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and were not all aware of each others’ cultural norms We were able to discuss many topics and issues such as current events in the world today For our first semester we focused on debates about topics of interest that I gathered information for through the use of research about how a debate class was carried out internationally, and what topics we should consider debating For our second semester, I conducted a Public Speaking class with these same students I presented them with ideas to think about and introduce to the class, in the form of a speech
For our first assignment, I had the students do a presentation about the countries (or cities) that they came from, in order to both boost their self-confidence about speaking in front of a group and educating their fellow peers about the culture and life from where they came from before attending H.I.B.S Fifty percent of these students were excited to use the SmartBoard for their presentations, incorporating video, pictures, and sound so that they could practice making Powerpoint Presentations while incorporating the use of the SmartBoard Four out of the eight students decided to use the technology of the SmartBoard, while four did not They had the choice I encouraged the use, but did not require the use.
Significance
My desire is that this thesis will aid in the furthering of education of the English language, as well as other subjects, for future teachers and students who may work for, or attend, H.I.B.S in the future I also want teachers to be able to utilize the SmartBoard technology that they have in their classrooms, in order to teach in a more progressive manner that will benefit the learners in many different ways, not just academically, but socially as well I had worked for this school for the last three academic years and had come to deeply love my job, my students, and my co-educators within H.I.B.S.’s educational community This educational community has recently gone through some major changes, which included moving the secondary and high schools to the location where the primary school already existed Now H.I.B.S has a full school (Pre-Kindergarten through 12 th grade) in one location The learners became more social with each other Older students are now interacting with younger students, morals are being learned and future behavior is being shaped.
Scope
The by and large aim of this thesis is to examine the current high technology- based learning experiences as seen from both students’ and teachers’ points of views, while utilizing SmartBoard technology in the classroom as a learning medium
Goal 1: To provide an overview of SmartBoard technology as a teaching instrument
Goal 2: To illustrate to the reader how SmartBoard technology is used in the classroom at Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi, Vietnam
Goal 3: To illustrate to the reader how the students and teachers perceive the use of SmartBoard technology use in their classroom settings
Goal 4: To look at concerns about the use of SmartBoard technology within the classroom settings at Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi, Vietnam
Goal 5: To provide directions and motivation for further study and implementation of the use of SmartBoard technology at Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi, Vietnam
This thesis sought to examine these 5 goals and to investigate some key issues with the use of SmartBoard technology within different classroom settings at Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi, Vietnam I mostly used surveys which were by design receptive and investigative to document the feelings and success status of learning through the use of SmartBoard technology, experienced by teachers and students who taught for and attended Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi from 2013-2014 I used this technology in the classroom as well, including the observation of several teachers utilizing this technology within their classrooms I wish to see an increase in the optimization of the use of SmartBoard technology in the near future, not just at Horizon School, but at many schools and institutes utilizing this technology worldwide.
Methodology
This thesis is a qualitative research analysis project with quantitative research methodology used when examining numbers rather than the more open-ended questions presented on the questionnaires handed out to students in mostly 8 th through 12 th grades at Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi, Vietnam during the 2013-2014 academic year I used research based off other authors’ findings to build a basis for a literature review before I developed questionnaires that I handed out to both teachers and students, mostly involved with 8 th through
12 th grades, at HIBS After collecting the questionnaires, observing teachers and students interacting and studying through the use of SmartBoard technology, and utilizing the technology myself in my own classrooms, I conjured up a research thesis based on mostly qualitative methodology with quantitative values implemented as well.
Organization (structure of the thesis)
This thesis is broken down into three sections: Parts A, B, and C In Part A, this thesis will discuss the introduction to this thesis I will discuss my rationale, aims, and significance, as well as detail the scope, organization and finally the research questions that will be answered In Part B, the main of the development of the research project will be shown Chapter one will illustrate the literature reviews concerning this study Chapter two will show the methodology used for the data collection Chapter three will show the results of the data that was analyzed for this study This chapter will also show implications for further research into this study In the final part, Part C, this thesis will show the conclusion thoughts behind this research study.
Research Questions
1 How do the students view the use of SmartBoards in their classrooms?
2 How do teachers at H.I.B.S view the use of SmartBoard technology?
LITERATURE REVIEW
Use of SMART Boards for teaching, learning
The first selection that I will review is Use of SMART Boards for teaching, learning and assessment in kindergarten science, written by Chris Preston and Lee
Mowbray (Teaching Science, 54, 2: 2008) This article presents findings from classroom-based research with kindergarteners at Abbotsleigh Junior School located in the U.K
The article focused on studies done with kindergarten students in science lessons It showed how kindergarten students can use deductive reasoning on a SmartBoard to solve complex problems, that they wouldn't normally be able to sole using pen and paper alone They showed this through their findings on Lego cars travel distance on different surfaces The article spoke of how the conducted their lessons They also evaluated SmartBoards showing the boards' benefits and limitations They show the benefits as being that SmartBoards are easy to operate and fun for a child to use while being very useful in the elicitation of previous knowledge, and for gaining evidence to help the children further their conceptual and developmental skills They also show an example to back up their findings
The article also shows evidence of better assessment for the knowledge gained by young learners who may not yet be able to use a pen and paper to take tests The limitations listed were as follows: the cost, setting-up the classroom, not being able to have more than one child using the board at once (there's a special pen to use the board, and only one works at a time.) The article finally states that the SmartBoard should be used as an effective tool so that the teacher will still play a role as a facilitator in the classroom, using the Smartboard to take a 'minds on' approach to learning science The article goes on to state that grades 5 and 6 benefit the most from the use of SmartBoard-based lessons.
The unexpected impact of SMART Boards and the emergence of a professional learning
professional learning community within an elementary school
The second publication that I will be reviewing is written by a collective group of authors and is entitled My teaching took off sideways: The unexpected impact of SMART Boards and the emergence of a professional learning community within an elementary school (Naylor, et al.: 2008) This article was written for the British Columbia Teachers' Federation and is a revision of a paper given to the Canadian School for Studies in Education This publication focuses on two presenting issues The first issue was to examine the impact that the use of the SmartBoard has on teaching and learning The second issue discussed was better formation of a learning community The paper concluded that the study was a success SmartBoards helped change pedagogical approaches of teachers These teachers believe that this change has aided in improving students' engagement, retention and output of the subject matter discussed The paper also helped form and identify a new layer within the school's already established learning community
The teachers would have meetings to discuss the nature of their work and issues with SmartBoards in their classrooms This ended up causing a stronger bond within their learning community and also led to the creation of their own Wiki project.
Beginner Adult ESL Education in the Age of Technology
we have available This begins with the problems that some adult learners have with the use of technology such as logging onto a computer, or even turning it on
This shows how technology has created a barrier to some learners' learning These learners must learn to use the new technology so that they can make use of it This paper makes a strong argument on how technology has made such a big impact on teaching and learning in today's educational world The author also points out that many adult learners come from lower-income communities and nations where this kind of technology was never available For many of these students technology in the classroom was never an issue because it had been of little importance They never had a need to know how to navigate a computer because of their living environments at home Many learners of ESL in America are immigrants who earn little money and use all of their earnings to support their extended families, not make major purchases of electronic equipment The author bases his research paper on this group of adult learners He goes on to give his definition of ESL students in community college The majority of community college students are already classified as non-traditional students because of their age, and he focuses further on the ESL students who are immigrants, refugees and international students who want to improve their skills in the English language The author states that students who are immigrants or refugees may have not been introduced, or had access, to many types of technology we use in our common classrooms in the United States These students must learn how to use this technology, which they have never seen before, and at the same time integrate it in their learning procedures This has shown to be a second meaning-based learning system for these students to learn even basic language The author states that visual technology has brought us a long way, but now multi-modal approaches to learning are reinforcing learners' learning in a much more positive way This paper not only takes a look at SmartBoards It also reinforces older technology, such as CD players, DVD players, and computers alone The author next outlines the negative effects of having limited knowledge when it comes to technology Many students don't have access to this technology outside of the classroom They also don't have extra hours in their lives to seek out how to use all of this technology on their own He goes on to state that this can be learned in the classroom, but at a more advanced level, after the development of their initial language skills The author goes on to talk about how students need to be taught the basics of technology before making use of it The publication concludes that these certain community college students have many obstacles in the hopes of learning The author also mentions that technology is always changing and we always have to learn how to adapt it for our needs He also concludes that the job of an ESL/EFL teacher is not only to teach language, but also teach skills needed to be good students.
Second Language Learning in the 21 st Century Classroom
Learning in the 21 st Century Classroom, by Heather Scholz (Scholtz: 2010), focuses on the ways that different technologies can aide in the development of linguistic and communicative competencies for second language learners This article starts off by introducing the fact that learners today are experiencing learning differently that the learners of past decades She points out that students are not responding to traditional teaching methods the same way as in the past The paper points out those second language learners are raring to reach out to others through social networking and videoconferencing SmartBoards provide an interactive way of learning that is highly desired in the 21 st century classroom The author states that collaborative learning readily occurs through the use of computer technology This, in turn, facilitates the broadening of creativity, critical thinking and problem solving The paper suggests that these new technologies, such as social networking and videoconferencing are unique opportunities for students to be able to communicate with different students across place and time The paper identifies that personalized learning is very important in Canada, and that it can be better achieved through the use of technology The author also notes that Dragon Naturally Speaking (computer program) is very useful in aiding the learning of students who perceive learning better through auditory means The publication also lists SmartBoards as a great way to make use of a hands-on approach to learning
Technology has also helped students be able to study at the pace that they need
Through the use of technology, students can reinforce their learning in many different ways The paper shows how teachers are making use of technology in the classroom, but students seem to be taking the control into their own hands because of an interactive learning experience This paper argues that learners can learn through collaborative relationships using the personalized learning approach The paper argues that the teacher’s role in the classroom is changing over the years, and changing rapidly because of the new wave of technological devices The teacher's role is changing to being a teacher-as-a-facilitator in the 21 st century classroom
The author then goes back to emphasize the role of social networking and videoconferencing in the learning of language in the 21 st century classroom After this she goes on to discuss SmartBoard use further The author quotes Gerard and Widener (1999:6) in the use of SmartBoards as a powerful support system for language acquisition and communication They say that it [the SmartBoard]
“provides a bridge that allows using the features of computers without breaking communication – it even supports it Secondly, it may enhance new kinds of learning processes.” The paper goes on to cover the benefits from the use of a SmartBoard, such as an increase in interaction time between the teacher and the students, easy ways of teaching vocabulary, having many students focus on reading the same thing (such as an article from the internet) at the same time, and the ways that the SmartBoard supports hands-on learning, where the students can have a lot of control Next was the issue of teaching culture, because some parts of culture are definitely taught in second-language classrooms The technologies available to the students can also be used to encourage further understanding and learning about different aspects of culture In the conclusion, there is an emphasis on teaching technical literacy in the second-language classroom There is also an emphasis on teaching culture through the use of technology because of the ‘global citizenship outcomes’ used in Canadian educational sectors
Each work that I read had similarities All agreed that the use of different technologies, especially SmartBoards, helps in learners’ learning of a new language or new subject material They all showed the many benefits that SmartBoards, if used properly, can have towards learning acquisition in the classroom Except for Beginner Adult ESL Education in the Age of Technology, every article that I reviewed showed mostly just the benefits of using SmartBoard technology in the classroom A similar issue was raised by Second Language Learning in the 21 st Century Classroom, where the article pointed out that technology literacy must also be taught in the classroom
All of the articles are relevant in today’s international teaching world
SmartBoards are being used in more and more classrooms throughout the world
I’ve personally taught ESL/EFL and other subjects to speakers of other languages and students who come from many different cultural backgrounds I have taught in Korea, Thailand, China, and Vietnam I had the use of a SmartBoard in most of the classrooms that I have taught in, except for my teaching career in Thailand, where there was not much use of modern technologies in the classroom
All of these papers, with the exception of Beginner Adult ESL Education in the Age of Technology, can help me towards conducting this research paper about the effectiveness of the use of SmartBoard technology in teaching at Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi The student body consists of well-to-do Vietnamese and international learners However, every one of these publications can aid in the understanding and development of the use of modern technology within a second-language learning classroom environment in our growing multicultural world Technology is rapidly developing in today’s educational system Teachers’ teaching style and learners’ learning style needs to adapt to the changes of using more modern technologies in the classroom
I hope in the future SmartBoard technology will become available for the majority of the English language learning students in Vietnam Currently it is used in few International schools that are too costly for the majority of the English learning population In these schools, teachers don’t seem to utilize these machines to their full potential Learning about SmartBoards and how to implement them in the learning process in the English language learning classroom is a long course of action I have a lot to learn myself about this technology as it is still very new technology in the classroom, and teachers, like me, are unaware of the best software for the implementation of SmartBoards in education The documentation of the progression of learning amongst students as well as helping to educate current and future teachers about the benefits and possible set-backs in the use of SmartBoards in the ESL Classroom is necessary, if the use of SmartBoard technology is desired by the educational institution that people teach, work, and learn in.
METHODOLOGY
Data Collection Information
As my main method of research I handed out questionnaires to both teachers and students to help me gather unbiased qualitative data results of my findings of the utilization and effectiveness in teaching at H.I.B.S during the 2013-2014 academic year Teachers from Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, and the United States have completed the surveys, revealing results of mixed feelings.
Demographics and 2.1.3 School
I questioned nine teachers who all taught for secondary and high school students (grades 6 through 12), with the exception of three teachers who also used the SmartBoard for teaching nursery and primary school students as well as secondary and high school students These teachers taught Physics, Biology, Mathematics, ICT, Culture, Reading, Writing, Drama, Morals, Swimming, Music, and the English language.
Data Collection
of nine teachers reported that they felt comfortable, three reported that they did not feel comfortable, and one reported that they sometimes feel comfortable, and at other times, did not When asked if they think that having a SmartBoard in the classroom has affected the interest and engagement of their students in their desire to learn in their classroom settings, five teachers reported that having the SmartBoard in the classroom has very much affected this interest and engagement in a positive way, while three teachers said that it only somewhat affected it, and one teacher said that it only minimally affected their students’ desire to learn in their classroom setting When asked if the teachers included the use of the SmartBoard into their lesson plans to facilitate learning activities in their classroom, six teachers answered positively, while three answered that they did not
When asked if these teachers felt comfortable helping other teachers use the SmartBoard in their classrooms, seven of the teachers claimed that they do feel comfortable helping other teachers use this technology, one does not, and another teacher does not because of using a different Operating System on their computer
When asked if these teachers felt comfortable asking for help utilizing the SmartBoard when they need it, seven of the teachers surveyed said yes, one does not because they report having more specific problems and having no one around to help when it needs fixing, and another does not feel comfortable asking for help at all When asked how confident they are when utilizing the SmartBoard in their classrooms, two out of nine answered that they are very confident in using the SmartBoard, while six teachers reported that they feel somewhat comfortable and one reported not being confident in utilizing the SmartBoard in class at all
Does the Teacher feel comfortable while using these SBs?
Does the Teacher feel comfortable helping others use the SB
Does the Teacher feel comfortable asking for help with the SB?
For materials, Horizon International Bilingual School has distributed CDs and interactive software to aid in the process of utilizing the SmartBoard in their classrooms When asked if the teachers utilize these materials that the school provides, four out of nine teachers reported that they do use the materials, while five teachers said that they do not use these provided materials One teacher reported not being introduced to these materials When asked if they use the dry-erase tools provided (Promethian ActiveOffice Tools), five out of nine reported that they use the provided tools, while four reported that they did not When asked if these same teachers utilized the SmartBoard to access website, six out of nine said yes, while three said no
That was the end of the questions that had concrete answers by choosing one of the provided answers to complete the questions Next I asked these same teachers to answer some questions by writing, which seven out of nine teachers completed in its entirety
The first question that I asked applied to the foreseen benefits that these teachers have seen while incorporating the SmartBoard into their lessons Seven out of nine of these teachers answered these questions, and all seven reported positive benefits, such as:
Teacher #1: “Mostly I show the steps of tasks and it makes it very easy for the students (to understand).”
Teacher #2: “It (the SmartBoard) facilitates teaching and getting attention of the students.”
Teacher #3: “It makes (the) classroom interesting.” and “Students learn subjects easily.”
Teacher #4: “(It) attracts students” and “Lets them (the students) to relax or rest when they get bored with just sitting and listening to the teacher
They can learn some topics by game-like activities.”
Teacher #5: “(I) can easily turn back to any previous lectures.” “Students wait to see and different/strange things that I put and use with (the) activeboard (this keeps them awake!)” and “Students interact more easily/motivatedly.”
Teacher #6: “Easy to display media and materials,” “Big screen for students,” and “More exciting compared to a traditional OHP [overhead projector].”
Teacher #7: “It can make learning much more internal.”
Another question that I posed to these teachers was about the drawbacks or limitations that they have seen while using the SmartBoard during their lessons
Out of these nine teachers, four answered in detail, two said that they did not see any drawbacks, and three did not answer Here are the three answers that I obtained:
Teacher #1: “Sometimes it gets stuck (stops working.),” “Sometimes it is slower and may not respond quickly,” “Some effects may not respond during the class,” and “Sometimes it cannot be calibrated properly.”
Teacher #2: “The projector light is coming from the front, so sometimes it’s uncomfortable.”
Teacher #3: “ They are not properly calibrated,” “The projectors are often broken,” “The VGA cables are often broken, and doing damage to my personal computer,” and “The WiFi has never properly worked.”
Teacher #4: “They are not very reliable for concerning a classroom’s needs.”
Another question that I presented to these teachers were ways that they have seen that Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi can improve the use of SmartBoard technology in the classroom Seven out of nine of the teachers questioned answered this question with the following statements:
Teacher #1: “By creating some more tools in order to make it easier to be used.”
Teacher #2: “They can buy the tools and new models (like smart-tables).”
Teacher #3: “Train new teachers how to use SmartBoard,” “Ask students to use SmartBoard when teacher is teaching,” and “Maybe we can update projectors and new SmartBoards.”
Teacher #4: “Better projectors can be installed I believe there should be fixed computers for each classroom, because we lose time installing and connecting our (own) computers to the SmartBoard and projector.”
Teacher #5: “Maybe we (the administration board) should require lesson plans prepared on the active board,” “Observe the teachers teachings more frequently,” and “Give out some awards.”
Teacher #6: “Monitor components and promptly fix them.”
When asked what features of the SmartBoard that they would like to know more about, I received the following responses:
Teacher #1: “Short ways of using tools.”
Teacher #2: “All of them I am a professional user.”
Teacher #3: “Drawing and listening parts.”
Teacher #5: “Hiding and revealing effects,” and “Adding layers and their order.”
Teacher #6: “How to import a pdf to Promethian The only way I have been successful is to take screen shots and import a jpg picture It is tedious but works.”
Next I posed a question from that which I did not know what feedback I would find I asked these same teachers why they thought that HIBS’s school director wants the teachers to use Smartboards in the classroom This time eight out of the nine teachers questioned presented their answers These are the findings that I gathered:
Teacher #1: “High-tech education and being modern,” and “Make a new tool in giving the education by the best and reliable way.”
Teacher #2: “It ‘SmartBoard’ is helpful for students,” and “Students feel bored when they learn only from books.”
Teacher #3: “This is technology He wants to adapt his school with developed technology.”
Teacher #4: “There are benefits of the SmartBoard for the students and the teachers and the school.”
Teacher #5: “It is modern,” “It is interactive,” “It is interesting,” “It can be both a board and a screen,” “It can let you underline/circle/cross any word that you emphasize,” and “It makes the classroom a more educational and professional place.”
Teacher #6: “He might want to show people that we’re a modern school using the latest tech of education.”
Teacher #7: “It will impress the parents.”
Teacher #8: “To keep up with the changing attention span of our modern children.”
The final question that I posed to the Turkish, Turkmen, Vietnamese and American teachers at HIBS during the 2013-2014 academic year was “What else can you tell me from your experience using the SmartBoard during your lessons that you teach at Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi, Vietnam?” Only four out of the eight teachers questioned presented answers:
Implications for Further Research
Those are the issues that I saw about the technology itself However I was unaware of the students issues such as not having enough light to take notes and it hurting their eyes Many of the students wear glasses to begin with, so if SmartBoards damage their eyes, they should be used less, or the technology developed, such as inventing an extra-large touch screen LCD TV with interactive computer built in software and hardware, allowing the board to be used to its highest potential while not needing darkness in able to utilize it Although another con listed by some of the students was that this current SmartBoard technology is expensive I imagine my thought of an extra-large LCD/computer touch screen hybrid would be much more expensive to develop, but with today’s quickly improving technology, who knows? Maybe some of these current students learning from these SmartBoards will learn from the technology itself to be able to further advance its technology in the future
Another main issue was the training and ease of use by the teachers I previously described the teacher’s training The responses to the survey have been reported Seven of nine reported having been trained, and I had training as well
Although like five of these teachers, I also do not feel that I’ve been properly trained on utilizing the SmartBoard I would like to know how to use it to its fullest extent, but I do not believe that a morning and another half-morning of training is enough to understand how to use it fully and thoroughly Some of the students questioned reported that it was easy to use and made things easier for the teachers
Some students seemed to understand the technology better than some teachers questioned All of the teachers wanted to know more about the different features of the SmartBoard Possibly training could be an ongoing thing with regular workshops on the use of the SmartBoard offered I believe that this would also make all teachers feel more comfortable asking questions about the use of the board, while at the same time gaining confidence in utilizing the board and making lessons on the board, with simulated student interaction if wanted
I believe that the SmartBoard can have many benefits in making students interested in studying while making studying easier, if using the right software or websites designed for the use of SmartBoard lessons and educational games It does make it easier to return to previous lectures, display media, and seems to attract most students (more than 50% as shown in above statistics) Smartboards can also hurt in taking away classroom learning time for the setting-up of the system The board hurts students’ eyes and makes it difficult for them to take notes, while putting other students to sleep
The next step is to learn from these findings and implement some actions
Firstly, I propose that H.I.B.S installs stable, fixed, permanently attached computers to the SmartBoards which are permanently wired and calibrated I also propose that the administration takes measures to make sure that the projectors are properly maintained I further propose that H.I.B.S makes sure that all provided software is pre-installed and working, ensuring the ease of teaching, which in turn helps students As for the issue of hurting the students eyes, I propose the installation of a lighting system that makes it so that there can be comfortable, minimal light, allowing the students to take notes more easily as well I believe installing completely new systems would be much too costly for a school of H.I.B.S.’ size, so H.I.B.S should utilize the expensive systems that they currently possess in the most efficient ways of implementation I also propose that teaching times on SmartBoards are kept to an average amount of hours agreed upon by teachers, parents, administrators and students Students should be encouraged to give anonymous feedback and suggestions concerning the use of this fairly new tool to assist with the learning process Lastly I propose that H.I.B.S holds ongoing training seminars on the utilization of the SmartBoard so that all teachers can feel 100% comfortable when using this technology, and be able to produce their own lessons that they have designed for interactive use on the SmartBoard The beginning of the academic year’s training is not enough
I see this technology as having a lot of potential in the ability to more easily facilitate the learning of complex issues combining auditory, visual, and touch features There needs to be more research about this topic Teachers and students should be given opportunities to provide more personal feedback so that the teachers can be able to adapt more easily to their students’ needs I suggest H.I.B.S continues the research that I have started on their use of modern technology in the classroom to further utilize this technology to its fullest capacity H.I.B.S is doing a great job in providing teachers and students with the latest technology, but further ongoing research should be implemented to adapt to its actual use in the classroom
The History of Smart Board Technology | GTeach (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.gteach.com/the-history-of-smart-board-technology.html
Preston, C., & Mowbray, L (2008) Use of SMART Boards for teaching, learning and assessment in kindergarten science Teaching Science, 54(2), 50-53
Aljabre, A (2012) Beginner Adult ESL Education in the Age of Technology International Journal of Advanced Information Technology, 2(1), 1-10
Naylor, C., Erickson, G., Clarke, T., Lim-Fong, B., Brook, D., Cassie, L., Cyr, H., Fong, M., Robins, R., Watkins, D., Zubke, S., & Wong, G (2008) "My teaching took off sideways": The unexpected impact of SMART Boards and the emergence of a professional learning community within an elementary school
Retrieved from British Columbia Teachers' Federation website: http://www.bctf.ca
Scholz, H (2010) Second Language Learning in the 21st Century Classroom BU Journal of Graduate Studies in Education, 2(2), 32-36 Retrieved from http://www.brandonu.ca
SmartBoard Education Survey: Teachers at Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi, Vietnam (2013-2014):
1) What grade(s) do you teach?
2) What subject(s) do you teach?
3) How often do you use the SmartBoard in your classroom?
Never A couple times a week Several times a week
4) Have you been trained to use the SmartBoard in your classroom?
5) Do you feel that you have been properly trained to use the SmartBoard in your classroom?
6) How has having a SmartBoard in your classroom affected the interest and engagement of your students in the desire to learn in their classroom setting?
Not at all A little Somewhat A lot
7) Do you include the use of the SmartBoard into your lesson plans to facilitate learning activities in your classroom?
8) Do you feel comfortable using the SmartBoard in your classroom?
9) Do you use the dry erase tools on the SmartBoard (Promethian ActiveOffice Tool Yes No
10) Do you utilize websites on the SmartBoard? If yes, please list the most used
11) Do you utilize materials provided by the school (HIBS)? (Oxford iTools)
12) Do you feel comfortable helping other teachers use the SmartBoard?
13) Do you feel comfortable asking for help when you need it, in the utilization of the SmartBoard?
14) How confident are you in using the SmartBoard in your classroom?
Not at all A little Somewhat Very Writing
15) What benefits do you see in incorporating the SmartBoard into your lessons?
16) Why do you think our school’s director wants to use SmartBoards in the classroom?
17) What drawbacks do you see from using the SmartBoard during your lessons?
18) What features of the SmartBoard do you want to know more about?
19) How can Horizon improve the use of SmartBoard technology in the classroom?
20) What else can you tell me from your experience in using the SmartBoard during your lessons that you teach at Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi, Vietnam? (Please use the back if necessary.)
Education Survey: Students at Horizon International Bilingual School, Hanoi, Vietnam (2013-2014):
1) What grade are you in?
2) How often do your teachers use the SmartBoard for teaching lessons in class?
3) How has your level of interest in learning been affected because of having a SmartBoard in your classrooms?
A lot Somewhat A small amount None
4) Do you think that when your teachers use the Smartboard, you have a better understanding of the subject matter?
5) You have become more motivated to learn because of the use of the SmartBoard in your classroom
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
