Teachers using new technology
in their classrooms

   Educators are always looking for ways to motivate their students. Two St. John Elementary teachers are utilizing technology to get children excited about learning.
   Teachers Teresa Recker and Sharon Closson are now using Starboards in their classrooms. The system includes a touch-sensitive display connected to a computer and digital projector and it allows for a greater level of interaction between the teachers and students in numerous ways.
   Instead of writing math problems or spelling words on the chalkboard, the teachers can write lesson plans that are projected onto a surface that can easily be seen by everyone in the room. Not only does this eliminate the need to move away from the board so each student can see, it also allows the teachers to be positioned so students are always within their sight.
   Another benefit is information can be stored. Teachers can develop lessons ahead of time and pull them up in class as needed without wasting time erasing the board and starting over. Best of all, the information is saved and can be used at another time. Software that accompanies textbooks can also be used with the Starboard so exercises on worksheets on the students’ desks can also be displayed on the screen.
   "I’ve always loved teaching. But I look forward to using the board. It’s really fun.” Recker said.
   The students like it also. Children in Recker’s first grade class said the board is “cool” and they enjoy taking turns using it. They also said it is easier to follow along with the teacher when they go over worksheets.
   “When I can project the worksheet onto the board it is easier to keep them focused on the particular problem we are working on,” Recker said. “It is also beneficial for me because I don’t have to walk up and down each row to see if each student is in the right spot because I can see all of their papers while I’m standing at the projector.”
   The system also eliminates the problem of trying to crowd a classroom full of students around one computer screen. The new technology allows for things such as virtual tour and streaming date to be projected onto the larger screen so each student can view it without leaving their desk.
   Elementary School Principal Theresa Kemmann said the boards were purchased with monies that remained after textbooks were purchased. She hopes more of the technology can be purchased in the future.