Smartboard "SMART" for your eyes?

Yesterday I watched "Terzake", one of the better Flemish daily TV programmes that reflects on news items. An IT-innovative school was shown in Keerbergen. They have changed all their blackboards or whiteboards with Smartboards, an interactive white board on which a projector shines the computer images. I once tried this system, but not for long... The group of teacher trainers I was part of pushed it into the classroom corner after some trials.
There are four reasons I don't like the system:

• It constantly shines on you while you're standing in front of the Smartboard (the image on this pages is less ideal as on the commercial page!). Since my volume is rather XXXL, I'd better wear a white T-shirt, so students can still read the spherized letters on my non-virtual body. Moreover, I can't get an overview of my board since my shadow constantly interferes. I end up dancing in front of the board (like this distant brother of mine...)to avoid standing in front of my information.
• What's more: a screen is made to look at from a distance. Computer screens tend to have higher resolutions, so on the one hand the teacher can't get a good overview and back sitters in bigger classrooms can't read the letters.
• But a bigger problem is the fact that since a teacher is 90% of the time turned towards the students, this means that he/she is constantly looking into the projector's beams. Projectors shoot some 2500 - 3500 ANSI-Lumen nowadays, so I think that this can hurt the teacher's eyes, certainly if you use this system 7 hours a day since you have no alternative!!
• The last remark is that with this tech board teachers tend to think they reach their ICT-goals with the students. They have indeed integrated IT in their lessons. However the aims want students to work with ICT. So they still have to go to the computer classes or the OLC's with students so that they can work actively with IT.

The smartboard - as it is now - is according to me, not very healthy for the teacher, especially if he/she has to work with it constantly. Hopefully the plasma (or newer) technology will evolve quickly so that the interactive board will be back-lit.
Until then I wouldn't want to introduce a Smartboard in our school in such a way that all teachers are obliged to use it.

Vietnam project: Day 2 Warming up...

Yes, even in these tropical temperatures warming up is essential! ;-)
But first things first! Breakfast at the Majestic on the panoramic 5th floor is a great way to start the day, even at 6 in the morning!
The Grand Buffet is so impressive that I even think of getting up even earlier!!!

Here the panoramic view! Yes, it looks like a picture from before the war (world war 2, I mean... I had told myself... don't mention the war!!!), but it was taken this morning. You see the ferry boats cross the Saigon river...

Here I am being introduced by Mr. Thach, head of the institute. He expresses his gratefulness to the organisers of the workshop...

Intro by Jef on "Active Teaching and Learning" + Presentation of 5 lesson plans by the local teachers. The idea was to have them prepare a lesson plan involving some use of ICT before the start of the workshop. Then during the last day of the workshop, they can take the same lesson plans (themes) and implement the new techniques.

The teachers were introduced to the learning environment Blackboard, hosted by the EloV project in Flanders. I'd like to dedicate these pictures to Karel Van Rompaey and Mia Quartier, the real parents of the EloV project of which they have been bereaved! Many years of good work were not rewarded and wrongly taken away from you. Once more I express my gratitude of having been able to work with you, guys! I hope that the coming year will bring you prosperity and joy.
Here the local teachers are experiencing the use of the discussion board to build a tree story. They also used it as a brainstorm instrument on the theme: the future.

The next part was on the cyberpoetry site Poëzome. I presented this older site, although it is in Dutch because it was made by students, for students, because it is an interesting way of showing that language, poetry in particular and IT can go together, more even, that IT can create new forms of language-experience, poetry-experience, and finally because it is a good introduction to the possiblities of webquests... I browsed through poëzome, translating, explaining,...

And the workshoppers looked...

...and listened...

In the evening, I prepared for the next day...

... ate my evening chocolate, waiting for me on the sheets, and read the bedtime story: a tale on Trang Quynh, a half real, half mythical character of Vietnamese popular literature, loved particularly by the working class people.

International visit!

On Friday November 17th we received a group of people involved in the development of IT in education. They were invited by VVOB (Vlaamse Vereniging voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking en Technische Bijstand) who develop education and environment projects. The group consisted of people from Belgium, Vietnam, Cambodia and Kenya.
Here is the program I worked out:

Welcome to Xaco (Xaveriuscollege – Borgerhout)
Schedule:
13.30-14.15: welcome-speech by the headmaster, Johan Verschueren, and school visit.
14.30-15.05: attending 3 lessons in smaller groups. Switching classrooms after 15 minutes.

• R02: Ilse Heughebaert : Informatics
• M07: Ann Onraedt : History
• M04: Dré De Laet : Aesthetics

15.05-15.30: Drinks at the Polyhall
15.30-16.00: Presentation of the ICT-project at Xaco (Polyhall)
16.00-16.30: questions, ideas, opinions,…
16.30: end

And the winner is...

During the last couple of days I have been busy installing big multimedia equipment in the multi-usage projection hall of our school (advise and delivery by Prodiason). Great stuff we put up there: a 5 meter wide silver screen, weighing some 150kg was hung on the ceiling by Erik and me, assisted by Steve. Height of ceiling: 4m. Want to know how this magic was done... Just type you request...
Elpro large electrol of 5m x 3,65m with key switch for preventing undesired use... only: the wire-scheme was drawn in black and white... great if you have Black, Blue, Brown and Green/yellow as wires... Also the key-switch was suffering from a tight box... so it was hell trying to stuff all the wired in there with my thick fingers... one moment I felt like a robot-gynaecologist... but what an experience when that screen came down... slowly, as desired!
And then the projector: a Sanyo PLV-80: great machine since the zoom and lens shift make the projection flexible whatever source you use. The projector was hung on the ceiling at some 12m from the screen.
The effect is great: this evening the members of the board came to look at their investment and the nodding was great when I showed them the opening scenes of the classic "Easy Rider": Dennis and Peter motor-surfing this bright brand-new screen! Board meetings don't always need to be dull... ;-)
Tomorrow's the first movie show for the students... wonder what their reaction will be...
Today the hall was used for a conference, organised by the Silver Museum of Antwerp. They loved the equipment... I also lent them our Gyro-mouse by Gyration for the presentation of their PowerPoints. In the beginning it's a bit tricky getting used to, pointing and twisting in thin air, but once you get the feeling for it and use the wrist to move the cursor, you are once more amazed by the miracle called IT-techniques...
I shot a few pictures of today's event... I will show them later!

First trial

On Wednesday November 14th our projection facility was used for the first time by the Zilvermuseum Sterckshof who organised a conference at our school. Here a panoramic picture of the projection facilities.