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Kelso High School students Ben DeMoss, center, and Stian Iverson, right, write information on an "interactive whiteboard." More teachers are getting trained on the boards through the "peer coaching" program. Bill Wagner / The Daily News

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Staying in touch: Teachers helping peers keep up with technology

Monday, May 12, 2008 11:42 PM PDT

By Carrie Pederson

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Teachers need teachers, too, especially when it comes to making the best educational use of technological teaching tools.

“There are still a lot of people who are nervous about technology,” said Sheryl Forsman, first-grade teacher at Beacon Hill Elementary School. “Until you feel comfortable with using the technology, you can’t get it to the students.”

Now in it’s second year in Longview and Kelso, a federally supported state program is training teachers to coach their peers in how to get the most instructional benefit out of electronic gadgets.

At Kelso High School, for example, health teacher Pansy Nofzinger is coaching colleague Lori Nearing on how to use interactive whiteboards — also known as “SMART” boards — to make and categorize lists. The electronic boards allow the teachers to save students’ work and move elements around digitally. Many students like writing on the board in front of the class, which they can do with their fingers.

Nofzinger has only been using the boards since 2005, and she is still discovering their teaching potential.

“Every time I use it I learn a new trick,” Nofzinger said.

As a peer coach at Beacon Hill, Forsman said she finds out what other teachers are doing and how to use technology to enhance their teaching. It’s not just saying “here’s a bunch of new technology,” she said.

Next school year, 17 new “peer coaches” in Longview and Kelso will join 97 new coaches statewide, all trained by the program. Each coach gets $9,000, half of which goes for their own training, while the other half goes toward the purchase of computers, projectors, interactive white boards, software or other high-tech materials.

Dennis Small, director of educational technology at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, said the objective is not to have “technology guru” to be a coach. The point is learn good instructional practices, he said. Teachers use what they know about technology to help students learn in a different way, he said.

Nofzinger said students often are more facile with computers and electronic materials than teachers.

“They don’t have to think about which reflex to use. Kids are wired, and I have to think about it.” Her first-graders, she said, are “pretty savvy.” If teachers aren’t able to make good use of the equipment, “we can’t release the power to the kids by saying they get this and I don’t.”

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Ex Teacher wrote on May 13, 2008 9:50 AM:

" I wanted to put a comment here about the speed that the local internet works but the auto editor of the comment program won't allow me to use a word that stands for a central computer that sends signals to and from individual people. I can't even use the term for individual people. What kind of software is this newspaper using anyway?

What kind of simpleton thinks computer terms are dirty words? "

wrote on May 13, 2008 9:57 AM:

" When I buy a new "gadget" I read the manuel...but I don't have extra tax money laying around to use. "

J. Squires wrote on May 13, 2008 10:41 AM:

" I'm a teacher in Oregon and the interactive white-boards are a fantastic tool to share information, keep students motivated and generate incredible lessons that are easily saved and modified for future use in later school years.

Congrats on the local districts for taking the next step forward in education. This is the NEXT step, taxpayers should know that over time, this will SAVE them money.

"

TK wrote on May 13, 2008 10:42 AM:

" Unfortunately, a manual only tells you how a thing works not how to use it. A car manual won't tell you where to drive, for instance. If you don't know where you can go, your car won't do you any good.
This sounds like a great program that will increase student engagement and learning. Go, teachers! "

re wrote on May 13, 2008 11:03 AM:

" That really shows how long it has been since you have purchased any modern electronics! Most systems no longer ship with manuals (you have to read them online or access the "help" files), and the manuals still won't show how to work with any branded product other than "theirs". I have a lot of fine woodworking tools, that doesn't mean I can make an intricate wood carving AND teach someone else to use them as well. It takes experience, practice and collaborating with other experienced users in order to get the most out the "taxpayer" dollars spent for the technology to begin with. Just because you have a text book on brain surgery doesn't mean you can teach it, you have to know HOW to do it as well. "

FanInTheStands wrote on May 13, 2008 11:13 AM:

" This technology is awesome. It gets kids up and out of their seats and engaged in their own learning. The world has evolved into a place where you have to interact with technology, and Smartboards allow kids to do that.

And as for reading the manual, true, but that would be like giving a kid a math book and telling them to just learn it. It's easier and faster when their is interaction between people. "

stink wrote on May 13, 2008 11:44 AM:

" nice try...

The manuals that come with technology don't tell teachers how to best use it in the teaching of students. This sounds like a great idea to me. "

Hide Behind wrote on May 13, 2008 12:03 PM:

" Gimmicks such as interactive whiteboards may be usefull in some circumstances but may not be more effecient than old way. Used them in place of flip charts or chalk boards and as an instructor aid in industry but it was as a time,material and therby a cost saver but lent itself no more to message than old methods; maybe less in fact.Take picture in article, how much time is wasted by having individuals come forward than by having one person writing down ideas or names on board? As an initial gimmick to gain attention it is fine, but other methods can be used by a good instructor. As a tool to speed effeciency of professionals, such as at a teachers meeeting discussing staffing or currriculum in the exchanging ideas during a meeting,even in design of equipment or production process having one person operating even with those attending in some cases with portable models interacting it is fine but I see little to gain as a tool within most educational situtions other than very advanced classwork. This is one of those gimicks that showed up at a teachers conference and everyone went google eyed over because one of their members, an effeciency expert, or confidence builder coach, or con-salesman of teachers aids used it upon them. If you can't dazzle them with your brilliance then baffle them with Bull .... As in many systems the finer it is tooled the less % return each refinement thereafter will bring.
"

Love it wrote on May 13, 2008 12:37 PM:

" One cool feature of Smartboards: it gets the attention of many kids who would otherwise "zone out" during traditional lectures. It's amazing technology and it's cool that teachers who are comfortable and fluent are taking the time to pass on what they know to other teachers. "

Steve wrote on May 14, 2008 9:34 AM:

" It would be interesting to have more detail on what it allows the teachers to do that they couldn't before or how they can do something more efficiently. I know on paper you have limited space but online you have lots! "

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