In addition to the budget buzz and media attention around student completion rates, many people in our nation are having a very important conversation about the low percentage of students who are “college-ready” when they enter college. College readiness is having the ability to complete college-level work. However, in the US, only 32% of students who enter college have the basic skills (e.g. reading, writing, and math) to succeed.
At Continuing Education, new technology is increasing learning opportunities in basic skills classrooms. On a recent Tuesday morning, more than two dozen students were in a very traditional reading class learning punctuation, spelling, and grammar—but in a very nontraditional setting with an interactive game sharing the front of class with an instructor giving the lesson on a Smart Board.
“I use the Smart Board every day, in every class,” says Holly Rodriquez, Adult Basic Education/Adult Secondary Education instructor and Program Chair at Continuing Education.
A Smart Board combines the simple idea of a white board with SmartNotebook software. Instructors deliver interactive lessons by showing videos, writing notes, and demonstrating in digital ink. Plus, educational computer games keep students motivated and engaged—and at the Smart Board, they use touch instead of pens or pencils.
“With such a variety of levels in the classroom, the Smart Board enables us to provide differentiated instruction more efficiently,” said Rodriquez. “For example, lower level students can identify run-on sentences; while more advanced students can help input the proper coordinating conjunctions.”
“The Smart Board can actually improve learning outcomes,” said Leticia Flores, an Adult Basic Skills/Adult Secondary Education instructor. “The students are literally drawn to the board.” Flores uses interactive lesson plans and games to teach fractions, decimals, and percents. She begins the lesson with a question to the class about why this sort of math is important. The student responses are on target: for tax rates, understanding discounts, and configuring gratuities.
“I like how it shows the different examples, instead of having to write them all down,” said Lupita Zarate, a student in class. Zarate has been taking GED preparation courses. “Even though the games seem a little kiddish, they really do help us understand,” she says.
The Smart Board accommodates various learning styles. Research shows that people have different ways of learning, such as visual, auditory, or tactile (e.g. seeing, hearing and touching). A modern learning environment should encompass all three styles to the extent possible and the Smart Board excels at this.
“More students are able to engage and participate,” said Rodriquez. “For example, with the old traditional white board, our students with limited fine motor skills did not really have the opportunity to come up to the board and write examples, but with the Smart Board we’ve had a student use a tennis ball as a writing instrument, which allowed them to participate.”
Secondary education enrollments are at record-highs from coast-to-coast, and classrooms are bursting at the seams. Therefore, when a student successfully “gets a seat” in a class, they need to maximize chances for success.
“Using the Smart Board builds on established classroom pedagogy and provides the instructor with the technology to add to, and expand, this pedagogy thereby enhancing the learning environment,” said Dr. Brian Ellison, Vice President of Instruction and Student Services at Continuing Education.
“It’s the wave of the future,” says Rodriquez. “The new technology has really inspired us as instructors. It has brought not only the students and the material alive, but in a way, it has really renewed our passion. Everything about it is exciting! When funds become available again, we want every classroom to have a Smart Board.”