Airliner (Slate, Interwrite Pad, etc.) in K-2 Environment

[Rachel Brockman]

I am about to do my first lesson using an Airliner. Does anyone have any advice to share here? I am particularly interested with any experiences in a K-2 environment. I have found a couple of cool sites where people have lessons to share using these tools. What hurdles should I anticipate?

[Donna Forester]

I have an airliner and so far have only used it myself in instruction and haven't handed it to students yet. Because I am the only one who has one in our building, at first it would become more about using the Airliner than what I need to teach. We do have Smart Boards in all our classrooms and I have one in the library. But so far, I have used the airliner in a limited capacity in these two ways:
1. My Smart Board is on the wall at my library steps because I use it most with the K-2 students. I love the airliner there when I need to do writing on the board that students are dictating--predictions or KWL info or in an alphabox. I can sit in my rocking chair while writing so that it goes more quickly. Calling on a student, turning my back to write their response prevents me from calling on the next student before I finish writing and can turn around again. If I don't have to turn my back, I can see who to call on before I complete writing the previous response.
2. The other way I have used it is at the tables in a lesson with the older students. I was determined to get rid of my overhead projector and thought through the times that I couldn't seem to do without it--modeling alphabetizing as the first step to using guide words, for example. So, since the airliner can be used without the Smart Board (my screen there comes out of the ceiling and there is no free wall for the Smart Board to be permanent), if I create my templates in Smart Notebook, I have all the capabilities of the Smart Board without a Smart Board.

I think the students will be quick to pick up the eye-hand coordination needed and will love it as much as students love the Smart Board.

[Miss M]

I have an Interwrite Pad that I absolutely love. However, I am not in the habit of handing it to students. The majority of teachers have Smart Boards, so the students are accustomed to writing on those. When I hand a board to a student things tend to suddenly go in slow motion. It takes them a relatively long time to do a simple act such as circling a correct answer. I would imagine that with more use they would get better and quicker, so I think I just need to take the time and let them play with it. Of course, time is always the issue, and there is never enough of it.
I will say this, they ALL want to participate when I do have the students use it to show/give their answer.

[Rachel Brockman]

OK - The Airliner lessons for all 48 of my K-2 classes are complete! I created what, in my mind, I call a "training wheels" lesson for myself and my 5-8 year olds on fiction and nonfiction images. We spent a little time discussing fiction/nonfiction, a little time on the care and feeding of the Airliner, opened up the lesson using the Notebook software that I use with my Airliner, and went to work!

Every single K-2 student in my school (about 850) used the Airliner, and learned how to "hover" and circle either a fiction or nonfiction image. Absolutely amazed at the speed with which they figured out the eye-hand coordination thing! We don't have a Smartboard, so this is going to be a very economical and portable solution for us!!!! :)

I still have much to learn about the Notebook software, and am reworking my information skill lessons in my mind for next year. You guys have to try this!!

[Beth Kiger]

Rachel, We have recently purchased 15 airliners as economical alternative to SmartBoards also. I would be interested in some of the lessons you are incorporating that allows student participation and what you teach them by way of Airliner care. This is going to be the way for me to get teachers on board. The parents also like to know students are using them. Please, tips would be welcome. They arrived late April, are inventoried and I would like to be ready to roll with them next year.

[Rachel Brockman]

How wonderful! I must admit that I am still learning with you when it comes to integration. I plan to explore a lot this year... There are some great websites out there that house lesson plans already put together by teachers that may be a good place to start until you feel confident using Notebook Software to design your own: http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activit... . There are aslo some great interactive websites perfectly suited to the Airliner: http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/online_downloads.htm .

Hopefully, we can share with each other our successes here - we didn't get ours until late last year, so this year will really be our first chance to fully integrate it. Oooh - I am holding a brief professional development opportunity for my teachers at the beginning of the school year to help them get over any fears they might have about using it. I am hoping that this might increase circulation of the Airliner... Please let me know how things go this year!

[Beth Kiger]

Thank you for your input. We have 16 airliners and the complaints I am hearing is "only one student can use at a time", they are not appropriate for elementary, etc. Mainly because all teachers want smartboards which is not financially going to happen. I would love to correspond with you about ideas you have to sell your faculty.

[Beth Kiger]

Do you have one per table? What are your logistics to keep them from running amuck?