Comments on: Teaching Handwriting using an Interactive Whiteboard

By: tbarrett

tbarrett — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:46:46 +0000

Hi Liz – thanks for trying out the idea, I am so pleased to hear that it has helped. I found the same issue with Win Med Player. If you are working in SMART Notebook then (1) when it has finished saving you can check a little box to play. (2) Uncheck this as it will automatically go to Media Player. (3) Find the saved file on the computer, right click and “Open File with…” (4) Choose “Quicktime Player” if installed. (5) This will allow you to open and control multiple videos and is a simpler player than WMP.

If not on SMARTBoard just start from number 3, so long as the video capture saves to file. Have a play with Quicktime player to get used to it.

Hope this helps, let me know if you need anymore help and good luck with the rest of your training.

By: liz plane

liz plane — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:32:57 +0000

Hi Tom,
I'm training this year, and tried out using the Smart Recorder for a handwriting lesson this week, and it really helped the children, so thanks for a useful idea! I was wondering what programme you use for playing the videos? I was using Windows Media Player, and it only let me have one video playing at a time. Any tips on how to get round this?
Thanks,
Liz

By: liz plane

liz plane — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:32:57 +0000

By: Tina Donnell

Tina Donnell — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:12:37 +0000

Your blog post on handwriting was very timely as I have just been thinking about handwriting and how I teach it, especially how I can improve the handwriting of the 6 and 7 year olds I teach. As a teacher of junior children, I agree strongly with Leslie's comment – handwriting IS very important. If we can teach our junior children well, perhaps it will not be so important in subsequent class levels.
That said, I think your idea for making use of the video capture tool on an IWB is a great one. I always want to be in two (or twenty places at one time when teaching handwriting. To be freed up to move among the children, while still providing a model is just what I want. I'll have to do some experimenting. Thanks for the ideas.

By: lesliemaniotes

lesliemaniotes — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:05:06 +0000

Dear Tom,
As a literacy specialist and as a trained Reading Recovery teacher, I have thought deeply about handwriting. handwriting is VERY important to learn as children are beginning to form the letters. If children are not taught to write the letter the same way every time, then making the letter causes them to have to make a decision, should I go that way or this. It is crucial for all students to be able to write letters quickly and efficiently, fluently- without thought…so that they may move into thinking about the content of their writing and getting their message onto the page. If children are left alone to figure out how to write the letters, some will do it differently each time…this is not where we need creativity to lie, but in the word choice and ideas on the page…So I hope I offer you an even stronger rationale for your handwriting lesson.
All the best.
Leslie Maniotes