Introduction

When I first began TLITE, I wanted a SmartBoard because, as the kids say, it looked like a cool toy!  Since acquiring my board, I have come to understand the value of a tool that creates multiple learning environments in the classroom: you can see it, hear it, touch it, present on it and manipulate it.

At the same time, I was looking for ways to challenge myself in the area of technology and found that trying to move a lot of my paper-based portfolio work into an electronic one was a natural extension of using technology to accomplish a task.  The logic of reducing paper for cost is important.  However, I don’t want to entirely ditch my paper portfolios for the sheer artistic value of something that one can touch.

Since I was also working on the school website at Lord Roberts I began thinking about posting homework, resources and more.  Using HTML seemed a little too cumbersome and stumbled on Moodles through Roberts Adult Education, which is on our physical school site.  Through the generous offer from their computer wizard, I was given my own site on the Adult Education Moodle called Lord Roberts.

Through two semesters at TLITE through SFU, I have formulated the big guiding question around how I can transform my classroom into more of a virtual one where technology is more transparent and students can access their work, collaborate, advise each other or ask questions.  In other words, how can I create a more paperless and transparently interactive classroom using technology?