Interwrite Session

With all the new exciting technology in the classroom it is important not to forget about the teaching station in my classroom. I use it lots as a projector and always have but the challenge is to use it for MORE than just projecting.
I love that when a child doesn't know what an animal looks like for example you can just jump on the laptop and pop it up on the screen for them all to see and really get feeling for what you are talking about.
I have been incorporating it more into my rotations lately (maths/reading/writing). I find the children do need to practice using the mobi pad and where to put the pen as they can sometimes accidently rub out their work. But like anything it just needs practice and this means me providing them with the opportunities to practice. Perhaps having it up in the morning with different learning tasks eg: adding a simile to the chart, could mean that they are using the technology in an educational way and are practicing using it.
Some ways I have recently used it are; with a maths group to look in a fun way at before and after numbers. I have used it in reading to collaboratively work together on finding the main idea. In writing we have used it to model creating an emotion poem.

The kids love working on the teaching station but I do find I need to have a leader as there can otherwise be fights over the pen and controlling it.
My challenge now I guess is to try to use it for at least one maths/reading/writing session each day.
I need to also look at ways to use it for spelling.
The key to the teaching station is to make it interactive and like many forms of technology the more you play the more creative you can be with it.
Perhaps another challenge of mine could be to try and share once a week/once every two weeks a new way I have used techonology in my class??