Classroom Technology... my favorite so far: smart boards

Wikipedia defines an interactive whiteboard as “a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger or other device. The board is typically mounted to a wall or floor stand. They are used in a variety of settings, including classrooms at all levels of education…”

Considering Wikipedia is open to opinion based explanations, I think this definition hits all the main points! Technology in classrooms is essential in my opinion; be it more student focused or teacher focused… either way it’s necessary and constantly evolving. I think smart boards (interactive white boards) are one of the many great ways to infuse technology into a classroom.

I have been exposed to three very different situations involving smart boards (interactive white boards) during my last few weeks as a student teacher:

A)    Promethean board which is utilized every day to the greatest of its abilities

B)    No smart board

C)    Smart board present, but only used to view movies

Remembering that I will be keeping my posts “negative vent free” I can say that I find it interesting that a smart board is not utilized when given to a classroom.

I think the key to utilizing technology is training on both the teacher and student’s end. Simply placing a technology device in a classroom does not mean it will strengthen a teacher’s ability to teach (or a student’s ability to learn). Just like teacher’s have to familiarize themselves with a new textbook or workbook chosen by the school/BOE. Teacher’s also have to familiarize themselves with the resources in their classroom (and beyond that anything that is available to them at their school). Teachers also need to share this knowledge with their students so that everyone can contribute to the learning process. Great ideas that strengthen a lesson come from teachers and students!





I made a small pro con list comparing smart boards to traditional boards used in classroom.

Pros and Cons

Digital ink vs. traditional ink

(Comparing smart and Promethean boards to chalk, dry erase, flip charts, and overheads)

PRO: Smart/Promethean Boards	PRO: chalk, dry erase, flip charts, and overheads
Touch (pen) screen so students and teacher can interact and build off each other’s ideas	Students and teachers have ample space to do board work together.
Multiple colors and tools	Multiple colors of pens/chalk
Ability to have Internet or documents displayed in conjunction with board work. Can display online textbook so students can follow along.
Can choose to erase or simply create a new page, so work is never lost and no time is wasted cleaning the board
Work can be saved, revisited, and printed
CON: Smart/Promethean Boards	CON: chalk, dry erase, flip charts, and overheads
Smart boards are slightly more difficult to write on neatly.	Chalk, dry erase, and flip charts do not allow you to access other documents or resources. Overheads need a special copy made to display anything besides hand written work.
Expensive	Work is erased, cleaned off, or discarded and cannot be revised at a later date.

I also found a few interesting sites with information about smart board use in the classroom.

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/en/resources/

http://www.education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/smart_board.htm

Feel free to respond with your opinions and classroom interactions using smart boards during your student teaching!