SMART Boards

About a month ago, my sister-in-law was talking about technology she uses in her classroom (she is in English teacher), but I had no idea what she was talking about. I have been out of high school for quite some time now, and I also came from a small school where we could not afford the newest technology anyway. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to learn more about what she is using in her classroom because it shows how integrated technology is becoming with everyday life. When I went to school, we really only had chalkboards and chalk. I remember how exciting it was when we got our first whiteboard and could use dry-erase markers. When we wanted to display something for the rest of the class to see, we would have to go to the office and get our paper copied onto a clear sheet so we could display it through an overhead projector. Learning about how students use the board now shows me how quickly technology is growing and makes me wonder what things are going to be like in the future.


So what is this technology I am talking about? It is called the SMART Board. It takes the old white board that I fondly remember as a young student and integrates it with technology. It uses a projector that does more than just displaying an image on a screen, one sheet at a time, like the old overhead projector that I remember. Instead, it acts as a large touchscreen. It displays a computer’s video output on the whiteboard, and it is actually "the first interactive whiteboard to provide touch control of computer applications and annotation over standard Microsoft Windows applications." (1) To get a better understanding of what I am talking about, check out this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U05WeXPGlk. SMART Boards were first introduced in 1991, but due to to the cost, we haven't seen them in the classrooms until more recently.


The picture below shows how the SMART Board can enhance classroom education. The teacher is able to display an image and then write on the image without destroying it. She is writing with
digital pens, which replaces the traditional whiteboard markers. These pens use digital ink and operate by "using an active digitizer that controls the PC input for writing capabilities such as drawing or handwriting." (1) Also, SMART Boards allow for a more interactive environment for the students through interactive text, images, sounds, and video files. It is easy to use, so students of all ages will have no problems participating. It has also been shown to decrease teacher stress, probably because teachers are able to do everything through one means of technology rather than multiple devices (such as a board, television to play video, and a projector to display images).



Why use the SMART Board instead of other means of interactive technology? For one, it is better for differentiated learning. SMART Boards are good in the classroom setting as well as corporate settings because of its ability to be shared with a large group. A tablet computer uses a touch screen as well, but it acts as more of a personal computing device and does not have a large projected screen.


Is the SMART Board compatible with most computers? Yes. This is a good device for all teachers because it is compatible with most computers. Versions are available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris, and SGI (IRIX) operating systems.


The SMART Board has changed the way that learning has taken place in the classroom in just a short period of time. In the next ten years, I wonder how much more technology is going to change the classroom learning experience?


Sources:
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_Board_interactive_whiteboard
Picture: http://warriortechs.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/mrs_lrosa_smartboard.JPG