001+Smartboard



Frostburg State University

A SMART Board is an interactive whiteboard made by SMART Technologies. The first interactive whiteboard was made in 1991. The board hooked up to a liquid crystal display, still using computer programs. The first board was more for a function of displaying information on a bigger screen. In 1992, SMART technologies presentedthe rear-projection SMART Board, with an in-wall rear projection. In 1999 was the first SMART board plasma display. In 2001 SMART board came out with there own software. The first SMART Board for flat-panel displays premiered in 2003. In 2005, SMART publicized its wireless PC that lets users to control and select on-screen objects, create and save notes and launch applications. SMART came out with an interactive response system, which allows teachers to track student performance and organize assessment results in its built-in grade book, in 2007. New products in 2008 include the SMART document camera, collaborative learning software, and the next-generation SMART Board interactive whiteboard system. The SMART boards are now used worldwide in classrooms, lecture halls, group meetings and presentations.



Photo by: [|gsmith313] from http://media.photobucket.com/image/smart%20board/gsmith313/Fall%202010/DSCN1874.jpg?o=47

There are many benefits of having a SMART board in the classroom. SMART boards are interactive and therefore great for teachers with young children. The SMART board captures students’ attention because it is fun to play with and use. Having a SMART board encourages students to pay attention so that they can use the board. There are teachers that have given quizzes on SMART boards by having a program on the SMART board that covers up the answers for each question as the students take it and then when the students are done they can uncover the answers one by one. Another advantage is that the boards are very clean and visually appealing. The board also requires very little maintenance where as a regular blackboard has to be erased and cleaned periodically. The downfall of having a SMART board in the classroom is that training on how to use the SMART board is essential as the SMART board is fairly new andnot many people know how to use it. Another downfall is the cost of having a SMART board installed as well as the price of the SMART board itself. SMART boards are not cheap pieces of equipment but they are well worth the price. The benefit to the students as well as the teacher outweighs the pricey cost of having a SMART board in the classroom. Photo by [|kjarrett] from http://www.flickr.com/photos/kjarrett/5286334946/sizes/m/in/photostream/ A SMART Board is a very versatile tool in the classroom; it can be used in all of the core subjects. In Mathematics, the SMART Board seems to be especially useful. There were interactive websites for elementary through high school math courses. For example, there were websites that allowed students to construct number lines, to work with place value, and a website for high school math formulas (McLain, 2009). There were also websites that included video demonstrations and explanations of some math concepts, as well as ideas for hands-on activities (McLain, 2009). There was even a glossary website that had an interactive dictionary filled with mathematics terms (McLain, 2009). Science is also a subject that SMART Boards appear to be very useful for. Again, there were websites for elementary through high school science courses. Many of the science websites modeled experiments that could be done in the classroom. For example, there were dissection, planetarium, and acid and bases experiment websites (McLain, 2009). By doing an experiment on the SMART Board it allows young students to participate in difficult or dangerous experiments, without the possibility of an accident. There were also websites that explored the science of animals, cells, physics, and electrical circuits (McLain, 2009).



Photo by: [|hthband] http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm45/hthband/DSC03495.jpg

Interactive SMART Boards can also be very useful in Social Studies classes. Though there were not as many resources for Social Studies as for Math and Science, there were still websites for elementarythrough high school classes. Many of the websites were based on going back in history. For example, students can go back in time by participating in a variety of activities from each century. On another website, students can rebuild a prairie using science principles (McLain, 2009). Students can also view various locations on the Earth in real-time by using the Earthcam activity on yet another website (McLain, 2009). The SMART Board also had many resources for English/Language Arts. The interactive websites dedicated to Language Arts taught spelling, idioms, writing, reading, punctuation, proofreading skills, rhyming, and many more language arts concepts (McLain, 2009). Many of the websites were for elementary or middle school students, but a few could also be used in a high school classroom. Overall, it seems that SMART Boards are very useful tools to be included in every classroom. media type="custom" key="11336228" width="60" height="60" Photo by: teqsmart1 http://www.flickr.com/photos/24548487@N03/5143272333/

SMART Boards are excellent for use with students in Special Education because it can easily cater to their differentiating needs. It is visual, auditorial, tactile, and interactive and can cover spectrums from physical to mental disabilities. Children struggling in certain subjects may be helped by using the SMART Board and being able to visualize and move around parts of a lesson until they understand. For example, if the children are trying to learn sight words but are struggling with them, it may be useful for there to bea sorting game where the student can match a picture with the word and continue to move the pictures and words until they have them all matched up. The SMART Board is good for students with physical disabilities also because of the versatility of the system. You can use anything to write on the board and move things around, so if for example, a child is unable to grip a pen or pencil, they can still complete work by using the SMART Board because they can use something such as a tennis ball that’s easier for them to use, or even their hands. Teachers say that the SMART Board holds their students’ attention much better than any other materials they have used and allows the students to work together and have positive encouragement when they are working things out on the board.

List of References

Bell, Dr. Mary Ann. "Using Electronic Whiteboards in Your Classroom: Benefits." //SMART Board in the Classroom//. School District of Waukesha, Sept. 2002. < [] >.

McLain, C. (2009, January 30). Interactive sites for SMART Board use. In //Interactive Internet Resources//. Retrieved September 18, 2011, from []

Patrick. "SMART Boards & Special Education." //Teaching All Students//. 19 Feb. 2009. < [] >.

"Smartboard Sites." //Special Education: Roane County Schools//. Special Education: Roane County Schools, 2011. < [] >.

"SMART Technology." "The History About SMART."//About SMART. 2011.// [|http://smarttech.com/us/About+SMART/About+SMART/Innovation/Beginnings+of+an+industry]

Tonarely, K. (2010, November 2). In //The Disadvantages of a Smart Board//. Retrieved September 20, 2011, from [|https://blackboard.frostburg.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D] [|_44074_1%26url%3D]

// Using Electronic Whiteboards in Your Classroom: Benefits //. Ed. Mary A. Bell. Sam Houston State University, Sept. 2002. //Google//. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. < [|https://blackboard.frostburg.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?]

Date Finished: November 16, 2011

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