SMART Boards in the Classroom

In response to "Smart Practices: Millennial Education" by Jane Chamberlin Grove
http://downloads.smarttech.com/media/education/pdf/ieSummer07.pdf (page 16)

This article is about a district in Nebraska that uses SMART Boards extensively in their classrooms, but it all started with one teacher. Katie Morrow, the elementary technology teacher, first saw the SMART Boards at a technology conference in 2001. She requested a grant to get a SMART Board and as soon as other teachers saw how helpful the interactive whiteboard was in the classroom, they were asking for one as well. Now every school in the district owns SMART Boards and technology is integrated into other subjects using the interactive white board. Their goal is to prepare students more effectively for the workforce. Since more and more jobs revolve around the use of technology, this Nebraska district wants to prepare their students and teach them how to effectively use technology. They use the SMART Board extensively to help achieve this goal.

I did not realize all of the benefits of having a SMART Board in the classroom. I knew it would be useful for engaging students and showing the students all at once how to do something, but its benefits go far beyond that. Morrow uses the SMART Board with her students even before they can read and write. The SMART Board enables her to model behavior for her students all at once and not have to walk around the class to each student's work station. Morrow can even record her own voice giving instructions and link it to the page so that if the students forget what they are supposed to do they just click on the picture of their teacher and hear it again.

My favorite part of the article was about the project that the older elementary students do. They create a news broadcast using the SMART Board that is played on the local cable news at the end of the school year. The students do all of the video compiling and editing complete with music and graphics. With the use of the SMART Board, all of the students can participate whereas all of the students could not fit around one computer screen and play an active role in the project. Not only does this educate the students in technology, but they are writing scripts and reports, giving oral presentations, and learning to work together as a team.

SMART Boards have so many uses in the classroom. I think the integration of subject areas is probably the greatest attribute. Students can learn their content areas through the use of technology. Not only does this better prepare students for the future, but it also holds their interest and they have fun with it. I definitely want a SMART Board in my classroom when I am a teacher.