To use or not to use –that`s the question!

Does anybody know where the good old-fashioned overhead projector went? You know, the one where the teachers turned their transparent upside down, struggled to get in focus, so that all the pupils could see that nice handwriting up on the wall. That one. It´s really good the times changes and that the development is moving forward. Or does it, now?

Also blackboard and chalk is thrown out of school, instead comes the modern invention SMARTBOARD! We might well believe that all the teachers were happy, but no! At most of the schools I´ve been to, this board has created discontent and envy. Only teachers and pupils at the higher grades are blessed with such boards on their areas. Teacher at the lower grades will have to manage with out these white boards capable for almost everything, yet a while. They are extremely expensive, or at least so I´ve heard. Also the teachers at the lower graders is mostly women.…  so it´s probably not that important? The ladies at school isn´t known for their technical skills, are they? Neither the men for that matter! I think everybody has seen a teacher struggling to get the VCR to work , - either the picture is gone or there is no sound.

But back to business…  What´s the buzz about these boards?

Smartboards is an interactive, electronic whiteboard which can enhance instruction and learning. It can be used in the same way as an ordinary blackboard, you can write on it with pens and use an eraser. If you connect a computer to the smartboard a whole, new world will appear. Now the board can be used as a computer screen, and the classroom have access to all the software, including Internet browsers. The board becomes a pointing device, like a mouse. Such, you can control the computer and all its recourses directly from the smartboard.


Look at this video to watch how you can use smartboard:
They are EASY to use!


The smartboard comes with a computer application called SMART Notebook. The application is made for teachers and provides exiting tools for preparation and presentation of educational material.  You could use pictures, movies, backgrounds, maps and mathematic specific resources like rules, calculators and angle measurer. You also got interactive resources like quizzes where the pupils can answer multiple choice questions on the smartboard simply by pushing the one of the alternatives. Immediately the pupils get feedback on their answer.       

There are more interactive resources, games and prepared educational kits on line. On youtube there is several smartbord tutorials. Recently an Internet portal (www.smartskole.no) is released where teachers can share educational material. Teachers can upload their own kits, and download others. The material is categorized in topics, grades or subjects. You also got a debate forum to discuss questions and share experiences. You even got a “tip of the week” archive.

Based on the above, I dare say that those students who do not have smartboards in their classroom miss much. And I also believe that to prepare and implement engaging lessons is much easier when the teacher can use computer and smartboard. Greater variation in the teaching, large educational outcomes and more engaged and active pupils, I think are some of the benefits we can get with the use of the smartboard. 


So the answer is definitely: TO USE!

For further reading -check this link: smartboard