The Smart Board is an interactive whiteboard that uses touch detection like a tablet or iPad. We have the Smart Board software and Smart Board Notebook software free for all faculty, staff and students to use at Minnesota State University, Mankato. You need 3 things to make the smart boards work: a smart board in the room, the smart board software, and a receiver (this is usually attached to a USB extension in the classrooms on campus).

Learn,How to Use Your Smart Board in the Classroom.

Classroom teachers should understand how technology has changed the way students learn in the classroom. Many children today are exposed to computer technology at an early age at home. Most parents have computers at home and they teach their children how to use the technology for their benefit. Many young children are already playing computer games over the Internet or with other technology devices even before they enter the classroom on the first day of school.

Many teachers today may not have had the same exposure to computer technology when compared with their younger students. It is important for them to be prepared and knowledgeable about the use of interactive smart board technology. Professional development courses will teach teachers how to incorporate the use of this computer technology in the classroom. Smart boards when combined with thoughtfully prepared lesson plans can engage the attention of students, maintain high levels of motivation and encourage students to excel in their classroom studies. Once teachers have mastered the basics of using the interactive smart board technology in the classroom, they should receive ongoing technical support from school technology professionals knowledgeable about the technical aspects of using smart boards.

Student Learning Achievement is High with the Use of Smart Boards.

Students respond positively to classroom lessons taught with the aid of an interactive smart board. Using interactive computer technology and smart board displays engages the attention of young students. They are motivated to learn and study the subject material when they are able to relate to the colorful visual displays in combination with well- planned and thought out verbal explanations. Students are excited about their education in school when the lesson is combined with visual pictures and graphics.

Students share, model and demonstrate what they have learned from the interaction with the instructional lessons displayed on a smart board. They enjoy playing the role of a teacher by moving around objects on the smart board or through using the smart board to write down information learned in the classroom. They learn to master advanced critical thinking skills when they convey this acquired classroom knowledge to others. Smart boards create environments that encourage students to ask questions and learn more about a concept by exploring knowledge on their own in addition to studying the information they learn through the prepared lessons and classroom instruction of a teacher.

Ways that a Smart Board Helps with Lesson Plans.

A smart board in combination with traditional teaching styles can accommodate the different learning styles of students. Tactical learners can touch and mark the smart board. Audio learners can hear the lesson and discuss key concepts and ideas. Visual learners can see graphs, pictures and other visual representations of the key lesson concepts and ideas. All learners will enjoy taking a break from routine lessons to watch an entertaining movie or other short video.

Teachers can insert images on the whiteboard and move these images around the smart board display. The press of an icon button will play pre-recorded sounds for students. Graphic displays, interesting simulations and educational multimedia activities are other ways to engage the attention of students. There are a lot of recourses out there that you can easily integrate in your lesson plans. Teachers should never stop learning new interactive whiteboard techniques or stop finding interesting educational resources to use along with the smart board. Learning to use a smart board is not as difficult as it may seem at first. Teachers will find that with practice they can learn to adapt to the use of this new technology in the classroom