SMART Boards

I have had the opportunity to have a SMART Board in my Kindergarten classroom for the past two years.  Many people often ask, “What is a SMART Board?”.  I explain it as an interactive white board that is hooked up to my computer.  Anything that I create or do on my computer is then projected onto the SMART Board.  Students and teachers are able to operate the computer simply by touching the SMART Board.  They may access the Internet, use word processing tools, or use the SMART Board software to create files.  There are many brands of interactive white boards, and this is the brand that we use in our district.    

We use our SMART Boards for large and small group instruction as well as give students the opportunity to use them during math and reading centers and free choice time.  For example, in reading I have made games where students are doing word sorts.  They are given a variety of words with short e and short a in the middle and they need to sort the words to the correct category by moving them with their finger. 

While it is relatively easy for teachers to create files to use with their students, it can also be quite time consuming.  One great website available is http://exchange.smarttech.com/.  Teachers may search for lesson plans and files available based on topic, lesson, and/or grade.  You need to download the SMART Board software in order to fully utilize this site.  Another helpful website is http://teachingwithsmartboard.com/.  The authors of this site include helpful podcasts that explain how to use various aspects of the SMART Board.  An Internet search will often lead to sites such as the following:  http://faculty.usiouxfalls.edu/arpeterson/smartboard.htm that include links to various SMART Board sites as well as online educational games that students can play. 

Having a SMART Board in my classroom has greatly enhanced my students’ education.  Incorporating 21^st century literacy skills is very important for students of all ages.  My students are avid and informed users of this piece of technology and are able to use it to learn across the curriculum.

Graphic found at: http://smartboards.typepad.com/smartboard/2008/03/smart-board-art.html