Interactive+Whiteboards+-+the+Tools+and+the+Techniques

=__**SMART BOARDS**__= The SMART board is an amazing device. As amazing as it is, I predict it will go the way of the dodo: it is far too complicated! It is just far too easy for it not to work properly. It is also far too expensive. But the principal reason - there will be other ways to accomplish the same interactive projection features without the expense. I love it when it works, but to really use it well you need to spend a lot of time with it and understand the ins and outs.

SMART boards have quickly become dominant in classrooms everywhere. So it really surprised me to see how complicated they were to use and how fraught with problems they are! They use the Microsoft philosophy of creating bloat-ware with every bell and whistle - even if those tools do not work well. The biggest problem is the lack of consistent inter-operability of a laptop with multiple SMART boards. My limited experience tells me to dedicate a computer to each SMART board, and encourage people to simply upload their notebook lesson and teacher file to that computer. My recommendation to teacher: start very simple and get used to using it before trying to add every feature to your classroom use. And, beware the difference between different SMART boards: don't expect they all work the same.

A few of the features that are most useful is the ease of importing a PowerPoint, and then adapting it - and writing notes on the presentations during a class - including screens where the students write on the board in answer to questions. The idea of then just clicking on the board to access other software, like videos or the internet, is a very functional feature. I also really love the idea of recording your lesson as you give it - working similar to educreations or other whiteboard software for students who miss class or simply want to review the lesson (and later - these lessons can be used to flip the classroom).

I also love the smart response tools, but I feel it is ridiculous to have to have them. Kids should not need a dedicated device just for responding: I hope someday kids can simply use their own phones to respond, utilizing some sort of polling software. Technically that may be possible now, but only the most tech savvy teacher could set it up.

I really like the handwriting recognition concept, but after playing with it and seeing it in use, I would probably not use it: that is one of those complicated features which may not work when really needed. I would only encourage its use as an optional exercise that can be skipped if it does not work. Perhaps after running the lesson a few times and learning how to trouble shoot the issues, I might rely on it a bit more, but again, beware moving that lesson to a different SMART board.

In a way, I hope I am wrong, and the features all become far more robust and far cheaper to the average classroom. I do believe the in the concept of interactive boards, and I will be excited to see more intuitive inter-operable versions of the SMART board - especially interoperable with iPad and other mobile devices. At this point, there is no software to run a smartboard from an iPad. What is here to stay is the idea of an interactive board: but they will probably be a simple board with sensors - and not all the complicated versions that the SMART Board brand has created: for no other reason than the cost.

For a cool video, check this out:SMART Board use with STEM

For excellent additional details on the Smartboard: check out Sean's Wiki.