SMARTboard

The blog post – One ICT resource

SMARTboard
One ICT resource that can be very useful for both teachers and pupils are something called a SMARTboard.

So, what IS a SMARTboard? It is an interactive whiteboard that you can both use your own finger to navigate on, or a following pen. To make this work, you need, of course, a SMARTboard, a projector (it can be used without, but to be able to use all the functions that the SMARTboard offers, you really need one) and a computer, it is also preferable to have access to internet so you can access sites and for example play online games with the pupils. You connect your computer to the board and then everything that you see in your screen is also showed on the board. You can add speakers to the board so you can hear things, recordings, music and so on for example. You can use your hands instead of the mouse, so if you are playing a game where you use the mouse, use the hand instead! It is possible for two people to use the board at the same time and navigate on the screen.

The opportunities with a SMARTboard are incredible. It is a very fun way to make the lessons more varying, and after you have learnt how you can use the board, you probably do not want to use a normal board anymore. It demands that you install several programs on the computer so you get the possibility to use the whole range of opportunities that the board offers.

How can it be used by teachers?
A SMARTboard can be used in several ways by teachers. You can use it as a whiteboard, where you write things with a pen or your finger, you can show movies, show and play games, make mindmaps and so on. The options are so varying, and it is only yourself that draw the limits. You must learn as much as possible about this resource so you know what the possibilities are. It is also a matter of a learning period; you need to explore the SMARTboard so you know exactly how you can use it in the appropriate way for your own lessons.

It really is yourself that draw the line of how you can use it. Some teachers use the board everyday and in almost every lesson they have, others use it more occasionally. It also depends on if you have unlimited access to the board (have one in your own classroom for example) or if you need to share it with others and book it to get access to it. It is difficult to explain all the options and possibilities with a SMARTboard (I do not know all the options myself but I do know that it is a wonderful help in the class room.)

How can it be used by pupils?
The pupils also can use the SMARTboard in several ways, but since it is a really expensive board it is preferable that the teacher oversee the pupils while using it. With that said, the pupils can watch movies on the board. (For example movies in English that the teacher has put together to show something specific you are working with, food or animals for example.) They also can make crosswords, play games that the teacher has looked up and find appropriate. They can compete with each other in catching words that are falling from the sky (this of course demands that they can read quite quickly and that they know what words they are supposed to catch). Also here, the opportunities are many. You can compare a SMARTboard in some way with these tv games where you use your own body to play. You can use your hands to navigate in games and programmes for example.

Other things to consider with this resource?
One thing that is important to remember with a SMARTboard is that not everyone has access to one. They are really expensive and many schools do not have the opportunity to buy even one. You also need a learning period to explore the new programmes, all the possibilities with the board and to adapt your lessons to the board. It is an amazing resource if you feel confident in using it. It is easy to use when you have learnt about it (and when the technology works).

You also need to have a backup plan if for example internet is not working and you need it to do something, if the board does not start or things like that that can be difficult to solve right away. You sometimes need support to solve it and thereby you should have some kind of backup so you can perform the lesson if the board and the technology do not work.

So, to sum up; A SMARTboard are an amazing ICT resource that can be used is very many ways in the classroom, both by teachers and pupils. You need to learn how to navigate and use the board, and also have a backup if the technology is not working with you. It is expensive, but it you have access to one, learn as much as possible about it and use it in as many ways as possible! It is an amazing possibility to integrate ICT in the classroom and to make the lessons more variable.