Smartboard

SMARTBoard Interactive Whiteboard

A SMARTBoard,a product of SMART Technologies, is a large, touch-controlled screen that works with a projector (either mounted or not) to provide users with a larger version of their computer screen. The SMART Board has a touch-controlled screen that works in conjunction with a projector and a computer. The projector puts the computer’s desktop image onto the interactive whiteboard, which acts as both a monitor and an input device. Users can write on the interactive whiteboard in digital ink or use a finger to control computer applications by pointing, clicking and dragging, just as with a desktop mouse. Buttons launch a popup keyboard and a right-mouse-click menu for more input options. The interactive whiteboard is usually mounted on a wall or a floor stand and is used in face-to-face or virtual settings in education business and government.

Getting Started

If your SMARTBoard is not mounted (on wheels), you should re-align the board before each use. This should only take 1 minute.

1. Press on the Control Panel button
2. Press Orient/Align the SMART Board
3. Press the center of each target and release with your finger

Then, you are ready!

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How does the SMARTBoard work?

The SMARTBoard works by using resistive technology, which means there is a small gap of air in between two sheets of resistive material inside the SMARTBoard. When a user presses the board with a pen or a finger, a contact point is registered and its coordinates correspond to the same area on the computer screen. Because the SMARTBoard is designed using resistive technology, it does not require a special pen or mouse to perform mouse or pen functions on the board- pressure on the board's surface is sufficient.

How hard does the user need to press to register contact?

Not very hard, but it is important to remember that contact with the board's surface must be constant for the writing to register.

How does the system recognize what tool I am using on the SMARTBoard?

When a pen is removed from its color slot on the pen tray, the pen tray senses what color pen has been selected. When the selected pen is used to write on the board, the ink appears on the screen in the selected color. Similarly, the pen tray senses when the eraser is removed and used on the board. If multiple pen tray tools are selected and removed from the pen tray simultaneously, the light on the pen tray will let the user know which tool is active.

The SMARTBoard Screen Surface

The board's surface is a highly durable hard coat polyester. There is no noticeable wear and tear on the board's surface from normal use. However, sharp instruments can gouge or cut the board's surface. There are no special cleaners required to clean the SMARTBoard's surface. Windex or water may be used to clean the surface. If permanent markers are accidentally used on the SMARTBoard's surface, they can be easily erased using a specifically designed cleaning solvent.

Uses In The Primary Classroom

The SMARTBoard is a highly effective and motivating tool in the classroom. More and more classrooms are purchasing SMARTBoards for their students. Educators comprise the majority of users of SMART Boards; as of 2007, more than 800,000 SMART Board interactive whiteboards had been sold in more than 100 countries. Even preschool students can benefit from the diverse activities through the SMARTBoard. The kind of computer applications that can be used with a SMARTBoard include: any point-and-click application on a computer, including: Internet browsers, spreadsheets, interactive CD-ROMs and word processing programs. Commonly used applications in school settings include: PowerPoint, Hyper Studio, Excel, Word, Internet Explorer, NetMeeting and many others. The following lessons are ideas that can be difficult to teach whole class without the SMARTBoard.

Ideas for Using the SMARTBoard in a K-12 Classroom

• Presentations, music lessons, digital slide shows • PowerPoint presentations done by students and teachers • Lectures and teaching • Bring up a map and show a route and have the students describe using N.S.E.W. directions • As a class, create a slide show. Use Inspiration and the web. Students can do their presentations, make reports, etc. • Create digital portfolios • Teach computer skills and keyboarding • Write stories, edit and proofread them as a group • Brainstorming • An ideal way to teach students the toolbars and the purpose of each icon on the computer • Do daily language on Smart Board. Have kids come up and make changes using editing and proofreading marks. Also use highlighter tool to highlight nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. • Use it with Kidspiration. The Smart Board would lend itself perfectly for this for as a whole class brainstorming or for individuals presenting their ideas. • Preschool computer learning to let the group play at learning and avoid mouse dexterity problems. • In an art class. • View PowerPoint presentations. • Group Internet searches. • Literacy - Put passage on screen and have students underline or highlight or mark key information for discussion or better understanding of passage. • Use in library to teach library automation system and catalog searching • Student math problems on board • You can hook up a VCR/DVD player to the SMART Board and view movies. • Graphics and charts with second language learners and special education students.

Uses In The Primary Classroom

The SMARTBoard is a highly effective and motivating tool in the classroom. More and more classrooms are purchasing SMARTBoards for their students. Educators comprise the majority of users of SMART Boards; as of 2007, more than 800,000 SMART Board interactive whiteboards had been sold in more than 100 countries. Even preschool students can benefit from the diverse activities through the SMARTBoard. The following lessons are ideas that can be difficult to teach whole class without the SMARTBoard.

Watching a video The SMARTBoard can act as a wide screen TV as teachers open bookmarked videos from websites such as National Geographic [1].

Counting Coins Open [2] to access the game. The amount of coins that can be used is infinite (as opposed to the classroom in which many manipulatives are used, and often unmanagable). Students show various coin combinations they might use to purchase items.

Using a Ruler Use this SMARTBoard lesson to teach students in a large group how to use a ruler. [3]

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