Information on SMART Boards

Teachers are putting away their chalkboards in favor of using a more high-tech form of instruction---the SMART Board. The SMART Board is a brand of interactive whiteboard. Students love the interactive, hands-on method of learning. With today's youth the most computer-oriented yet, the SMART Board is a fun, visual learning method that students can get on board with.

What is a SMART Board?

The SMART Board interactive teaching system is a hand-touch screen connected to a personal computer or laptop and a digital projector. Both front- and rear-projector models are available. Teachers can display information from their computers onto a screen, usually a 77-inch screen. Instead of writing lessons on the board, educators can simply type them into their computers, at school or at home and display them onto the SMART Board. And, rather than being called up to the chalkboard, kids enjoy being called on the use the touch screen.

Tool for Teachers

With a touch-sensitive screen that most teachers find easier to use than a keyboard, the SMART Board allows educators and students to navigate their way through the Internet and other daily lesson plans without the use or chalk or markers---just a touch of the hand. The SMART Board system also has digital ink, which allows teachers to write over applications on the screen. Class lessons can be saved and easily retrieved for future reference. The new teaching technology also gives teachers the ease of moving around the classroom from student to student, rather than being stationary in front of the class.

Student Attention

Being able to have full access to the Internet through the SMART Board system provides students with even more learning opportunities like streaming videos and sound. Now, rather than just showing students a picture of a certain animal they may be studying, classes can see the animals in action on the big screen and hear the actual sounds they make---and the kids love it. The SMART Board is putting a wow-factor in learning that teachers say is making a big difference in the classroom.

Cost of SMART Boards

The cost of a SMART Board can vary, but for a front-projector model and accompanying equipment, school systems can expect to spend on average about $3,500 per classroom, as of 2009. The new technology is funded through some school systems, but more often they are purchased with the help of parents through fund raising activities.

Why Students Like SMART Boards

Today's kids are used to technology and even when it involves learning, it's fun to them. With so much time being spent on the computers and cell phones, today's students are visual and seem to excel when they can learn in a hands-on environment.