Smart Board Math Lessons
The SMART Board interactive whiteboard is becoming more widely used in schools, with teachers utilizing this technology to enhance the way they teach a variety of subjects, including math. As use of this technology grows, so do the resources available for teachers seeking lesson plans and other educational ideas using the capabilities of the SMART Board.
-
Smart Board
-
Created by SMART Technologies, the SMART Board is an interactive whiteboard that can be connected to a computer, allowing the user to manipulate the image projected on the board by pressing a finger on the board's touch-sensitive surface. Digital SMART "pens" of different colors can be used to write on the screen, with the computer recognizing each specific color while these notes are projected on the screen. The entire presentation, including notes made in class, can then be saved and subsequently emailed or printed out as study notes for students.
Math Lessons for SMART Board
-
SMART has its own software, SMART Notebook Math Tools, that enables teachers to outline a lesson, write notes and solve equations. Other features include a shape creator, a graph builder and an advanced equation editor. The interactive nature of the SMART Board allows computer-generated lessons (including high-quality graphics) to be manipulated by both teacher and student, which makes the learning process far more hands-on than it would be if a teacher drew an equation on a conventional blackboard while students took notes.
-
Where to Find Math Lessons
-
The growing popularity of the SMART Board (which, according to SMART's data, is used by millions of teachers and students throughout the world) has resulted in an explosion in online resources that allows teachers to utilize the work of their peers in other schools--and even other countries. One excellent resource is the website TheTeachersGuide.com, which includes a section listing numerous links to websites containing interactive math material specifically designed for use with a SMART Board.
Teacher-Generated Lessons
-
Another useful website for educators is TeachersLoveSmartboards.com, which features online training on how to use the SMART Board, as well as tips and tricks, Web resources and a vast array of lessons in math and other subjects, for every age group from kindergarten to high school. In addition, many school districts across the country share teachers' SMART Board lessons online (the website of the Bristol, Virginia, school district, for example) as well as offering links to other online resources. The result has been an ever-increasing virtual community of teachers sharing their SMART Board lessons with their peers for use in the classroom.
-
References
- SMART-Tech.com: SMART Board interactive whiteboards
- Teachers Love Smart Boards: SMART Board Article: What is A Smartboard Or Electronic Whiteboard?, Ruca Martin, February 2008
- The Teacher's Guide: Interactive Math Websites for Interactive Whiteboards
- SMART-Tech.com: SMART Notebook Math Tools
- Bristol-VA-Schools.org: SMARTer SMARTBoard™ Use: Finding and Creating SMART Lessons
- Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
