Smart Board And Teachers

Students can participate actively.

Smart Board is a series of interactive whiteboards developed by Smart Technologies. The first Smart Board interactive whiteboard was introduced in 1991. 
It is an interactive whiteboard that uses touch detection for user input – e.g., scrolling, right mouse-click – in the same way normal PC input devices, such as a mouse or keyboard, detect input. A projector is used to display a computer’s video output on the interactive whiteboard, which then acts as a large touch screen. The Smart Board typically comes with 4 digital pens, which use digital ink and replace traditional whiteboard markers.

Pens

Most Smart Board interactive whiteboards register only one touch at a time however, in June 2009, Smart Technologies introduced their first dual-touch interactive whiteboard. The dual-touch Smart Board accepts two simultaneous touches, however only on two separate sides of the interactive whiteboard surface. The Smart Board interactive whiteboard operates as part of a system that includes the interactive whiteboard, a computer, a projector and white boarding software called Smart Notebook collaborative learning software. The components are connected wirelessly, via USB or serial cables. A projector connected to the computer displays the computer’s desktop image on the interactive whiteboard.

Interactive White Board

The interactive whiteboard accepts touch input from a finger, pen or other solid object. Each contact with the Smart Board interactive whiteboard is interpreted as a left-click from the mouse. Smart Board interactive whiteboards are also available as a front-projection flat-panel display – interactive surfaces that fit over plasma or LCD display panels.
This interactive white boards (IWB) or Smart boards are fast becoming a popular addition to school classrooms as well as to office meeting spaces. The interactivity that an IWB provides allows teachers or professional presenters to let their audience collaborate, draw, and interact with information on the screen. Lessons and activities in a classroom setting become more engrossing for students and increase overall retention of the lesson content. Research done by Smart as well as by the British Economic and Social Research Council shows clearly that teachers that use IWB’s see greater improvement from their students compared to classrooms that do not use IWB enriched classroom content.

Dr. Mary Ann Bell

According to Dr. Mary Ann Bell, she said that presentation tools are increasing in popularity for educators who want to share ideas and information with large or small groups of students. Interactive applications are in demand for educators who want to involve their students in learning with technology. The electronic interactive whiteboard is a device that combines both of these attributes, offering shared learning experiences for large or small groups, as well as for distance learning. She also proposed a few reasons for why she chooses to use IWB :

1. The interactive electronic whiteboard is great for demonstrations. In the survey, many technology teachers and specialists reported enthusiasm for the board in staff development or computer class to show students how to use a particular application. Because the presenter can run the application from the board, using his finger like a mouse, it is easy to show the important features of particular software. The ability to mark on the board by writing with the stylus or using one's finger makes it possible to point out important features of the program.
2. The interactive electronic whiteboard is a colorful tool. Research indicates that students respond to displays where color is employed, and marking can be customized both in the pen and in the highlighter features to display a number of different colors. Width of lines can also be adjusted to add flexible marking choices.
3. The board can accommodate different learning styles. Tactile learners can benefit from touching and marking at the board, audio learners can have the class discussion, visual learners can see what is taking place as it develops at the board.
4. All ages of students respond favorably to board use. Interactive whiteboards were originally used in the business world for group meetings. As they have gained popularity in schools, teachers have reported success with the youngest learners through students in academic settings. My present use of the board for demonstrations with graduate library science students has been as satisfying as my previous use with junior high learners.

Interactive learning

  Integrating technology into teaching and learning is so much easier . The  SMART’s training resources will teach  how to use  SMART Board interactive whiteboard and show  some simple ways to incorporate it into teachers and educators' regular daily classroom routine.
Smart boards come with Notebook software, which offers many features to help teachears easily add a creative touch to lessons and an interactive dimension to learning.
Read more from :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Board
http://www.education.smarttech.com
http://www.suite101.com/content/what-is-a-smartboard-a71150
http://teachers.net/gazette/JAN02/mabell.html

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