Why I love my SMART Board

I have heard many people lately say that the interactive whiteboard is on its way out and it frustrates me because I love my interactive whiteboard.  I have been using my SMART Board for two years now and I don't see how I could teach without it.  It really helps teach and reinforce concepts.  It is constantly in use throughout the school day.  I have heard all of the arguments against it and I can see their point of view.  Yes it is an expensive piece of technology and yes an iPad hooked up to a projector and Apple T.V. can do the same projecting as a SMART Board.  If you are only using the SMART Board as a projector then yes an iPad can do the same projecting at less of a cost.  In fact, you could purchase at least six ipads for the cost of one installed SMART Board.  However, an interactive whiteboard is so much more than a projector and I see it as having a different use than an iPad.  IPads are useful tools for students to share, create and demonstrate their learning whereas an interactive whiteboard is a good tool for teaching and reinforcing concepts.

The first rule is that the SMART Board needs to be installed.  A moveable SMART Board ends up frustrating people because it constantly needs to be reoriented.

The second rule is that if at first you don't succeed (the screen is purple, the board won't orient, the pens are not working) don't give up but instead try again.  Often in the beginning I would get a purple screen and have to take all the cords out and put them back in again.  It may be frustrating at first but quickly those frustrations are forgotten as you get used to using the SMART Board.

The interactive whiteboard is so much more than a projector.  Yes I use it as a projector some times.  I use my SMART board to :

Google Hangout

• show my students DVD's or video clips from Discovery Education Video Streaming and Learn 360
• for Google Hangouts 
• show Tumblebooks 
• show You Tube clips or class blogs
• with the document camera
• art samples
• maps
• show work on the iPads

I also use my SMART Board to teach my students concepts both as a whole class and in small groups.  Yes during these times not all of my students are interacting with the board but they are engaged in the lessons.  I have created many lessons on the SMART Board.  Here are some of the ways that I use it as an interactive whiteboard:

• Word Wall Bingo- the students choose 6 words off of the word wall and write them on their chalkboards.  Then we use the Random Word Chooser on the SMART board to pick the word. While one student is touching the board and reading out the word the other students are seeing if the word called out is on their chalkboard.
• Make and Break Words- the students use their letter tiles on their desks to build the words while one student builds the word on the SmartBoard.  The students take turns coming up to the board.
• Graphing - and then we print out the graph to take home.
• Morning Message- the students take turns filling in the message.  We can then print the message out so that they can take it home.
• Brainstorming of words for writing activities.  We can then print the words out so that students who need the words can have them on their desk.
• Dice games- roll dice on the SMART Board and then the students write equations on their chalkboards.
• Demonstrate math lessons using interactive cubes, dice, dominoes, cards, pictures, ten frames and then have the students build using real manipulatives. 
• Use the document camera and then write directly onto the SMART Board.
• Calendar

These are only a few of the ways that I use the interactive whiteboard for teaching.  Yes an iPad could be used instead but it would not be the same.  I used the iPad one day when my laptop was being serviced and although it worked it did not have the same effect.  For example, yes I could do chalkboard spelling but the words just appeared.  The students couldn't see the words being printed in front of them.  I could do ten frames with an iPad app but the students couldn't come up to the SMART board and manipulate the objects.  My students love interacting with the SMARTboard.

 My students also love using the SMART Board during free time.  They often are writing on it and then recognizing their words.  They enjoy writing math equations and word problems on it.  Sometimes, they take turns playing teacher and students.  They also enjoying using Kids Pix on the SMART Board.   My students know how to orient it when needed and how to wake it up when it goes to sleep.  

A couple of months ago one of my students wanted to show his classmates how to make a paper airplane.  You can see his demonstration here.  He said that he needed the document camera, paper and the SMART board.

I know that an installed interactive whiteboard is expensive but I can't imagine teaching without it.  It is a useful tool for teaching students concepts both from me and also from each other.   The SMART Board is so much more than a projector and it is more than a fancy whiteboard.  It is a tool to enhance learning and to make it easier to model, teach and reinforce concepts.