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SMART Boards for Classroom Use //Advantages and Disadvantages of SMART Board Technology //

//What is a SMART Board // //History and Introduction to Schools// || //Using SMART Board technologies in Schools// || //Using SMART Board Technologies in Schools// || //User Friendly SMART Boards // ||
 * Table of Contents ||
 * Introduction
 *  Advantages
 *  Disadvantages
 * Video
 *  Conclusion ||

The invention of SMART technologies to our school systems was a turning point for learning overall. These SMART board interactive whiteboards were introduced into the world in the year 1991. The idea originally came from a man named David Martin and a woman named Nancy Knowlton in the year 1986. One year later the company SMART was founded and they began their research development on interactive whiteboards. Not only has this company created an interactive whiteboard to be used in the classroom but they have also created a product used specifically to get young students involved. Similar to an interactive whiteboard the SMART table is a collaborative learning table that young kids can stand at and play. Now many years later there are more than 2 million SMART Board interactive whiteboards installed in K-12 classrooms globally, which is providing SMART technology to over 40 million students and their teachers. In this chapter, information on both the advantages and disadvantages of this SMART system will be looked at and discussed. Hopefully this will aid you in deciding whether you would ever consider using this SMART system within your learning plans.
 * Introduction **

There are many advantages to utilizing smart boards in the classroom. Today's teachers need to be able to accommodate to many different learning styles of young children. No child learns exactly the same way and the smart board allows teachers to better reach all of her students. A blog on the Professional Learning Board discussed about a few learning styles the smart board can help with. They wrote, " Tactical learners can use the screen and learn by touching and marking at the board, audio learners can have a discussion and visual learners can observe the teaching on the board" (PLB, 2013). It is also a great way to get children actively engaged in learning by getting them out of their seats and interacting with the smart board. The blog suggested, "Use it as a tool for note-taking. Students can come and write important points on the board. Alternately, you can appoint a student to type out notes on the computer while you talk, so that the other students can view and take them down" (PLB, 2013). This is a great way to get children excited about learning and bring some fun into the classroom. It also gets rid of that messy old unorganized white board in the form of a clean organized display of information that can be cleaned up with the swipe of a hand. The blog further discussed that many forms of media can be utilized with the smart board. They wrote, " All forms of media– videos, photographs, graphs, maps, illustrations, games, etc. – can be used on the board, making it incredibly dynamic in nature. This expands the range of content that you can use for teaching or presenting new information" (PLB, 2013). This will allow students brainstorm their ideas in a more organized manner but also give them the opportunity to show the teacher what they have learned about the material in a variety of ways. It also can be cost effective if you are teaching in a lower budget school. "A lot of new software is available for free on the internet that can be easily integrated. There are many forums and websites that aim to help teachers by providing Smart Board ideas and activities" (PLB, 2013). The smart board is changing the way children are being taught in the classroom and better preparing them for a bright future with new technologies. Being technology savvy is quickly becoming a sod after skill and technology like the smart board can provide excellent experience in an ever advancing world.
 * Advantages **


 * Disadvantages **

While the SMART board has many advantages, there are also disadvantages. One issue with the SMART board is that the use of the technology in the classroom is not effective unless there are lesson plans that are made to work hand in hand with the students interactively. Lessons that could be taught on a chalk board or regular white board, are not made more effective just by using the interactive white board. Although there is evidence that students themselves believe that their math, science, and English scores are higher with the use of interactive white boards in the classroom, there is no evidence to support the impact over less than a two year span (Sad, 901). One of the biggest issues with installing SMART boards in classrooms is the inefficiency of teachers to use the technology (Sad, 901). Teachers should go through a training to help them effectively use the interactive white boards. Teaching the educators how to use the technology ensures that the teachers will use all of the appealing aspects of the boards for the interest of the students (and will not be reduced to using the boards as regular white boards or projectors). Another issue presented in the classroom is the hesitation to have the students use the boards (Sad, 902). The teachers need to be willing to step away from traditional lecturing and allow the students to be able to use the white boards interactively in the classrooms. One issue with the technology is the teachers inability to fix any technical problems that may occur during the classroom, which causes a waste of valuable learning time for students (Sad, 902). These issues can be solved simply by requiring educators to take a course in how to use and fix simple errors with the SMART boards. Smaller issues that can arise are having dirt on the projection lens, the blocking of the material because of the shadow of the users arm, and the inability to see without making the room or lighting in the room darker (Sad, 902). Overall, the advantages far outweigh disadvantages, and many of the disadvantages can be solved with proper instruction to educators before beginning to use the interactive white boards in the classrooms. media type="custom" key="24067702"
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">Video **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Now that you have heard both the positive and negative qualities of SMART boards and their technology, you can form your own opinion whether you would like to involve them into your classroom lesson plans. The people of SMART technologies are never content with what they have created. They continue to think of and develop new generations of groundbreaking interactive technology. Those creative researchers are always looking for new products to create that will further the learning of students and the ways that their teachers present information. Their company goal is to meet every need of the consumer so that they can increase their productivity in future learning. No one knows what exactly the future holds for this innovative company but we do know that they will do whatever they can to increase the communication and learning between people over vast distances using their technology. Students might even be able to learn from home, just as if their never left the classroom, one day using the products of this growing company.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">Conclusion **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">PLB. (2013). Retrieved from [] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Smart. (2013). Retrieved from @http://smarttech.com/ Sad. (2012). Retrieved from @http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0360131511002612/1-s2.0-S0360131511002612-main.pdf?_tid=c86a2794-3475-11e3-a987-00000aab0f6c&acdnat=1381716803_1af1f1804fcc4857479f73ba7e27c3f3
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">References **