6 Strategies for Using a Smart Board in Class
Transforming Teaching with Web 2.0 Tool Integration for all Learners
May 6, 2009
Almost every teacher who has a smart board or interactive white board (IWB) in the classroom feels that the board has changed his teaching and student learning. Teachers found that this technological tool changes how students gain knowledge of material they are learning. Students are more focused, involved, and participate more when smart boards are being used.
The primary advantage of smart boards or IWBs is their ability to integrate Web 2.0 tools and computer-based programs into any lesson. With these boards, teachers can present information via power point presentation with built in links to websites, videos, and podcasts in a lesson. Teachers can adjust their presentation on the fly to allow teachable moments or bring in additional supporting material, such as visual arts to support a lesson.
Smart boards or IWBs appeal to visual and kinesthetic learners because of their interactive presentations. Verbal and auditory learners develop a better understanding of materials during large group interactive lessons. The ability for students to touch the screen and interact with the material being taught encourages their physical participation in lessons.
Although there are many strategies and techniques for using smart boards and IWBs in class, the following six strategies provide techniques integrating the best practices in Web 2.0.
Smart Interactivity Tool Kit
The Toolkit helps you create engaging content like word games, quizzes, crossword puzzles and sorting tables. It also offers Adobe Flash tools like hide-and-reveal and drag-and-drop. Lessons move and respond with as much energy as students.
Double Tap
Move objects quickly on the board with two fingers. First press one finger on the object to be moved. Press second finger on the desired new location. Remove first finger and the object will quickly move to the new location. Remove second finger. This avoids the dragging items across the screen.
Hide the Answer
Place the answer to any question in a text box and mark over it using a pen with the same color as the background of presentation to hide the answer. When it is time to reveal the answer, simply use the smart board or IWB eraser to reveal the answer.
Use Pull Tabs
Add a pull tab to every slide when developing a new lesson using the Lesson Activity Kit. These little tabs, on right side of screen, allow a teacher to quickly pull in supporting information without the need to change screens shots.
Save Student Work for Wiki or Blog
After students have solved a math problem, corrected English grammar, completed a science concept map, or other student work, do not erase it. Clone the page to show multiple solutions to the same problem or idea. Export the lesson as a pdf file, upload it to slideshare.net (which is free), copy the code developed by slideshare, and embed it in the class Wiki or blog.
Use Befuddlir
This is Web 2.0 visual puzzle making tool. Any online image can be imported and turned into a slider puzzle that works on a smart board or IWB. Find an image on Flickr or export any image to desired image hosting service. Paste the URL of image into Befuddler and an interactive sliding puzzle is created. This tool provides a starter or closer for any lesson.
Making Connections with Smart Boards in Schools
Additional Web 2.0 tools which can be integrated into lessons on smart boards or interactive white boards include Google Docs, Twitter, Moodle, UStream, and a host of other tools. These boards have moved lesson to a whole new level of interactivity and student engagement in the learning process.
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