SMART+Technology

Are any of you using SMART Boards in your classrooms? If you are, I would really be interested in finding out how you use them. There are more and more SMART boards coming onto campus and I teach faculty and staff the basics but find most people use them as a big monitor. When I teach Elementary School teachers how to use them, we seem to be able to come up with so many more interactive lessons. Would university/college students enjoy this kind of interactivity? ~ Mary

Ask and ye shall receive!

One of my favorite ways (OK, only way as I haven't used them very much yet) to use a SMART Board is to use the record feature in Notebook. In my Fluid Mechanics course (exciting, I know) my students are always asking for more examples. Time, however, rarely permits more than a couple throughout the term. To overcome this, I plug my headset into my laptop and narrate the solution to problems from the textbook while recording my actions. Solving the problems in Notebook is fantastic because I can add pages whenever and wherever needed. Awesome tool!!! Here is an example: [|Example Problem 3-59.wmv]

A few things to keep in mind:
 * 1) Book the room and put a sign on the door if necessary to ensue you don't get interrupted
 * 2) Prepare in advance. In this course, I like to solve problems on the fly so students can watch me work through a problem and hear me talk it out BUT making a mistake causes confussion and wastes time.
 * 3) Lecturing to an empty room feels very weird at the start, but you do get used to it.

By doing this I have effectively increased the amount of contact time that I have with students. And, by posting to Blackboard, it's at their convenience, not mine.

~ Dale

Hi Dale

That is so cool!! I will be showing everyone I teach this example. Hope that is okay!

Mary

I found a site with two-minute tutorials on SMART board. [] I have used SMART board to show people how to use the IDMS for producing a Course Outline, and for Blackboard training. Now it is time for me to start using some of the other functions/software.

Also, if you like using games for review in SMART board, this jeopardy template may come in handy.

Teacher Online Training for Smartboard http://www.teacheronlinetraining.com/library/mod/resource/view.php?id=590

Sue Hi Everyone, I love the tutorial suggestions!! How MANY times do we explain the same thing OVER AND OVER!!!! How can I learn more about this? Is Notebook what I need to be able to post tutorials in Blackboard for the students???? I know students would love to have a place to be able to see applicable tutorials whenever they felt like it - and not have to stand outside my office door at 7:45am, the morning of an exam, with questions (although some will still do this!!)!! Ahh - so much to learn.........so little time until September!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for this opportunity to learn!! Barb

From the site Free Technology for Teachers. Lots of resources here! Teaching with SMART Board video podcasts Sue []