Ed Tech Talk; It's Elementary #43,

2/23/10 Interactive White Boards
This was the latest entry on It's Elementary section of Ed Tech Talk. I am fascinated by the use of Smart Boards. The announcer, Maria Knee, is a kindergarten teacher from Deerfield, NH among a few others that joined her. I have only used a Smart Board a few times, but the little I did use them, I found that it really grabbed the attention of the students (k-2).
It seems like the Smart Boards are newly introduced to the schools. Teachers are still trying to figure out how they work. From the show, I learned there are many differents types of Smartboards, some more complicated than others. When the schools can implement them, they seem to be replacing digital projectors. The beauty is that they can be combined with typing as well as handwriting. Teachers can use a wireless keyboard and mouse to easily pass it around. One announcer commented that her young, kindergarten students have a hard time not getting their hands all over the pens, boards, etc. making germs spread easily. Another important fact that was pointed out; they are expensive items. Teachers should not just use them to show movies, or only use seldomly. They should be used mainly by students to get the full experience and benefits of what the technology has to offer. This was my first Ed Tech Talk. I found the topic interesting and informative. I had no idea that there are other brands as well as more complicated, interactive boards for different learning levels.