Smartboards are a great tool in the Mathematics classroom. They allowed teachers to graph equations accurately, show videos, move objects around with their hand, and much more. Smartboards have many features that will benefit a teachers lesson. Graphing is a perfect example, when a teacher wants to graph an equation, they can open up the graph paper and graph the equation right on the board. Unlike a chalk board where the lines will not be perfectly straight, and the points will not have perfect spacing.
Smartboards also work as a regular board if teachers want to open up a blank sheet and show examples step by step. They can do this by opening up a blank page and then use the smart markers to write. They have the option of many different colors to show different steps in a problem. They can also easily erase and start over if they have to. The great thing about writing examples on a smartboard verses a chalkboard or a white board is that your writing can be saved and printed or posted on a class website. This is a great tool for teachers incase a students is absent or so that they can go back and see exactly what they did on a certain day. Using a chalk board or white board this cannot be done.
Smartboards are not only useful in math. For example in a history class, a teacher may want to show students where something on a map is that they are learning about. Instead of just pulling down the old fashioned maps that hung from the walls, the teacher can open up a map and project it on the smart board. This is more beneficial because teachers can write on this map to highlight and show students exactly what they are talking about. Then they can erase if for their next class.
Smartboards do have some glitches. If the calibrator gets messed up what the teachers are trying to write will not be accurate. Their writing will come up in the wrong spot. Also if a teacher has a whole lesson planned using the smartboard and for some reason the projector is not working they will not be able to do the lesson. Teachers should always have a backup plan just incase the smartboard is not working one day.
I completely agree with you with everything you said. I would like to comment on one of the last things you said that a teacher must have a backup plan in case the smart board does not work. Although a smart board is great, I do not believe that it should be the ONLY board in the classroom. Teachers should have regular boards too. The classroom where I am doing my fieldwork only has a smart board and a tiny chalkboard, which is only used for homework assignments. What would happen if the smart board stopped working? It is great to rely on technology to support lesson plans, but sometimes I also believe that we do depend on technology too much and it should not be the only way to teach, but rather one of the ways we teacher.
ReplyDelete