10/5/11
Smart Technologies
I've been teaching in a district that is a big supporter of Smart Technologies. This company makes educational products that use technology as teaching aides. I have tried all the educational products and have fallen in love with each of them. If you have a chance to use one, or if you can write a grant for one of these, I highly suggest it. You will NOT be disappointed!
Some teachers are scared to use them and scared to let their students use them. I find that this is mainly because the teacher doesn't know how to use them. Once they have seen how they can be used, and make up their mind to actually use the materials, then the rest is easy. There is so much that you can do with these products! I don't know how I have ever taught without them! It helps make learning more interesting.
Here is a few of my favorites:
SMART Board® interactive whiteboards
These whiteboards can be used as a virtual whiteboard. You can write, draw, erase and touch the screen to interact with it.
SMART Response™ interactive response systems
Students can use the clickers to respond to questions. Data can be gathered immediately. Students have the choice to answer true and false or multiple choice questions. Students can also text the answer as well.
SMART Table™ interactive learning center
This is similar to a horizontal interactive whiteboard.
SMART Document Camera™
This product can display an live video feed on to a whiteboard.
SMART Slate wireless slate
This slate can be used to click and write on the interactive whiteboard without having to be next to the board. You can stand across the room and still be able to write on the whiteboard.
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I LOVE my Smart Board!! I got one in my room two years ago through a grant, however, I didn’t really begin to use it until a year ago. I am amazed at all it can do and am so jealous of this generation of students, they have no idea how lucky they are!! It is a great resource for a high school math/science teacher. Until recently, I have had my projector on a rolling cart causing several calibrations per day. Just yesterday my projector got mounted to the ceiling. It completely opens my room up and I have less light blaring in my face. The only “kink” that bugs me is how the projector fans vibrate causing the screen to shake. And, since the projector is now at an angle, instead of shining straight-on, the accuracy of the “touch” gets weaker and weaker the farther down the board I go. So we shall see how this pans out in my room. I hope it is just a “kink” and works itself out.
At CAMT this summer, Smart Technologies had a booth with a Smart Table. It was pretty cool too. From the programs they had on it, I see it being more beneficial for elementary and special education students. I also have a Smart Document Camera, so much better than an overhead projector. Plus it is able to capture pictures. The Smart Slate I am not too fond of, at least the slate I have because I’m not sure if its Smart or not now that I think about it. With my slate, I have to download the entire program daily (and other teachers have had this problem) so they have been shoved in a drawer.
But, overal this company definitely has it going on!
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