What is a SMART Board?

     A SMART Board is an interactive whiteboard that provides touch control of computer applications over Microsoft Windows applications. Due to SMART Board's tool features, it is very practical in the modern secondary English classroom. These many features reduce teacher stress and can be used by students at all school levels (including preschool). The following video will introduce you to the capabilities of the SMART Board.

What are some features of SMART Board?

     SMART Board tools include spotlight, screen shade, magnifier, floating tools, on-screen keyboard, video player and recorder. There is also a camera function that allows the user to capture an image from a website or other document and apply it to the SMART Board page. The handwriting recognition feature allows the user to write on the board with a pen and highlight the print to convert it to computer-recognized font. All of these tools have many practical uses in the English classroom.

How can SMART Board be utilized in the English classroom?

     The tools provided by SMART Board can be very useful in the English classroom. For example, the SMART Board can be used to teach parts of speech and grammar by providing students with interactive games that teach the skills. There are also activities that address an author's purpose and characterization in texts and other various comprehension. The tools are also very handy for editing and revising.

     There are many other ideas on how SMART Boards can be incorporated into the English classroom found on the Smart Tech website. For more information on using SMART Board tools in the English classroom please visit www.smarttech.com.

There are also many lesson ideas found on www.youtube.com. For example:

Why should I use SMART Board in my classroom?

     SMART Board has the amazing ability to engage students in the material as well as enhancing their learning experience. When you use SMART Board, students can easily see the manipulation of words as they move them around the screen. SMART Boards provide a mixture of technology and "hands-on" learning which furthers students' comprehension and personal investment in the text.

Where else can I find lesson ideas for SMART Board? 

     Please visit these websites for more lesson ideas!

http://www.eduscapes.com/sessions/smartboard/

http://ismartboard.com/sixth-seventh-eighth-grade/6-7-8-literacy-smartboard-activities/

http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-us/

Where can I find more information about SMART Boards?

    Please visit these websites for more information!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_Board_interactive_whiteboard#SMART_Board_tools

http://smarttech.com/

References:

www.youtube.com (videos)

www.wikipedia.com (information and tools)

www.smarttech.com (information and lessons)

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://static4cdn.echalk.net (image)