smartboards??

Do you have a smartboard in your classroom? Our PTA is doing a huge fundrasier so that our whole school will have a smartboard in every classroom by the end of the year. I think its great but our grade level already has one (5 teachers share) and not one of us has used it this year!!! (1st grade) I am nervous that if we get them, I would never use it because I don't use the one we have now!! The only time I have used a smartboard is when we go to computer lab, and basically just use it to show the kids on a large screen what to do. So my question is, if you have/use a smartboard daily (esp. primary teacher) what do you use it for? What are some of your lessons? TIA

Re: smartboards??

in a school i used to work in had one. our Tech teacher mostly used it.

he would show video clips of bridges and would be able to pause and draw right on the video.

he would put notes up there he would have them predone on like power point and as he got to the next thing he would click it and then the students would copy it. so he didnt have to keep writing it on the baord 5 times a day or have to do it verbally.

he was able to draw right on it and show things he was explaining.

you could use it it literacy. you can have a short story appear on it and highlight it or underline important facts.

For SS you can show video clips that pertain to the subject matter being taught or you can find pictures that go with what you are teaching and be able to draw right on them to point out certain things.


you can make jeopardy games (for reviews) up on powerpoint and have it projected on the screen

there are so many ways you can use it.. i think you just need to start trying it and you will prob think of more and more ways to use it.

Re: smartboards??

I'll be getting one next year!!

I think it'll be great for math--I teach 5th grade, and there are so many things you can do with it! In 1st grade, they'll get a big kick out of it!

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I have one!

I loooooooooove it!

I use it ALL the time!

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See if I was in an upper grade I think I would use ut alot, but with 1st grade I think its going to be hard!!

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i had one in florida and i used it everyday. i loved it. i thought middle school math.

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we have them at our school...any teacher can use them, but we don't need it in our class.

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Smartboards are great. I share one with the Kindergarten and Second grade ( I am first) it is awesome.

The kids love using it. They learn so much better. You will be surprised how much you can do with it and how much you will like using it.

Re: smartboards??

Just about all of our classrooms have them permanently mounted on the walls to use instead of blackboards. I think it really promotes creative teaching and also is keeping up with the times. The kids as young as first grade can all use them and navigate them so easily. Definitely one the best things we've gotten in our school.

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Re: smartboards??

If I remember correctly we're in the same district in VA...

Do your kids use Kidspriation at all?

That's a great way to start using the smart board is to do graphic organizers with that program!

Play around with the smart board software - I keep finding new things!

Re: smartboards??

I teach K and we have one. I use it for word work, if we have extra time I'll put starfall.com up, I've shown videos from unitedstreaming.com. There is so much you can do and it's so engaging for the kids.

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We have a smartboard at our school and if we had more I would use it more. I think it can be great for kids using it to manipulate pictures and write on. It can make the lessons more interactive. Look on the smartboard website they have a bunch of ideas and lesson plans.

Re: smartboards??

Message edited 1/18/2008 7:00:59 PM.

Re: smartboards??

Re: smartboards??

We have a small school so we have two. One for upstairs classes and one for downstairs classes. We can sign up for them for one month increments. Most teachers are afraid of them. I think they are pretty user friendly if you take the time to learn how they are used.