8 Effective Ways To Use A Smart Board For Teaching: What Educators Need To Know 

Imagine if you could capture all the content displayed on a conventional blackboard, digitize it and share it with an entire classroom. Or even better, what if students can visually share ideas, collaborate or engage in discussions in real time-irrespective of whether they are in class or learning remotely? Well, these are just a few of the many reasons you should be using a smart board for teaching. 

Smart boards, also popularly known as interactive whiteboards, are electronic display devices that enrich the classroom learning experience. They allow students and teachers to learn collaboratively, edit data using touch screen technology, explore educational software and access online resources. In today’s digital age, many educators prefer to use a smart board for teaching as it offers a more immersive and interactive learning that helps create a fun and engaging classroom environment. If you want to find out how you can incorporate this smart board technology in the classroom – we’ve got you covered. 

How Teachers Can Use the Smart Board in the Classroom 

While today smart boards are taking over the word of education, this effective learning tool has been making its way into K12 classrooms since 1991. As with any other technology, one needs to understand its functions and gain familiarity in order to work the tool effectively. When teachers develop the curriculum or set goals for classes, being aware of new and emerging technologies that influence classroom instructions can be highly beneficial. 

Here are eight impactful ways to use an interactive smart board in the classroom: 

1. Improve classroom management 

Smart boards can be used as a centralized tool that takes care of all things classroom-related. This can include marking attendance, keeping track of student behavior, saving students’ homework and maintaining records, among other essential classroom management activities 

2. Boost student interaction 

Teachers can have students take turns to come up and solve different problems, add notes and create illustrations on the smart board. This is likely to keep them engaged during classes and improve attention. Group interactions and discussions also become easier when students have a visual representation to refer to 

3. Highlight what’s important 

Teachers may utilize the color feature and change the text and background color on the smart board to create more engaging notes or presentations. They can also highlight important words or areas of the screen using touchscreen or a stylus 

4. Access to the online world 

We know that the Internet is a vast repertoire of information. Using the smart board for teaching is particularly great because it allows easy access to the internet where teachers can find useful resources to supplement their lesson plans. It expands the range of content that can be used to present new information 

5. Save students’ work 

Smart boards are usually connected to computers. This means that teachers can easily save a student’s homework, assignment or project and review it later. This feature not only helps keep a student’s progress in check but also helps teachers assist students, if needed, after the lesson  

6. Make learning fun 

A smart board can help teachers turn learning into fun by introducing educational games. Students can take part in online quiz sessions, board games or other online learning games that enhance retention. Often , smart boards  also have built-in games 

7. Record lectures  

Another great function of a smart board is that teachers can record lessons and use it for future classes. This is particularly helpful for students who may have missed class or would like to revisit a certain portion of the lecture. Moreover, smart board solutions like video conferencing and real-time collaboration allow teachers to connect with remote students and even support hybrid lessons. For example, the Extramarks Teaching App provides teachers with the option to take live classes in real time or alternatively, record the lecture and schedule it later as a live class. Besides recording unlimited lectures and adding lecture notes, teachers also get to share real time polls and chat with students to address any doubts 

8. Conduct brainstorming sessions 

Teachers can create a digital hub for students to collaborate or work on group activities together. They can share pictures, illustrations, videos, links and other information on the screen, which enables students to share ideas, discuss concepts and indulge in brainstorming sessions with their peers 

Why Are Smart Boards Beneficial in The Classroom

Educators around the world continue to find new and refined ways to use the smart board. Since the technology has been around for a while, there are multiple online resources and tutorials providing  innovative suggestions on using the smart board.  But what role does this innovative tool play in revolutionizing the classroom experience? Let’s find out by looking at the top ten benefits of using the smart board for teaching:

1. Encourages a collaborative learning approach

2. Optimizes lesson planning 

3. Creates an engaging learning environment

4. Caters to students with different learning styles

5. Maximizes focus and attention levels 

6. Supports technology integration 

7. Offers quick access to online resources 

8. Adds a creative element to learning

9. Requires low maintenance 

10. Highly time-saving and cost-effective 

Digital smart boards open up a wide range of options for both students as well as teachers. To closely understand what interactive learning is all about, check out Extramarks Smart Class Plus– a 360 degree solution that offers immersive digital content using cutting-edge technology for maximizing the teaching and learning experience. We hope this guide has helped you understand the different functions of the smart board and why it is considered as a crucial tool that will shape the future of education. 

FAQs

1. Can a smart board be used without a computer?

While most smart boards require a computer system to function, some of them can work if an embedded Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) with a built-in Windows system is present 

2. Do smart boards have internet?

A smart board can be connected to multiple devices through local Wi-Fi network or Ethernet connection 

3. Which software is used for teaching on a smart board?

A smart board is generally compatible with many different software applications. The most common ones are SMART Notebook, SMART Learning Suite and SMART Screen Share application