SMARTBOARDS in the classroom

Today in our classrooms, a lot of educators have SMARTBOARDS available to them. Many educators jump at the chance to have this technology in their classrooms. It can help them to display interactive lessons, double as a chalkboard/whiteboard and show media such as films, books, and lessons. SMARTBOARDS have a lot of benefits to them for the classroom beyond teaching the curriculum, they can help in classroom management, organization, and engagement.

With the introduction of SMARTBOARDS, classrooms have become a technology-friendly environment, long gone are the times when school was not the place for "screen time". 

However, some of the questions that pose themselves now include; Do students get too much "screen time" between school and home? Are students doubling up on their time with technology by being in these classrooms? Have they become too dependent on the SMARTBOARD? Has technology become students' very own in-class iPad, laptop or television? 

From personal experience, I've found that if you're a supply teacher in the classroom, and you walk in and don't feel comfortable using the SMARTBOARD, the students aren't as receptive to you and your lessons for the day. They jump at the chance for you to turn it on and use it. It's as if a "switch" goes off in their head, and they are eager to get their "fix" of technology for the day. As a future educator, this makes me wonder if we've become too liberal with our uses of this technology in the classroom. While SMARTBOARDS add a lot of value and have provided us opportunities in our classrooms that we previously didn't have, have we become dependent on them ourselves? Could we be the educators that introduce a balance of technology and "old school" teaching methods? 

Get activities, games, and SMART Notebook lessons created by teachers for teachers. Pick by grade, by subject, or just do a search for a specific topic. It's easy.

Free classroom resources at: https://exchange.smarttech.com/

@VanessaNU