SMART BOARD USE
We are very fortunate to have a large smart board in our classroom for interactive learning. Technology has advanced significantly over the past few years. Our reliance on it has increased in leaps and bounds and we use it for everything from helping us find places to improving our entertainment experiences. We often think of learning, however, as a person standing in front of us or our children and dictating but this is no longer the case. Technology has also enhanced learning in many ways such as eBooks and Smart Boards, for preschool learning all the way through college. These new technology methods have made learning less passive and more interactive.
WHAT IS A SMART BOARD?
A Smart Board is an interactive white board used by companies and schools as educational tools to help enhance learning. They replace conventional boards and allow people to write on them with special pens but also have an array of other features because of their connection to a computer and the internet. This connection turns the board into the ultimate educational tool as it becomes like a tablet.
HOW DO SMART BOARDS ENHANCE LEARNING?
Smart boards enhance learning by allowing educators to do more than they would be able to do on conventional boards. For example:
Save Work
As mentioned earlier, you can write on Smart Boards using the special pens provided as you would a normal board but with Smart Boards you can save work for future reference. In other words, if a lesson is not completed on one day or generally needs to be referenced back to, then the educator can easily access that file and the saved work of the lesson will be brought up on the screen.
More Than Just Writing
Writing can often be tiresome and doesn’t always convey the information in the best way. Smart Boards allow educators to bring up other programs to educate in different ways. These include things such as slideshows which have pictures, etc.
Another way in which Smart Boards allow educators to be more versatile with their educating is because of their ability to play video content. Many of us remember being at school and the teacher bringing in the media cart with a TV and video player to present educational videos. However, with YouTube and DVDs, that is no longer necessary as all the educational content can be played directly on the Smart Board. This is especially helpful in preschool environments where educational videos can capture the children’s attention and imagination.
PROVEN SUCCESS RATES
Various studies have shown that by making use of smart technology in the classroom, test scores, student learning and student literacy improve. Furthermore, the technology has been shown to increase how attentive the learners are in the classroom as well as increasing understanding of the content they are presented with.
Smart Boards are an excellent example of how technology can be used in schools to enhance learning in various ways such as including video content. At SMARTY PANTS PRESCHOOL we understand that our children are growing up in a world of technology.
We often use Smart Boards to expand our curriculum and help our children learn through a hands-on approach with technology. We also prohibit the passive use of television, videos, DVDs, and other non-interactive technologies and media during the course of our learning day for all ages.
National Association for the Education of Young Children Recommendations
In regards to the use of technology in the Early Childhood Classroom, we follow what NAEYC recommends and that is:
Select, use, integrate, and evaluate technology and interactive media tools in intentional and developmentally appropriate ways, giving careful attention to the appropriateness and the quality of the content, the child’s experience, and the opportunities for co-engagement.
Provide a balance of activities in programs for young children, recognizing that technology and interactive media can be valuable tools when used intentionally with children to extend and support active, hands-on, creative, and authentic engagement with those around them and with their world.
Prohibit the passive use of television, videos, DVDs, and other non-interactive technologies and media in early childhood programs for children younger than 2, and discourage passive and non-interactive uses with children ages 2 through 5.