It has been well established over the decades that apart from lacking a personal touch, computers can do almost anything a human can, but better. In recent years, educational institutions have implemented the use of computers strongly, integrating knowledge of hardware, software and programming into student’s syllabus. But with the introduction of the smart board, a teacher can now spend valuable time tending to his or her students rather than spending hours on trivial work that can be easily carried out by the smart board and the systems integrated.
Anything that a computer can do, the best smart board can replicate. A teacher can make a lesson engaging and focus on fun filled tasks for their students to have a rich learning experience. For instance, students can all be assigned an activity where they have to match items on screen and they can do so with their fingers or a pen. A teacher may also include multiple elements into their lesson plan, like websites, games, videos and photos or music that would get the children’s attention stirring. There are digital learning software with programs that even accept verbal replies from the children.
Think about it, a geography class about Africa will take the children to the center of the Serengeti where they can watch videos on the different kinds of animals, the sounds they make, or the food they eat. They can learn about the Maasai tribes and their culture. This wasn’t possible nearly a decade ago even the technology was already available in most developed countries.
The best of the smart boards save time for the teacher by getting work done ten times faster:
Ease of Access: You can save your work while preparing for a lesson and access the files later. You can access your lesson plan directly on the smart board without having to transfer it from any other device.
Use of Media-Clips: Long and tedious lessons can be cut short with the use of videos. You do not have to spend time giving lengthy lectures where a student’s attention span may be lost. Instead of trying to describe a theory or event, the children can get a visual representation and fully understand the concept.
Improve Organization: Since smart boards can be used to create lesson plans and can create multiple copies of a task/activity, it really helps in moving information around in an organized manner. Handwritten notes can be messy or can have human error so it really helps the children have uniform and clear data throughout the year.
Easily remove or shift material: If you no longer wish to include something as part of your lesson, you can easily remove this specific material and replace it with new thoughts or concepts. You can shift material from one lesson to another as well. You will be able to keep track of everything you covered for one specific lesson, reducing confusion and allowing for a jump start to the next lesson.
Save time on activities: Instead of elaborate plans for quizzes and tests or writing prompts, you will be able to create questions and activities with a purpose, on the spot. Create, save, share, it’s as easy as that.
Increase engagement and make lessons memorable: Engaging your students during a lesson is the most important part of teaching. Interaction is the most integral part of knowing if the children were able to fully grasp a concept. The ability to interact with students on a personal level and through the smart board truly increases the understanding of each individual student’s performance.
All of these are few of the many benefits of the best smart boards that help save time for a teaching staff.