Digitization and technology has penetrated almost every facet of our lives. The same holds true for our schools where technology, like installing interactive boards in the classroom, is working hand-in-hand with teachers to impart knowledge in a more fun and interactive manner.

Learning how to use an interactive smart board in the classroom does not have to be as difficult as it is made out to be. Teachers need to understand that good teaching is still what is considered as the most important thing in classrooms.

An interactive whiteboard or smart board has proven to be quite an effective tool in teaching. However, there might still be those who face issues with the use of interactive boards in the classroom. For teachers who wish to use these tools effectively, here are a few tips:

Treat the interactive smart board like a tool

Interactive boards in the classroom might end up being slightly overwhelming with the numerous options they provide. While these options, along with the internet access provided, are great tools, they may end up overloading the students with information. That is why it is important for the teacher to first determine what the students need to learn and how they can impart that information in the best possible way. The interactive smart board is a very adaptable tool which allows teachers to integrate it seamlessly into their lesson plans.

Some Helpful tips for using smart boards

Interactive is key

Having your students come up and solve different problems on the interactive smart board is very interesting for the students as they show eagerness to work with the technology. This will prove to be a wonderful way of retaining the students’ attention.

Utilizing colours

With the smart board, one can make the text and the background into any colour, which can prove to be a useful feature as you take advantage of the natural tendencies of the brain towards memorization. It has been shown that a blue or green background with a white or yellow text often works great when memorization is concerned. Also, one should pay attention to imbibing colour and images into their lessons just to make it more interesting for the students.

The ability to save work

The interactive whiteboard or smart board is connected to a computer. This means that the teacher can easily save a student’s work and review it later. This feature can help the teachers a lot in being able to assist students after the lesson as well.

Easy availability of classes

With an interactive whiteboard, it is very easy for teachers to change the way they run their classes. With these smart boards in use, a teacher may be able to work out a lesson and then save it for the students, who will then be able to review the lesson at home and then work with the teacher to solve problems related to the lesson. This method however, may not be well-suited for all situations.

Internet access

There is no doubt to the fact that the internet is a vast repertoire of information. When a teacher needs to plan out their lesson, they can utilize an interactive whiteboard to run a relevant search online and find interesting resources to supplement the lesson.

As long as you, as a teacher, continue on your journey of discovery towards finding newer and more innovative ways to use smart boards, you will never run out of ideas on how to put this tool in use.