SMART+Notebook

Using the SMART Notebook and SMART Board to create and present a project was at first a bit daunting, but in the end, it was very enjoyable and not nearly as scary as I had been expecting! Similar to PowerPoint on the surface, the SMART Notebook program offers a limitless number of features and "tricks" one can use to juice up a presentation, and make it interactive for the students. When used in conjunction with the SMART Board, it allows students to move objects, fill in blanks, erase, and physically interact with anything on the screen. Though it seems frightening at first trying to understand the abilities of - and then how to incorporate - all the features of SMART Notebook/Board, it turned out to not be all that difficult. Not only that, but it was fun! It makes presentations more enjoyable, especially when one can physically get up and interact with the board; and by being more interesting, it also makes it a more effective learning tool. Though the technology is still not standard, and thus is not present in every classroom, I certainly hope that I find myself in a school that does have SMART Boards - if for no other reason than to play with it more! In all honesty, though, it excites even college students to pay sharper attention to the information being presented; I can't imagine that it wouldn't have the same effect on middle- and high-schoolers. ---