Smart Board Lesson Ideas

After students have created PowerPoint projects or other work, allow them to share the work with the rest of the class using the Smart Board.

Choose any interactive website and let the students work individually, in pairs, or in groups of three to complete activities at the website.  One such site to use is aplusmath.

A good website to use on the smart board to let students explore and complete activities: Mikids.com
Go to the site, let students choose the appropriate grade level (they are color coded), and let them choose an activity.

Math websites to use for grades 3, 4, and 5:  eMints

Pull up math (or other subject) worksheets on the smartboard and have students write the answers to complete the problems.  One site to use for worksheets is: EdHelper

Lots of other great sites to use with the smartboard can be found HERE.

If you open the notebook, you can write on the SmartBoard with Dry-Erase markers and the writing will appear on the notebook and can be printed out.  One teacher is using it to work with spelling words.  Another teacher uses it as a blackboard and prints out notes for students with IEPs.  - Vivian, Saucon Valley Elementary School, Hellertown, PA

To use a Smart Board at Wacona Elementary:
1. Make sure the computer, projector, and smart board cables are connected.  You must UNDO the monitor cable and put the Smart Board cable in its place on the back of your computer tower.  You cannot use both the monitor and the Smart Board at the same time.
2. Boot up the computer.
3. Turn the power for the projector ON.  It takes a minute or two for the projector to warm up.  Make sure you uncover the projector lens.
4. Log in as you normally do.
5. The computer will take a moment to recognize and communicate with the Smart Board.
6. Adjust your projector’s height (using the small blue levers on the front of the projector) and distance from the smart board so that the picture fills the screen adequately.
7. When a message comes up that says “new hardware found, searching for a driver” you should hit CANCEL.  The computer will continue to boot up.
8. Once it’s up, you need to click on the tool bar and choose “calibrate” or “keystone”.  If you don’t see the tool bar, click on “projection” on the left hand panel of the Smart Board.
9. To calibrate (for a Polaroid Smart Board), you click on the points in the circles shown on the smart board.
To keystone, you must click on each corner of the Smart Board.  This activates the sensors so that the board becomes an interactive touch screen and you can use your finger as a mouse button.
10. You may use the remote control as a pointer and mouse.  Refer to the instruction manual (page 34) for more directions.
When shutting down the Smart Board, shut down your computer as you normally do.  It will automatically turn the Smart Board off.
***To turn off the projector, you MUST hit power off, then hit power off again.  Allow the fan to run until it stops.  The fan in the projector MUST run to cool off the lamp inside.  The lamps are expensive ($200 and up per bulb), and if not shut down properly, the bulb will break.

Options on the Smart Board:
Tools:  Hide Tools, Right Click, Escape, Calibrate/Keystone, Keyboard, Annotate
Hide Tools – Makes the tool bar smaller
Right Click – Like right clicking on your mouse
Escape – Like the escape button on your keyboard
Calibrate/Keystone – allows you to reactivate/realign the sensors
Keyboard – pulls up a keyboard that you can touch to type letters.  Note:  The keyboard has three sizes.  Simply click “large, medium, or small” on the right hand size of the keyboard.  To make the keyboard go away, simply click the keyboard tool again on the tool bar.
Annotate – Allows you to write on a screen on the Smart Board using the pens and take a snapshot of the screen to save, print, email, or fax.
Pens – Red, blue, green, black.  To choose a pen color, simply click on the left hand side of the board.  You may use either Dry Erase markers, the pen that comes with the Board, or your finger as a writing instrument.  You may choose line width to make lines narrow, medium, or large.
Eraser – Finger erase and wide erase.  Again, you may use your finger, hand, or the eraser that comes with the Board as an eraser.
Camera – Allows you to take a snapshot of the screen or a portion of the screen.
Zoom in and Zoom Out – Allows you to magnify a portion of the screen.
On the Ibid screen, you have options similar to any other program:  File, New, Open, Print, Cut, Copy, Paste, and Help.    There are other options which determine what you see within the Ibid board screen (i.e. a saved snapshot, the whole screen, or a number of saved screens).

Options on the Projector:
W ----- T – zooms in or out
Power – used to power on and off
Help – offers help options
Keystone – allows you to re-orient your board so that the sensors are operable.
Source – allows you to change from computer source to video and/or audio (such as a VCR)
To focus, simply turn the projector lens gently until the picture is clear.

Other Notes:
The Smart Board and projector CAN be used with a PA system, VCR, or other input/output devices.
You can also use the Smart Board with NetMeeting.