Michele Berner's List: Subject Resources

Let’s Get Started with Smartboard

Five great tips every new Smartboard user needs
by Marjan Glavac
Regular contributor to the Gazette
January 1, 2009
Way back in 2001, I attended an educational conference in Buffalo, New York. It was there that I first saw a presentation of a Smartboard. My jaw dropped when I saw all the classroom possibilities. However, the price was beyond what my District would spend and I promptly forgot all about the Smartboard technology.

Fast forward to 2008 and the technology is being used in many districts around the world. I’m patiently waiting for my district’s technicians to connect my recently installed Smartboard to a computer and projector.

As I’m getting ready to use my Smartboard, I scoured the Internet searching for a Smartboard expert. I came across David Sladkey.

David is a Mathematics Teacher 4/5 and Math Department Technology Specialist 1/5 at Naperville Central High School. He has been teaching High School Math for 22 years and a Smartboard user since 2003. Check out his School Website: dsladkey.googlepages.com and Teaching with Smartboard Website: www.ncusd203.org/central/html/what/math/smartboard

I asked David to tell me what a teacher new to Smartboard technology would need to know. Here’s his advice:

1. Let’s Get Connected
Hooking up Smartboard
* Connect the power to the SMARTBoard (if needed)
* Connect the USB from the SMARTBoard to the computer
Get the Data projector set up
* Make sure the Data Projector’s image is just within the borders of the SMARTBoard frame
* Make sure the Data Projector cable is plugged into the back of your computer

2. Use the Smartboard like a Whiteboard
Open Smartboard
* Turn on your computer and turn on the Data Projector
* Go to the Smartboard Notebook Software and open it.
Orient the board
* On the Smartboard click on the two buttons that are on the pen tray at the same time
* Click the spots consecutively until they are all