This is my fifth year using the SMART Interactive Whiteboard in my 8th grade Algebra and Geometry classes. After seeing the positive impact that the interactive whiteboards have on student learning, I feel I could no longer teach without one.

I love to talk to teachers who are just starting to use the boards. Many teachers feel like there is so much to learn. The important part is to start in steps.  Maybe first you will work on getting warm-ups together for each day.  I always keep one slide that lists the week’s homework so I can always put it up for students to see.

Recently, SMART added monthly calendars to the gallery.  This makes it easy for me to list and keep track of what I covered that month, or I can plan for upcoming months.  The best part is, that next year you have everything saved from the previous year and you are not recreating the wheel.  Another helpful hint is to team with other teachers and each create a different part of the lesson. 

After five years, I am happy to have all of my lessons on my computer instead of in two big metal filing cabinets. Thanks to SMART notebook my lessons are easy to find and easy to share with my colleagues.

By Carol Achille, Taft Middle School