changing the classroom...

[phishphreek]

I know this has nothing to do with security, but it has to do with education.
Something all computer enthusiasts/professionals will never be done with...

I just thought it was the coolest thing they could have brought to the classroom in a long time and just wanted to share.

I attend a technical school and they have installed something called a Smart Board in many of our classrooms.

If you already know about them, just skip this, if not, check it out.
I know the technology isn't brand new, but you really never hear about them.

Smart Boards are basically an interactive white board.
They combine the functionality of a white board and a computer.

There are many different types but the ones we use are the cheaper ones and are still awesome.

Ours have a computer running Windows XP hooked to a projector that is attached to the ceiling. The projector displays the image from the computer to the smart board. The smart board is hooked to the pc. It is very similar to the look and feel if you write on a palm pilot or handheld pc, just a lot bigger. The board is configured in a way that when you write on the board, it sends that to the pc and is displayed back on the board.

It even allows you to control menu buttons and the like. Just like taking a stylus and putting it on your screen to control your somputer.

Some of them have the projector built into them and you don't get a shadow of the person standing in front of it. $$$$$

When you pick the eraser up off of a "pressure plate" it knows to put it in erase mode, pick up the black marker, it will write in black. The same goes for other colors. You can attach other things to it, like mice and keyboards.

There is a variety of software that can be used, but the stuff I played with was basically just a "notebook".

It allows you to import pictures, video, and sound or just simply write on it. You can setup a session for future use or save the one you are currently working on. It allows you to save it in many different formats, or import it in another program and e mail it, print it, turn to html, etc.

We have used them form math, drafting and other various sciences. I think the most useful place we have used them so far is in our computer classes/labs. It makes it a lot easier for the teachers so they don't have to draw the various different networks a dozen times a day or repeat drawings all the time. It allows them to import a flash video from Cisco to show how communications flow or how a pc works, etc.

It allows more time for hands on activities, which we all can't get enough of.

There are way too many possibilities to go over here, but you get the idea. AWESOME!

I might just have to get one for our training room. /me likes new toys

Maybe soon we'll be able to do this with tablet pcs.

Check out these links or search google for more info.

Smart Boards
Smart Board Pricing

[THEJRC]

he he, seen a few of those.... we tend to pull em when they come through and play with em or buy em up for ourselves (coworker has one by his phone for taking messages)

fancy deals he he!!

[MrLinus]

Originally posted here by phishphreek80

Smart Boards are basically an interactive white board.
They combine the functionality of a white board and a computer.

Hey Phish,

You don't attend Seneca College by any chance? Seneca has put these things in. And IMHO, a big waste of technology. I have tried to get the things recentered but they always end up 10 pixels higher than where I want it to be. And honestly, I don't want to have to realign this thing every lecture.

So far I haven't used it because of the problems. Concept is nice but implementation is sucky right now.

[IcSilk]

Its just one of those things that you wish you'd have thought up yourself - isn't it.

Easy in concept - ingenius in design and practice

[rcgreen]

And I suppose these things are a lot cheaper than a blackboard
and a box of chalk, eh?

[owen76]

The technology sounds neat, but wouldn't this waste a lot of time fiddling with the machine? If the machine has a problem are there any normal boards to write on?

[The §nake]

We have them in our school now and they arn't too clever

If only maths teachers could use computers.......

[phishphreek]

MsMittens: I don't attend Seneca College. I got to a communtiy college in Delaware...
Del Tech. www.dtcc.edu

Yeah, we do waste some time playing with them, but after you are used to them it saves time.
They are good for reference because you can save your sessions from class to class and reference them in the next classes.

They have left plenty of room for a regular board just in case teachers don't want to use them. They aren't in every classroom... just a couple here and there. Mostly for math and science.

I haven't played with them too much, but I didn't have any problems with alignment. Worked just fine for us.

I have just about talked work into getting one for my training room... /me still likes new toys