1. Technology: Changing the
Way We Learn
By: Sarah Coudret Click on me to learn
more!

2. Table of Contents
Slides 3-5: Impact of SMART board Technology:
An Investigation of Sight Word Reading and
Observational Learning
Slides 6-8: The Wonders of Interactive
Whiteboards
Slides 9-11: SMART Board in the Music Classroom
Slide 12: Conclusion

3. SMART Board
Impact of SMART Board Technology: An Investigation of Sight Word Reading
and Observational Learning
Who would have thought that hooking up the SMART board with a USB
port to a computer would help a student learn simple sight words? Well,
this is exactly what happened to Andy. A piece of technology can improve
an educational setting if used properly. Andy was a 19 year old male,
diagnosed with athetoid cerebral palsy and had a moderate intellectual
disability. He was only able to read at a third grade level. He could also
read a newspaper and recall factual information. Andy was employed by
the YMCA and would hand out towels and greet the guest at the front
desk. His educational goals included: “slowing his rate of speech and
speaking clearly; safely using a motorized scooter in the community;
locating clothing and shoes in department stores; locating 5-6 items in a
grocery store from a written list; and staying on topic during conversation”
(p 3).
Click arrow to
learn about the
study

4. READ ON TO LEARN HOW THE
SMART BOARD HELPED ANDY 
Andy, along with other students, were set up in a classroom with a SMART board. The
board was hooked up to a lap top computer which the teacher was able to control.
From there, thirty-five words unknown to all of the students were identified from a list
of seventy grocery words. The words were placed in a power point and one word at a
time would pop up on the SMART board. The teacher would then say, “What word?”
and the student would answer. After the first session the students were only able to
identify 35 words. From the list of words unkown to the students, twenty-seven were
selected to work on with the students. Each word was placed on a separate slide, and
after each slide a picture of the word, or a picture describing the word appeared. At the
bottom of each slide was an action arrow that the teacher could press to continue on to
the next slide. The teacher was able to stand in front of the class and just click on the
SMART board. Constant repetition of the words on the SMART board aided the
students in learning new sight words. At the end of so many sessions a post test was
given to test what the students had learned. These results were compared to what the
students knew before beginning the lesson. Andy’s score increased every time. The
SMART board proved to be very successful. The author stated that “after thirty-five days
after instruction ended “ Andy was unable to retain much of the information. The
author said this could be due to the lack of practice after learning the words.
Mechling, Linda; David Gast, Kristin Krupa (March 9, 2007).
Impact of SMART Board Technology: An Investigation of Sight Word Reading and Observational Learning. Retrieved
June 7, 2009 from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/ehost/pdf

5. Let’s Reflect!
PRE Posr Pre Post
ANDY 81.5 96.3 81.5 96.3
Above is a table that shows the results in percentage form of the results
of Andy’s pre-tests and post-tests. I have had actual experience with a
SMART board. I was a long term substitute in a first grade classroom and
we used a SMART board for almost everything, including phonics. The
board helped out tremendously and the students were able to be active
learners because of the SMART board. The board was able to help Andy
learn sight words that would appear on a grocery list; and although after
a month of zero practice he was unable to recall many of the words, I
believe the SMART board played a role in his educational success. The
authors even stated in the article that this was most likely due to fact
that Andy has minimal contact with his sight words and did not continue
to practice. This article shows us that if a piece of technology is used
properly, it can have a positive affect on the student.

6. The Wonders of Interactive Whiteboards
Teachers are always searching for new ways to engage their
students and capture their attention; while making sure each
student is learning and thriving in the classroom. Benjamin
Hazzard had hit a plateau in his classroom. He was struggling
with keeping his class engaged and excited about learning. This
all changed the day the SMART board was introduced to his
seventh grade class, things have not been the same since.
The day the SMART board was brought into his room Hazzard had not
the slightest clue what it was and what in the world he was suppose to
do with this strange white board. The IT technician proceeded to write
“hello, class” on the board and then he translated his script to text. The
whole class was in awe and each student could not wait to have the
chance to get up to the SMART board and try it out for themselves.
“Hazzard thought, Whatever this is, is good” (Starkman)
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7. In Hazzard’s school district 40 out of 53 schools have
SMART boards in their classrooms. Since the use of
SMART boards teachers have stated that “grades have
gone up; suspensions have gone down” (Sarkman)
That seems pretty amazing to me. Students are
becoming more engaged in their learning experience
and they are excited about their education. Hazzard is
not now an educational consultant he was asked if all
the success of the students is due to the SMART
boards. Hazzard said, “It isn’t about the boards; it’s
about the learning that is happening. The boards are a
conduit to the curriculum.
I like this quote because it shows that the credit is not all
going to the technology. The technology was a tool that if
used properly, can help create and aide in the educational
success of students. The SMART boards can be used for all
sorts of lessons. Such as when Jen Phillips uses the board to
show her students deep-sea photography when the students
are learning about oceanography; or to “draw shapes and
identify angles” (Starkman).
Starkman, Neal (May 1, 2006).The Wonders of Interactive Whiteboards. T.H.E
Journal. 33,

8. TIME TO REFLECT!
I really enjoyed this particular article
because I was able to relate more with
what the author was discussing. I really
like how Hazzard stated that the increased
success of the students is not because of
I know that in the classroom I
the SMART boards. I think it is important
worked in, the students always
to remember that the technology we
paid more attention and
have will not do all the work for us;
participated more when the
teachers still need to teach and students
SMART board was involved in
still need to be active listeners and do
the lesson. Even taking a simple
their work. This combination, along with
worksheet an uploading to the
technology will create an atmosphere for
SMART board can make all the
success. When students are able to play a
difference.
part in each lesson and are able to
physically get up and interact with the
SMART board they will become more Come on, let’s learn
some more!
eager to learn and to participate.

9. SMART Board in the Music
Classroom
By Jean Baker
Jean Baker was invited by her principal to be a member of a Smart Board
training team and boy, was she excited. For those of you who are still a
little uncertain what exactly a SMART board is, this article describes it as
“an interactive whiteboard connected to a computer and a data projector”
(Baker). Images, words, videos, and sounds can then be projected onto the
board. The SMART board can be used as a computer as well. Students and
the teacher are able to navigate and control the computer by simply using
their finger and marking directly on the screen with either your finger or
with special markers. The first lesson Baker did in her music classroom with
the SMART board was a lesson on “The Star Spangled Banner” because she
said a lot of students do not know the words correctly. She said that
creating the lesson on the SMART board was fairly simple and the “hardest
part was deciding things like where to start, which background to use, and
how many graphics to include, since the possibilities seemed endless”
(Baker).

10. Continued….
Baker’s music classroom did not yet have a
SMART board installed so in the beginning
she would take her class to the computer lab
for the lesson. Baker explains that when she
uses the SMART board her students become
more involved with the lesson and stay on-
task better. The whole class become more
efficient. More than 85 percent of the Baker said before the SMART
classrooms in Baker’s district, Gasconade board it was difficult to get
County, have SMART boards. The students the students to
have actually played a huge role in helping participate, now they are
the teachers learn who to work the SMART more than eager to get up
board, and together the students and and go to the SMART board
teacher learn. Baker is able to show students when asked.
clips of songs from different eras as well as Baker , Jean (May 1, 2007).SMART Board in the Music
Classroom. Music Educators Journal. 93,
photographs. When she teaches choir she
also used the board to show the choir
certain dance moves and how pieces of the
song should sound.

11. Thoughts and
Reflections especially, in the upper grades, I
In many music classes,
think it become more difficult to get the students willing
and eager to participate. I never thought of using the
SMART board in a music class and it sounds like a
wonderful idea. I think it would really help get everyone
more involved, especially the boys in the class. Students
learn better when they can hear the lesson, see the
lesson, and actively participate in the lesson. The SMART
board would help in every one of these aspects. The
board could be used when learning notes, different
instrument families, listening to music, identifying the
form of the music and create your own music with
special software. I like how Jean Baker embraced the
new technology and even thought she was unsure about
certain aspects of it, she continued to push forward and
learn.

12. Conclusion
After reading all three articles on SMART board technology,
and after having hands-on experience with a SMART board
I would say that this particular piece of technology is
beneficial and would be a great addition to any classroom.
Even if a teacher is unsure about the technology, learning
about it with the students can create a bond. I learned that
classrooms with a SMART board have noted less
disciplinary problems and a growth in academic success.
Students become more eager to participate in the lesson
and they want to be involved. I firmly believe that if the
technology is used properly it can become very beneficial
to the student and to the teacher.
THE END 