SMARTBoards in Every Class
by Erica Yates
October 08, 2009
The number of mounted SMARTBoards in the Lawson School District more than doubled over the summer from 44 to a total of 101.
“In our technology plan, that we adopted in 2006 but revised in 2009, was to put 75 [SMARTBoards] in the district by the end of the 2012 school year,” Roger Schmitz, assistant superintendent, said. “At the end of the 2009 year, we had 44. This summer, when we were informed that there was AARA [American Recovery and Reinvestment Act] money—stimulus money—available for No Child Left Behind (NCLB) initiatives we chose to use some of that money to complete the project.”
Schmitz said with federal dollars there’s always restrictions.
“The biggest piece of it was that is was special education IDEA [Individuals with Disabilities Education Act] money, but the provision that it could be used for No Child Left Behind activities, technology education being one of those—integration of technology—allowed us to get the SMARTBoards.”
According to Schmitz, the distict felt it was best to use some of this money to complete the SMARTBoard project because of the project’s success and popularity.
“Knowing the effectiveness that the SMARTBoards have and that this could complete the project and put a SMARTBoard in every classroom, we didn’t look at alternatives,” Schmitz said.
With the money the district purchased SMARTBoards and projectors for every classroom, 24 SMART Response systems—adding to the four it already owned, and eight SMART document cameras.
The approximate total cost was $167,300. If the AARA money had not become available, the district would have purchased only 10 SMARTBoards over the summer.
“I think if I’ve heard any feedback from parents or community it just affirms the high-quality school district that we have.”
Schmitz said the feedback from the students comes in a different manner.
“If I see students at the board, whether it be at a Website or working a software program, to me that’s feedback that says they wouldn’t be doing that otherwise, so we’re bringing the learning to the student, making it more interactive, more alive, more dynamic.”
Besides SMARTBoards and Response systems where students can “buzz in” with their answer and receive immediate feedback, there are also SMART cameras.
“It’s kind of hard to gather 20 students around a table and demonstrate how to tie a certain piece of jewelry in art,” Schmitz said, “but if you have the document camera then you can project that on the SMARTBoard. I think it has some really neat applications that again are just going to take some time and probably another step.”
SMART technology, as Schmitz said, is neat, but some question whether the SMARTBoards are needed for every classroom and the soundness of the investment.
“I don’t think they’re worth the money to put them in all the classes, but technology-wise I think they are worth the money,” Harley Elliot (11) said.
Other students think we could have spent the money on different technology though.
“I think we should have gotten laptops instead,” Jordan Holder (11) said. “They feel more hands-on. Instead of one big SMARTBoard, one workstation for you to work at your own pace would be better.”
Students don’t just have negatives about the SMARTBoards, there are positives too.
“[SMARTBoards] are nice,” Josh Gamber (9) said. “I think it makes teaching and learning easier.”
Some teachers believe SMARTBoards aren’t a necessity.
“No,” Physical Education Teacher Mr. Todd Dunn, said. “People that are really great teachers have gone without one forever but do I think it helps? Yeah.”
Others say they are not able to utilize it as much.
“I use it more as a projection device,” Band Teacher Mr. David Potter said. “First hour during band, I don’t use it at all really. There is no reason not to like it but there is a technological barrier.”
Whether teachers use it frequently or infrequently there will still be cost connected with maintenance.
“You’re always going to have maintenance in whatever you do, whether it’s a building with lights or a projector with the lamp,” Schmitz said. “So we just have to budget a small amount of money every year knowing that some lamps are going to burn out of projectors, so on and so forth.”
