AlphaPlus

The staff at the Peel District School Board (PDSB)’s Literacy & Basic Skills program is embracing SMART Board technology and their students are achieving better learning outcomes.

SMART Board interactive whiteboards are products that combine the functionalities of a white board, an LCD projector and a computer. They allow teachers to deliver highly visual and more interactive lessons.

PDSB acquired their first SMART Board in 2008 shortly after one of their math instructors, Maria Valles, saw it at a conference. The program now has five classrooms equipped across their three locations. Eleven of their instructors are regularly using the boards in math, communication and computer classes.

The boards are used almost every day, either as part of a lesson demonstration or by individual students practicing specific skills. It has made the greatest impact in math class by enabling instructors to teach topics in different ways. Basic math, geometry and numeracy tasks come to life and make more sense as students are able to visualize and manipulate abstract ideas.

The tool allows for other ways to think about and solve word problems. It also facilitates trial and error learning, since it’s so easy to erase and start over. The prospect of being wrong at first becomes much less intimidating.

In communication class, the board is used for student presentation, grammar lessons and watching videos. A website called LearnersTV offering a wide range of free video lectures, courses, animations, lecture notes, online tests, and presentations is often used during those sessions.

Some students find it beneficial to know that they don’t have to take notes during the lesson, but can instead concentrate on what the instructor is saying knowing that they can review the lesson later on. In addition to enhancing learning in the class, the boards have enabled more effective learning after class ends. Everything presented on the board can be saved and emailed to students for home review. Past lessons can also be retrieved by students who miss classes.

The board has changed the way instructors teach and use their time. They now have more time in class to help students because they don’t have to write everything from scratch on a blackboard, they simply pull up material from their computer. As program manager Dalia Taylor notes, “You can’t save and email a chalkboard!” Teachers are also benefiting from the ease of sharing materials within the program and expanding their resource library by accessing a large and growing supply of lessons and materials developed by SMART Board users around the world on the SMART Exchange website.

While there is some hesitation at first, most students eventually become very comfortable using the technology. In fact, some prefer it to other methods of learning. Maria has observed that it accelerates learning for students who have traditionally struggled to make progress. Students who are hesitant to demonstrate new skills benefit from being able to watch their peers first and reflect on the task before doing it themselves.

PDSB instructors have noticed that using the board improved classroom management. Since students become so focused on the lessons, it seems to have a calming effect and the class runs more smoothly. Dalia thinks the technology is a natural fit in her classes because it builds on the flexibility that is already an integral feature of LBS programs. Furthermore, she’s pleased that it has increased the value that learners place on the program, which in turn increases their motivation to learn.

Staff and students will continue to use the interactive whiteboard to transform their learning environment at PDSB. Now that’s smart!