SMART Boards for Education -Product Review
Oh the wonders of technology and education colliding into one product. If you have had an opportunity to use and acquire a SMART Board, you will know that it is an educational tool that can do just about anything for anyone. Assuming that you have not had this chance, hence why you are reading a product review, you’ll gain a whole new appreciation for this educational based software.
As teachers, meeting the needs of every student is essential, just as having a product to meet each of the teachers needs. Within this product review, I look at the good/bad/ugly with all that the SMART Board has to offer.
Let’s take a look shall we?
Product name model/options;
SMART Board has several different products to offer, both for education as well as for businesses. For the purpose of this review, I will be examining their SMART Boards for Education. Below, I have listed the four boards that are designed for educators and schools. They are:
SMART Board -7000 Series interactive displays
SMART Board -6000 Series interactive displays
SMART Board -MX series interactive displays
SMART Board -2000 series non-touch displays
Specifications;
Taking a deeper look into the specifications that the SMART Boards for Education has to offer, there clearly is the “right” board for you and your classroom.
The experience that a user, like you could have when using the 7000 series interactive displays starts with the unique one-of-a-kind touch technology that is the HyPr Touch™ (Hybrid Precision Touch)-(based on InGlass™). Comes with 4 pens and 1 eraser which enables whole class collaboration. The 7000 series, also comes with a 1-year subscription of SMART Learning Suite software.
However, the 7000 series might offer more than you are looking for. The award winning “Best of Bett’17” Winner of Tech & Learning, the 6000 series interactive displays might be the model for you. With it’s DViT® touch technology and fully heat-tempered glass, this board will serve as a grand slam to encourage learning of all types within your classroom.
Still too fancy? Okay, how about the MX series interactive displays. This board is an great options for an affordable alternative to a classroom project. With it’s infrared touch technology, this board brings hands-on learning to the next level.
More commonly than not, working within your budget is your biggest requirement. This is where the 2000 series non-touch displays come into play. This board is versatile and can fit into just about any room for students and teachers to collaborate efficiently.
Price, purchase options, alternatives;
Typically, the SMART boards today can run from the range of $1,500 to $6,500 (plus) depending on the make and model that you purchase. With this said, it is common and most likely the case for the school to buy and supply these boards.
Due to this, SMART Tech, who is the creator and designer of the SMART Board does not list or provide the prices of the models for each of their boards. They do however, redirect you to a “Reseller” page where you are able to contact and third party about purchasing SMART Boards from them.
Hands-on experience as user;
As an up and coming elementary education teacher, I have gotten to spend a great deal of time using these SMART boards in a classroom setting. Watching students work together and collaborate on a specific task is something that is almost difficult to express using words. When delivering lessons whether it’s during reading, writing, or math, students are more engaged than ever!
Need a second opinion? Sure! “Betsy Weigle, a fourth-grade teacher and district Smartboard trainer from Washington state, said that interactive whiteboards offer an opportunity for students to “gain hands-on experience with the curriculum if a teacher implements usage correctly. However, truly getting technology into the hands of students (which should always be the primary goal) means more than allowing them to manipulate images designed by the teacher.” — From: Education World
Product images/video;
Pros/Cons;
With anything, there are some important pros and cons to seriously consider before dropping the serious cash on one of these Boards. First, let’s look at the Pros:
- Improvements with overall engagement and classroom collaboration.
- Clean-cut look, no-more messy left over marker stains on the whiteboard.
- Advanced edge-cutting technology that is easy to use (both teacher & student friendly)
Cons:
- The PRICE TAG…. goodness gracious.
- Wall-mounted. This type of technology is similar to a standard whiteboard in terms of mounting it on a wall. This can be tricky for classroom setup and having it be in view for all students.
- Just like anything… sometimes technology has it’s glitches. IT departments would be the only ones who would be able to “fix” these problems.
Recommendation.
My overall recommendation is very positive. I would indeed think this is a great tool to have in the classroom if it is within the means of your school budget. I would argue that it is not a necessity, you are able to teach effectively without it. However, it does bring major benefits for engagement, classroom collaboration, and extensions to many lesson and unit plans.
