We have been able to use it to display fraction addition and multiplication, diagrams of problems, student work, and concepts dealing with linear equations. I found some neat little programs in the gallery dealing with slope and linear equations that the kids enjoyed. It seemed a little elementary, but students enjoyed reviewing the information. We have also found coordinate grids, number lines, integer manipulatives and line manipulatives in the gallery.
One application that I have used for my 8th grade classes is the TI Smartview Graphing Calculator. This is an application that is tied in with the use of the graphing calculators. Students have been able to learn how to graph linear equations, scatterplots and find the line of best fits using the calculators and the application.
Some problems that I have run across:
- The placement of the projector makes it hard to write and manipulate objects. The user blocks out the projector's light, therefore interfering with the screen.
- With the current set up, the projector and/or the screen can be bumped or moved. Each time something is moved just a bit, the screen needs to be oriented. The kids know this as "teaching" the smartboard. It gets a little annoying, but it is fairly quick.
- There are some resources on the web for smartboard templates and ideas, but I lack the time to explore and find the right fit for all my lessons. I often times feel scrambled and find something at the last minute or during the class.
