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=To read about the Advantages of Smartboards, click here!= =**Smartboard Activities** = By __ [|Hannah McCarthy] __   The days of talk and chalk are but memories. For generations of students, going to school has always been a part of growing up which they may have endured rather than enjoyed. For many, the highlight of the school day was the sound of the dismissal bell. Today's kids must wonder what all the fuss was about. These days, being at school is stimulating, enjoyable and (dare we say it) fun! There are many reasons for this change of attitude, including the increasing use of technology in the classroom, in particular the introduction of smartboards. A smartboard is a large, interactive touch screen connected to a computer and projector. A teacher and a group of students are able to use the smartboard at the same time. How does it work? The teacher prepares a lesson on his or her computer which is intended for display on the smartboard. Once the material is projected onto the smartboard, the content may be manipulated, deleted or added to, either by the teacher or by the students. Words and pictures may be moved around the screen by using a mouse or keyboard, or by manually 'picking up' data and dragging it to a different part of the smartboard. New text can be added or removed when appropriate. A student can be invited to the front of the class to move an image or write on the screen using their fingers rather than a pen or pencil. Can you imagine the thrill of touching the smartboard with your fingers and moving a picture up or down, or dragging it from one side of the screen to the other? And how exciting it must be to watch a word appear...as if by magic! There are many uses for a smartboard. Every subject in the curriculum and every age group benefits from having a smartboard in the classroom. For example, in vocabulary, a list of words or phrases relating to a particular topic can be randomly written on the smartboard. Students can be asked to place the words into groups which demonstrate some relationship, such as all words containing 'ai' or 'ion'. The students are then able to move the words around the smartboard until everyone is satisfied with the groupings. In addition, colors can be changed and different fonts can be used to emphasize a group of words. The benefits to students are beginning to be recognized by teachers and parents alike. Lessons using a smartboard appeal to kids with a short attention span and they love being actively involved. The level of truancy is dropping as learning becomes more enjoyable and kids become eager to contribute to each session. Students with hearing or visual impairments also benefit as they feel a part of a larger group and are able to interact more easily with their classmates. On the downside, there are some people who wonder if the coming generations will lose the ability to read a book, forget how to use their imaginations, or be unable to concentrate for a reasonable period of time. Of course, there is always the danger that someone may forget and use a real pen or marker on the screen which can prove to be an expensive mistake. But despite these concerns, the smartboard is here to stay and unpleasant memories of school will soon be a thing of the past. Article Source: __ [|http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hannah_McCarthy] __ ||
 * Hannah McCarthy is Marketing Executive for Education City, a major provider of __ eLearning resources __ in the US. Interactive smartboard lessons are supported by educational __ online kids games __, offering comprehensive, curriculum-based learning activities for use in school.