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By: Will Boyar on May 9, 2018

The New Smart Board Teachers Will Flip Over

Creative | Pro AV | Samsung | Visual Displays

Your students are digital natives. But now you can overcome that digital divide. In the spirit of Teacher Appreciation Week, we look for new ways to help our educators engage students.

teachers

A few years ago 1,300 K-12 educators were asked in a survey, “which technologies currently do you wish you didn’t have to deal with?” Mobile phones and desktop computers topped the list at over 80%. Interactive whiteboards (or smart boards) were the third most-hated category at 68%.* Why?

Smart boards can be effective tools when correctly integrated to make teachers lives a little easier. But teachers will only leverage tools they are comfortable with and find easy to use. If the educator feels the technology is too complex, too unwieldy or slows down the rhythm of their lesson – forget it. And while the tech industry pushed administrators to invest in smart boards, many teachers ignored or didn’t have the time to train on them. That explains the reputation problem in the survey, but things are changing.

education tech

When any technology is hailed as a “silver bullet” its impossible to match those lofty expectations. But while most of these boards are “interactive” very few are actually collaborative. That is where today’s smart boards can go beyond capturing a single thought process. 

Kids are attracted to technology, and they learn best when lessons involve their active participation. Many are responsive to kinesthetic lessons, as they turn their fingers into virtual pens and practice writing words in colors and patterns. This active learning technique flips the traditional lecture model. It increases student participation; even from the shy student who wouldn’t normally raise their hand.

One of the products LDI recommends is the Samsung Flip. It was designed to be the interactive smart board that anyone can use, with these features:

  • Navigation with a smartphone feel and familiarity
  • Digitally correcting mistakes without leaving marker ink on fingers
  • Easily storing all notes and lessons during the day
  • Supports 4 different participants at once, each using the provided stylus or virtually any tool.
  • Portable design that allows for easy movement around classrooms and schools

With these main functions, teachers can smoothly integrate Flip into their lesson plans, classrooms and student workflows. Your students are digital natives. Teachers are competing against constant digital distractions and their ever-dwindling attention span. Classroom technology has evolved from overhead projectors to interactive whiteboards. Teachers who can embrace new technology can make the change a positive experience for their students. Learn more about the Samsung Flip.

 

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