By Ryla Pasaoa, Science and Technology Editor
Over the summer, THHS installed new SMART Boards into all classrooms. Despite a majority of classrooms already having an interactive whiteboard or projector, many of these previous models were outdated.
“We ordered these more recent models because there were many complaints from both teachers and students about the older ones… some of which were around 12 years old,” said physics teacher and technology coordinator John Tsai. “[The boards that] we previously owned had projectors. This made it hard for students in classrooms, such as the chemistry rooms, with a lot of natural light to see the board.”
The devices, which are part of the SMART Board® 6000 Pro series, come with a plethora of new features, such as enabling more people to write on the board at once (Simultaneous Tool Differentiation) and allowing teachers and students to project images from their smartphones using screen sharing. “Some of my teachers had some difficulties during the beginning of the year because they didn’t have Elmo projectors. However, when they learned how to screen share with their phones, there were less technical difficulties,” commented junior Julia Hong.
To accommodate the new boards, the setups of certain classrooms had to be slightly changed. Specifically, desks in room 614 were turned to allow teachers to use the new SMART Board more efficiently, while desks in room 638 were turned to maximize blackboard space.
“Generally, I enjoy the new boards because they are relatively easy to use,” remarked biology and science research teacher Katherine Cooper. “That’s not to say that there aren’t obstacles. Sometimes, the browser [nor] screen sharing doesn’t work. [Additionally], an integral component of my Anatomy and Physiology class is outlining. When I wanted to teach my classes how to effectively outline, I faced many difficulties because I did not have my Elmo projector.”
Despite facing some difficulties with the new SMART Boards in her classrooms, Ms. Cooper remarked, “Taking everything into account, the boards are definitely positive additions to the classroom because they enhance collaboration in learning environments.”
Photo Courtesy of Joshua Vieria
