Using the smart boad:

The smart board is something I have recently been exposed to. I did not have it in high school, and on the first day of classes in September, I saw a professor using it for the first time. I admit that I thought this was some kind of college-specific technology, though I know it wasn't used when I went to college. Professors kept track of art history slides in undergrad using a carousel that you heard click with every moving image, following and proceeding with a dry lecture. So imagine my surprise when I go to fieldwork for the first time on Friday of this past week, and see that it's part of a normal classroom! During the class, the teacher did not pull out a dusty "Overhead Projector" or use the chalkboard. Those were what were used with regularity when I was coming up. Frequently, you'd hear the class snicker because Ms. Bess had chalk on her nose. You also got used to seeing your teacher's fingers covered in blue or green stains from using the transparent sheet that covers the actual overhead projector, and wiping away the permanent marker ink by licking their finger to remove errors and typos. To my surprise, the teacher kept score of students performance using "Dojo points". Students could be called on by using the "random" feature (which is great). Multiple lessons and activities were organized through the computer instead of relying on teacher memory, thousands of handouts,the scoring of class participation is ultimately kept on track. It just shows you how much modern technology can benefit the classroom.