Interactive Whiteboard Use

I use a Smartboard on a daily basis in my classroom. I know that I don't use it to it's fullest potential, but I make use of it as best I can with what time I have. I want it do more for me, but only under the auspices of being more efficient and effective, not just fancier. I must add, however, that it is a pretty fancy (and expensive) possibly glorified chalkboard or projector at times. I do use it to display information, photos, and even use it as an oversized writing tablet. Though this is Smartboard use (at it's dullest) it is still somehow effective in keeping my students engaged. When the lights get turned down, and the smartboard goes on, the fidgeting decreases, attention spans broaden, eyes light up. It is like a giant, interactive, television/computer screen. Those items are viewed in my students' eyes as "rewards," and thus, the Smartboard time is seen as "reward" time, though it is always utilized as a learning tool. 

Though I make total use of Teq.com and Smart Exchange to find pre-made lessons that suit and enhance my lessons, I have yet to develop a complete lesson from start to finish in Notebook on my own. With a background in graphic design, one would think I would jump at the opportunity to utilize those rusty skills. However, I become too much a perfectionist when it comes to these situations, and ultimately spend TOO MUCH time working on making these lessons clear, legible, and beautiful than necessary. Often times, I look at the design of a pre-made lesson and scoff at it's terrible use of offensive-looking typefaces and horsey wingbats/dingbats which do nothing for my students' actual learning but act as mere bells, whistles, and distractions. However, these are lessons that are more often than not, complete. Which is more than I can say for most of mine. 

Today, however, I used the Smartboard as an appendage of our laptop in the classroom. I was able to share the use of Google Earth to my students to supplement a Social Studies lesson on the continent, country, state, and city in which we live. Previously, having used 2D maps and pictures, the students had a shaky grasp on how continents are different from countries. Scale didn't mean anything. Flat maps confused how it translated to a round earth. But with the ability to use Google Earth and interact with it on the Smartboard, my students were jumping out of their seats to find everything from North America, to zooming in to the Bronx to find our actual school location. It was quite possibly the most engaging Smartboard use yet. That being said... I didn't actually design it. ;)