Smartboard Saturday: Harnessing the Power of Touch

As one of of my favorite kinder-bloggers wrote in a post, there is something transformative and captivating about touch in the kindergarten/early-childhood classroom. Reveal a new item to a group of kinders and you are sure to hear "Can I touch/hold it?" That is what makes teaching with the Smartboard so awesome.

At first, when wearing my rational adult hat and thinking about how expensive this awesome piece of technology is, I was terrified for my kids to be around the Smartboard, let alone touch it, lest they besmirch it with paint/marker/booger covered fingers . However, my inner creative teacher won out, and I now daily utilize  our Smartboard in student-centered or student-led, interactive, engaging lessons.Granted, I am still a stickler about students using/touching the Smartboard without permission, but with the appropriate modeling and procedures, my kinders have a healthy respect and appreciation for it. The point is, don't be afraid to let your kiddos touch and learn.

Tip of the Day: If you don't already have it, go to the Smarttech website, and download the thirty day trial of Smart Notebook software, and explore what it has to offer. This software is designed to enhance classroom use of the Smartboard, and has so much more to offer than PowerPoint.