Evolution of the Smartboard

Evolution of the SmartboardByRobert L. Hopkins Jr.EDUC 8841Walden UniversityEarly chalkboards

This revolution in educational method ran parallel to other innovations in America in railroads and mining. Slate, a dark, metamorphic rock, was mined out of Vermont, Maine, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and New York. It could then be transported via railroad to the thousands of prairie schools popping up across the frontier in the 1840s .By the 1850s, most one-room schoolhouses were outfitted with the staples: a wood burning stove, benches, and a large blackboard. In poorer or more remote schools, teachers might resort to painting a plaster wall or wooden panel with dark paint to imitate the slate. An old rag served as eraser. Each school could now accommodate more students and teach them more efficiently (Fernely 2008).

In the BeginingIn the past teachers used tradition blackboards and flip charts to explain the lessons.

Our modern day chalkboards, with their greenish cast and dustless chalk, have gone through many stages of evolution. At first, chalkboards were merely small squares of slate, framed with wood to keep them from breaking, and marked on with other shards of slate. In the early 19th century America, these rudimentary instruments were widely used in public schools, because paper was too expensive.Walk into any classroom and you will find one: A dark green board on the wall, lined with pieces of chalk and felt erasers. Chalkboards, also known as blackboards, have long been a part of daily classroom life, but just what is the history of the chalkboard?

Our modern day chalkboards, with their greenish cast and dustless chalk, have gone through many stages of evolution. At first, chalkboards were merely small squares of slate, framed with wood to keep them from breaking, and marked on with other shards of slate. In the early 19th century America, these rudimentary instruments were widely used in public schools, because paper was too expensive. In the 1990s, concern over allergies and other potential health risks posed by chalk dust prompted the replacement of many blackboards with whiteboards. A typical whitebaord is a plastic board, otherwise known as a dry erase board, which uses special pens to make colored marks. They can be a cleaner, brighter alternative to education and business interests. Still advancement in technology, social health, and ease of use was pushing inventors to find something to replace the traditional blackboard.

Blackboards, easels, corkboards and contemporary whiteboards may seem to us to have always been standard equipment in schoolrooms as well as business boardrooms, but none of these basic tools even existed in classrooms prior to 1801.Blackboards, easels, corkboards and contemporary whiteboard may seem to us to have always been standard equipment in schoolrooms as well as business boardrooms, but none of these basic tools even existed in classrooms prior to 1801(Fernely 2008).Supplies of pencils and paper were often in short supply or unaffordable for families. Without a means of making mass copies, hand outs, too, were a rarity since the teachers would have to hand a set for each of their students. The blackboard revolutionized education. In our present age of continually evolving desktop, laptop and palm computers, photocopy equipment, PowerPoint presentations, video displays, interactive whiteboards, and internet access, it's startling to realize that the "technology" to first influence education was the invention of these black slate writing boards (also known as chalkboards).

Blackboards soon became equally important in business organizations, as well as in the fields of math and science, long before the materials were even invented from which whiteboards could be manufactured.

Thanks to the chalk board, not only were large amounts of people in the same room able to be presented with the same material all at once, but these boards also became a method of working out long strings of problems and "brain storming" new concepts among several people at once. Some people, like the famous fellow at right, were known to do some of their best work on black boards!The chalk board still has plenty of benefits today despite the relatively recent advance of whiteboards. No longer made from the original slate as they were in the early 1800s, chalkboards are built stronger, more resilient, and many are also built to act as effective "projection screens." These boards continue to be just as capable "teacher and business aids" as they've always been! Chalk boards are available in a variety of sizes and styles, can be mobile, mounted to walls, or hand-held. Many educators assert that the grit texture of the chalkboard surface adds just enough resistance help children when write on the boards. The effect of the slickness of whiteboards for young writers, on the other hand, has caused some concern (Fernely 2008). Chalk (and dust-free chalk) is now available in a variety of colors, so you're able to make your presentations bold and bright.The invention of "dust-free" chalk plus test results proving that even standard board chalk is free of toxic substances (scroll down for more information) eliminates major concerns about using chalk. Chalk generally lasts longer, doesn't dry out, and is less expensive to restock (easier on your budget) than whiteboard markers, particularly for high velocity users. Chalk can be washed out of clothes and off skin much easier than dry-erase markers. Chalk writing boards are easy to clean with just a damp sponge, so chemical cleansers aren't necessary.

Despite the industry and marketing pressure to transition to whiteboards, the chalk presentation board continues to be a favorite tool in schools, universities, and homes. Many teachers believe the "resistance" offered by a blackboard aids young new writers far better than the easy slip boards. Chalk also lasts longer than dry erase pens which dry out very quickly if left uncapped.There have been three primary concerns about the continued use of chalkboards:First, concerns that chalk might contain asbestos or "transitional fibers" were laid to rest in October 2002. A report issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found no such harmful materials in chalk after extensive test sampling from the five major manufacturers (Crayola, Prang, Pentech, Curiousity Kits, and Sketch & Scribble). Neither is chalk manufactured with talc, which has the potential to "bind" with asbestos and other transitional fibers. CPSC noted they would continue to monitor the materials to ensure safety, and no issue has yet arisen.Allergies are a second concern. This may certainly be a problem for some percentage of people who have an allergy to such things as dust particles, though non-dust chalks have been developed that may solve that problem for many.With the increasing presence of computers in classrooms, the potential impact of chalk dust has been a stated concern. Dust can damage computers, and chalk is, essentially, compressed dust. Yet this appears to be less of an issue with many than it sounds. As Nancy Myers, an Indiana school planner whose firm works with educational institutions, noted in a CNN "News for Students" interview (June 2, 2002), "The truth is, unless the computers are sitting right on top of the chalkboards, there isn't going to be an issue."

The tradition in American classrooms and education since 1801, chalk boards are the easy and affordable teaching tool in classrooms. No longer made of fragile slate, our contemporary education boards are manufactured from strong porcelain steel that has become the favored chalkboard being used in schools today. A functional education board. Schools, laboratories, clubs, and businesses are rediscovering the benefits of these durable work tools. The magnetic surface of this classroom presentation tool lets this board perform double duty as a magnetic bulletin board, which comes in handy for projects and announcement postings. This porcelain board's easy writing surface erases and cleans easily. Accidental marks from crayons and many other substances are easily removed. There's no reason to spend essential class room budget money on expensive dry-erase supplies. These attractive and practical education chalk boards boast a finish that enhances coverage, color contrast, and easy erasing, increasing visibility from every area of your presentation room. You won't have to worry about fading either, because this glass hard vitrified porcelain is colorfast.1990 Whiteboards begin to erase the chalkboard from schoolsBusinesses have been widely using whiteboards (aka marker boards) since the early 1980sIn the 1990's whiteboards began appearing in classrooms, but only in small numbers.By the late 1990's, nearly 21% of all American schools converted from chalkboards to whiteboards

For a long time, chalkboards were the standard method of displaying and relaying information in most classrooms. As technology advanced, the messy chalkboard was replaced by the white board, a flat, plastic surface that could be drawn or written on with special markers and then erased with little to no residue. As the chalkboard gave way to the whiteboard, the whiteboard is being replaced by a newer invention, the smartboard. Invented in 1991, the smartboard is a digital whiteboard that is touch sensitive and runs off of local computer system resources. It is an interactive whiteboard that can save and store any information that is written on it, as well as enable the user to refer to notes downloaded from the Internet or other sources.

Teachers, school administrators, and students quickly realized the multiple benefits of whiteboards over the traditional chalkboard. Chalkboards use chalk as its writing utensil, but since chalk is made of compressed dust it can be harmful to students with dust allergies. More importantly, now that computers are a part of classrooms, chalk can be harmful to computer equipment since a computers worst enemy is dust. Whiteboards eliminate the dust and mess, as well as offer more color choices and clearer, more vibrant visual stimulation to students. While the chalkboard still remains a part of most American classrooms, school designers no longer use chalkboards in their new school designs.S-CurveTimeAdoptionSmartboard

The term smartboard usually refers to a specific brand of electronic Whiteboard made by the company SMART Technologies, but the term is increasingly being used to refer to any brand of electronic whiteboard.As technology progressed, the old pieces of slate finally began to be replaced by chalk. The soft limestone chalk was easier to use on the boards, and easier to clean as well. The old rag erasers have been erased by new felt chalkboard erasers, which are able to absorb more of the chalk dust and keep it out of the air. The boards themselves are no longer made of slate, but instead are a steel sheet with a porcelain enamel. Smartboard

SMART introduced the first SMART Board interactive whiteboard in 1991SMART introduced the first SMART Board interactive whiteboard in 1991. It was the first interactive whiteboard to provide touch control of computer applications and annotation over standard Microsoft Windows applications. The SMART Board interactive whiteboard, connected to an LCD panel and a computer, introduced the world to interactive technology in classrooms, group meetings and presentations. In recognition of this innovation, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted three patents to Dave (which are assigned to SMART), and other patent applications on this concept are in process. As well, patents are pending around the world(Smartboard 2009). 122001 SMART boards begin to make their mark on education

Today, as technology is offering teachers a host of options: E-mail, the Internet, electronic grade books, and course websites. Like the dust from their erasers, even the tried and true chalkboards are beginning to fade away. Teachers can now use "SMART Boards" to deliver lessons. These interactive boards allow teachers to draw, type, surf the Internet, or present lectures with "touch screen" technology. Rather than erasing a lesson from the board, a teacher can print the lesson for the students, providing them with yet another learning resource. In the classroom, a teacher can open student papers from a disk and highlight grammar or punctuation errors. The students can then correct the errors in real time by interacting not only with the technology but also with fellow students and the teacher. In 2007, SMART Technologies produced and sold their millionth interactive whiteboard. SMART Technologies has manufactured three times as many digital whiteboard as their competitors, making them the leading producers of the technology. SMART Technologies is a Canadian company, headquartered in Alberta, but they have satellite offices in several countries, including the United States, Germany, Japan and China. Most of the smartboards released by this company are assembled in Canada (Smartboard 2009).

SmartboardMost smartboards have the same features, allowing users to input data through the use of plastic pens that contain no ink, the user's hands, a wireless mouse or pointing device. The software for the smartboard is loaded onto a local computer or network, where smartboard-compatible software can then be called upon for use on the screen. While the smartboard does not utilize a traditional keyboard or mouse, the tray that holds the digital pens has two functional mouse buttons, allowing the user to perform common functions. The pens, which do not use ink or electronic components, are programmed to display as different colors, typically blue, black, red and green. The pen tray also contains an eraser that works on the same principle as the pens. Because the tools themselves do not have any electronic components, the pen tray is what causes the smartboard to be functional. The pen tray senses a tool's absence, and relays a message to its host computer's processor to start picking up input signals from whichever implement the user has chosen.

The smartboard software also allows users to bring up a digital QWERTY-style keyboard that can then be utilized by pointing to the letters on the screen. This feature is often used with other software bundles that are made available for use with the smartboard, such as Microsoft Windows or Linux packages. A smartboard comes with its own program, called Notebook, which is commonly used by educators in a classroom setting. The software allows handwriting input, but also has a spot for other information to be stored in a column along the side of the screen, so that information from a variety of media sources can be pulled up at a moment's notice (Smartboard 2009).

New solutions make global collaboration easy and cost effective

New SMART business solutions enhance meeting experiencesSMART Technologies announces its new SMART business solutions, comprising integrated hardware and software products developed specifically to provide customers with easy-to-use tools that improve collaboration in interactive meeting spaces.

The company is constantly look to improve their business and improve the end product for the uses. With the annocement of the latest phase on February 2, 2010 SMART Technologies announces its new SMART business solutions, comprising integrated hardware and software products developed specifically to provide customers with easy-to-use tools that improve collaboration in interactive meeting spaces. The new SMART business solutions line includes SMART Board interactive whiteboards, SMART Board interactive whiteboard systems and collaboration software, including SMART Meeting Pro 2.0 software and SMART Bridgit 4.0 conferencing software. The range of SMART Board interactive whiteboard models ships with SMART Meeting Pro. SMART Board interactive whiteboard systems include a SMART Board interactive whiteboard with integrated projector and either SMART Meeting Pro or a collaboration appliance. SMART business solutions provide easy and immediate access to data and applications, enabling meeting participants to review files, share information and save and distribute their work to all team members. The components of SMART business solutions integrate easily, so users can create a solution that truly meets their needs whether they want to upgrade their meeting rooms from flipcharts and dry-erase whiteboards or connect people in several locations in real time(Smartboard 2009).

15In 2007, SMART Technologies produced and sold their millionth interactive whiteboard. SMART Technologies has manufactured three times as many digital whiteboard as their competitors, making them the leading producers of the technology. SMART Technologies is a Canadian company, headquartered in Alberta, but they have satellite offices in several countries, including the United States, Germany, Japan and China. Most of the smartboards released by this company are assembled in Canada. 16ConclusionAss you can see by this presentation, one of the tools for teaching students has evolved from the traditional blackboard to the high tech smart board. The blackboard were cheap to produce, but later they found health hazards related to the dust produced from the chalk.The smartboard was the answer to every problem. This invention was reliable, clean and adaptable to any situation.ReferencesErgo On Demand 2000-2010 retrieved February 5, 2010 from http://www.ergoindemand.com/index.htmlFernely W. (2008) History of chalkboard retrieved February 5, 1020 from http://ezinearticles.com/?History-of-the-Chalkboard&id=1734217Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations (5th ed.). New York: Free Press.Smartboard interactive whiteboard (2009) retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_Board_interactive_whiteboard