While a Smart Boards is a product made by a specific manufacturer of interactive white boards, the concept may be called that regardless of who makes it, in much the same way that atissue is universally called a kleenex. Smart boards enhance the ways that teachers present material and information and students demonstrate understanding. They allow for students to have hands, eyes, and ears on concepts in ways not previously available to them. Asmart board obsoletes many tools used by educators: the traditional chalk board was replaced by the white board which is now being replaced by by interactive versions of the same concept. Smart boards connected to a computer allows for whole classrooms full of students to view what might have been on a TV/DVD set up. Because interactive boards naturally promote collaborative teaching and learning, they retrieve community learning, storytelling with illustrations collectively told. They can be reused in much the same way that slates in early public schools were reusable. But they can also save work done collectively, therefore they retrieve publishing as well. They might be replaced one day with holo-decks, as in Star Trek and virtual world.

Skype

Skype is an emerged technology that is shaping the future, if not in itself, at least in the expectations of the generations to come. It is an on-line telephony system in which you can see the person with whom you are chatting. It can also be used as an instant message system and a voice only service. Up to 24 people can all be in a conference call, although they can only talk. Furthermore, documents can be shared among participants.

I have used it for at least a couple of years for personal use, but I am interested in how it might be used in schools. Last year, Debra Hanks and I made history in her school district when we set up a Skype video chat between her students and me. They asked me questions about coastal South Carolina where I live. While I had difficulty hearing the students, it was a great experience for this ol’ teacher-without-students. I hope to get the pleasure of Skyping with her third-graders as well as another class of third-graders at the same school. There seemed to have been a bit of rivalry over who got to talk to the lady about the alligators.

I have been working on a volunteer program at a local high school to set up Skype between a Spanish class and some native Spanish speakers. Several of my Spanish speaking former students have shown interest in communicating with the students who are learning Spanish. Last night I introduced one of these now-college students to Skype. She was quite impressed that this old dog knew a trick that she didn’t. Another one found me in Skype the day before, and all she could do was worry about her hair. So, for some, seeing the person to whom you speak (or yourself as they see you might be a detriment.

Some of the problems—in addition to seeing yourself on your computer—have to do with poor quality video and sound that goes in and out. These are likely the problems with the individual computers. Another issue in collaboration is differences in time zones; users have to set up time when they can get together comfortably.

Another potential problem is that while you can call anyone even on a non-Skype phone, it is not free. To Skype for free, both parties have to download Skype.
Some of the advantages may come from actually seeing who you are talking to. I get to see a grandson on the West Coast every now and then. I also like that I can see who is online before I contact them.

If you would like to see more about Skype, go to http://about.skype.com/

Below is a graphic of Skype showing what it might look like once it is set up. I wrote a Skype tutorial for a previous class that will help you get going if you would like to try it:http://8847shelton.wikispaces.com/Skype+Tutorial