"pERfeCt sTRaNgEr"

How smart can the board be? How interactive can the whiteboard turn to? The 6th class introduced me to a new weapon for teacher to shoot their pupils, SMARTBOARD. I have never known about the simplest fact of the smart board. So, when I realize that the thing in front of me is the SMARTBOARD, I keep on wonder, how can a simple plain, thin layer can be called as ‘SMART’?

At first glance, I was getting annoyed by the ordinary white layer of screen in front of the lab. I keep on asking myself..”it’s normal, nothing special” and “you get too much limelight for nothing at all,huh!”
It is over rated!

Soon, as the class progressed, I realized that my pre supposition was rather precipitate and harsh.
So, let’s move on to the story of the day....

Prof Maznah is away, she is somewhere in Malacca. So, the technology band is again without its main vocalist. But, the band today is collaborated with a lady in blue, presenting........techno band featuring Ms FENNY! (clap here, clap there, and clap everywhere)
Ms Fenny was in the class to train us (she is a trainer by the way) on smart board. She takes us to a whole new world of technology. I was there like a child watching cartoon. I am so amazed and impressed by the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB)

My next part of the blog is Q & A session with the IWB itself...here goes

ME- Good day to you IWB, how are you today?

IWB- I’m fine, I just got back from UM from a techno class for teachers-to-be. I’m quite tired because they use me for 3 straight hours, I can’t even go to toilet!

ME-hoho...pity you....ok, so, without further a due, shall I proceed with my questions?

IWB- ok...make it short and nice eh...

ME- ok....so, tell me briefly about you

IWB- Like most of the technological gadgets nowadays, I need computer to operate. I also need LCD projector, some cables and of course, a board. I consist of 4 pens of different colours and an eraser. The pens are very special and one-of-a-kind of pens. Each pen has its own ‘home’, together with a sensor and it cannot be placed other than where it should be. Because, by misplacing the pen, I will get confuse and later I cannot perform well

ME- ooo....so, what about a teacher with vertically-challenged nature, will he/ she bother to use you?

IWB- No problem, I am adjustable and will always be within reach of a teacher, don’t worry

ME- ohhh....lucky me of the hobbit species, justice for all! *wink*...so, what about a teacher of bad hand writing? Will it be ok for him/her to write on you without causing any ‘visual’ pain to the students?

IWB- oh, I was not called smart for nothing. I can change all the ‘doctors’ handwriting into a readable font and size. Just write the word on me, i.e., book, then you click ‘recognize book’, then you will have a nice written word on me for the students to see

ME- Wow! You’re like a makeover machine....so, besides words, do you have any pictures with you?

IWB- Of course I do. I even have my own gallery. If you want to transfer any picture into the slide, just click ‘Gallery’ and later copy and paste it, very easy right? If you feel that pictures in my gallery are not suitable etc, you may take pictures from the internet. Just select ‘keyboard’ and types the words on the space provided. After that, you need to select capture, then choose ‘camera picture’ and paste it on the slide, got it?

ME- ok, I think I got the idea...mm, I was told that you can do clone, is it true?

IWB- Yes, I am. But I don’t clone any species or living things; instead, I can clone words. Because I was designated for education, I’m also design to help teachers in their lesson. You can select ‘Grouping’ and then choose ‘group’ or ‘ungroup’. Next, you choose ‘infinite clone’ and that’s it. You can drag out a word from its ‘origin’ as many times as you like. Furthermore, the word can also be rotated too, it is fun eh?

ME- wow, you’re amazing!

IWB- heheh...I’m flattered.....so, I think it’s time for me to go because I am late for a high tea with my friends which are blackboard, skateboard and signboard. I’ll leave you with a note about me for you to refer on, ok?

ME- ok, thanks a lot IWB see you later; send my regards to all the boards, bye!

So, that’s it for the interview, let’s go back to class...

After Ms Fenny explained and did some demonstration with IWB with us, the class was assigned for a group’s task. We are to design a simple activity using the IWB and later present it to the class.
All the groups did reasonably well and Miss Fenny, Miss Ng and Miss Chin did some comments on our presentation. They told us some do and don’ts of using IWB.

- Don’t use two pens at one time as this may cause confusion to the IWB, and also, don’t use the eraser and pen together at one time.
- ‘Lock’ the words/ pictures in your slide so that it will not move away as students do the task on the IWB
- Utilize and maximize the IWB speciality by providing instant ‘answer-checking’ in your task so that students can learn fast and effectively. It can also encourage students to correct their friends’ answers.

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One of the unique features of IWB which is the gallery, must be used wisely by teachers. Use appropriate pictures to cater student’s levels and needs. Don’t use something that they are not familiar with or pictures that may be sensitive for some reasons
- Use suitable words. For example, don’t use the word ‘spaghetti’ to students in rural areas as this maybe unfamiliar to them and may intrude their learning
- Colour of the words and backgrounds must always complement each other. Teacher must make sure that colour of the words can help word to emerge from the background. Don’t use background that is too bright and fonts must be large enough for all students to see


Some reflections questions regarding IWB

Do you understand the basic knowledge using Notebook function in SMART Board? If yes which part that you understand the most? If not why did you not understand?
Yes...I came to understand almost every part of it. Especially regarding the unique features of ‘answer-checking’, cloning, dragging, gallery and attaching. The part that I understand the most is cloning (ungroup/ group). The word must be touched on the letter to be dragged out because if we touch the empty space around the word, it cannot be dragged out
But, as I claimed that I understand the IWB, I may/ may not have troubles/ problems in applying it into the real-life classroom context. In brief, knowledge is only the theory while application is the practical part of it.

Do you understand the basic knowledge to use gallery feature and attachment picture in SMART board incorporate for teaching English vocabulary for standard 4 students?
Yes...I can use the pictures from gallery or attach pictures from the internet to my slide. For example, if I want to teach about part of the body, I can get a picture of a boy/ a girl from the gallery. If in later class I want to teach about face, I can still use the same picture and highlight only the face. With IWB, I can ‘cut’ part of picture and left out the rest.

Do you find that SMART board a useful tool to support in teaching and learning? If yes, why it is useful? If not, what is the problem?
Obviously, it adds fun element into learning and may provide better environment for teaching and learning process. With so much unique features, students may have fun using it but in the same time learn as well. No more dull and boring whiteboard since the IWB can be very colourful with type-written words and fonts.
It can also provide teacher with flexibility in the task since the fonts and pictures can be adjusted in matter of seconds. Besides, it can also help students to learn about ‘self-checking’ in their learning. Most of all, it saves time, a lot of time.

Till then pen off, cheers!