Smart Smart Boards

The smart board is an excellent addition to the classroom. I really enjoyed the session we had the other day on all its uses. To see all the possibilities and hours of play that can be had, was exciting. On prac we had a smart board but it was really only used as a dvd player, and maybe an overhead projector, on the occasions a website was viewed. So to see how lessons can be planned, saved, returned to, was great. The advantage of having a copy of previous attempts of students work, or your lessons is enormous. I just think as a tool to refresh, reflect, and keep track of learning it is a great leap forward.
With all these clever tools, I think it has to be used with clear intentions of the learning goals. I wonder too if it used for every single lesson if it does become less exciting and stimulating for the students and it is then viewed with the same excitement as a maths worksheet - so again balance I think is the key. Mixing things up, keeps the students involved.
My one piece of advice with the smartboard would be to always have a BACKUP plan. My first assessed lesson on prac I thought I would plan the ultimate lesson, with group work, collaborative learning, prediction, and of course technology (smartboard), just to show the assessor I had a handle of everything (or at least to create that illusion). But of course minutes before the beginning of class the smartboard has a hissy fit, is down for the count - and I am about to be judged on my skills. My mentor is so sweet, scrambling around in the background trying to get it functioning in time, knowing this is going towards my mark. I begin the lesson. The boys don't seem to notice the drama going on the background, they are focused on their integrated maths lesson. I've got half an eye on them, half an eye on the board to see it its working yet. By now the tech support (nice service if the school has it) is in the background with new cords and connections and 10 minutes before end of class I get the nod that we are a go, just in time for me to integrate technology into my assessed lesson. But just as they are all seated on the mat, eyes on the board, ready to apply the concepts of probability in a smartboard game, it flicks off again. But before I can reach for my backup plan, its back - and we get to wrap up with a fun game on the smartboard, with lots of class participation and applied learning.
At the end the assessor said I must have been panicking with the tech dramas, as she couldn't help but notice all the background commotion, and truth was I wasn't (which surprised even me, as it was my first assessed lesson) - purely because I knew I had a back up activity, that did the same application of learning, but was tech free. So,  having that back up plan, really does remove a great deal of stress from the classroom. Especially when you build a lesson around technology, I recommend always have that back up plan.
Some useful maths tools for smart board,
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx
(create for creating a graph instantly with your own data - get kids to put in data collected and will produce instant graph of your choice)
http://www.studyladder.com.au/
great Australian resource for games(maths and literacy), you register (30 seconds), search and use all free games by year group, topic - every age group loves it. Used to be smartkiddies website, now new site with tag clouds and everything (keeping up with the technology)