Reflection #4 - Looking at What I Learned About the ActivBoard

I just finished observing Mrs. Wageman use the ActivBoard at Lake Washington High School, and this is what I learned and what I think about WHAT I learned:

• The ActivBoard is actually super easy to use!
• You can use your fingers on the ActivBoard like you can with the SMARTBoard.
• The ActivBoard seems less glitchy.
• ActivBoard has fewer pre-made resources than SMARTBoard, but does have different tools and more easy-to-find images.
• ActivBoard seemed easier to create programs/flip-shows on than SMARTBoard is.
• ActivBoard has more academic backgrounds (graph paper, lined paper, handwriting lined paper, etc.).

SO WHAT?:

• I'm not going to say that I'm absolutely sure I like the ActivBoard better than the SMARTBoard, but it does have some wonderful features that SMARTBoard does not. It makes me curious - what's the percentage difference between how many SMARTBoards are in schools versus how many ActivBoards are in schools. I have definitely seen more SMARTBoards in my time, but ActivBoard almost seems easier. I think the main thing for me is ease-of-creation. I know that being a teacher is hard, time-consuming, tiring, and challenging, and I have a feeling that I'm not going to want to be completely reformatting slides so that they fit what I want to teach while using the SMARTBoard. But the ActivBoard seems to make it easier and less complicated. I like the option to "right-click" also. That is very nice. However, the language arts tools in the ActivBoard software are all very elementary level. Fortunately, it's simple to make my own activity... :D

NOW WHAT?:

• I don't really know the answer to that. I suppose either way I would just like to have an interactive white board in my classroom - regardless of what kind (would probably prefer the ActivBoard though). Now, I have thought through this decision and reconciled in my heart that it's okay to let SMARTBoards take second place in the race for my heart.

Until next time.