Many classrooms are now equipped with SMART Boards. Used to its fullest potential, the SMART Board can be used as both an instructional tool and an adaptive technology tool. Lessons can be created that are adapted to fit the learning and accessibility needs of many learners. However, there are many accessibility issues that remain unresolved. The SMART Board is primarily manipulated by touch, but for students with physical disabilities the interactive feature that is the highlight of the white board may not be accessible. A solution may be making the SMART Board compatible with a laser pointer mounted to a student's glasses. Many AAC devices use a laser pointer and it seems relatively easy to incorporate this technology to make the SMART Board more accessible.
I spoke to a first year teacher who has a SMART Board in her classroom. I asked her if she had any formal training and what her experience has been thus far. She replied, "It's basically a glorified projector." She expressed difficulty in using it for anything more than displaying texts and PowerPoints. She has not been provided with any training by the school. Educators provided with this amazing tool should be provided with professional development training on how to use it to its full potential. Teachers with very busy schedules may not have time outside of school to access the many tutorials provided online. Trainings should be part of the normal hours of the school day or part of summer orientations.
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