Smart Classroom

S M A R T  C L A S S R O O M 

So, what is a smart classroom?

Smart Classrooms are technology enhanced classrooms that foster opportunities for teaching and learning by integrating learning technology, such as computers, specialized software, audience response technology, assistive listening devices, networking, and audio/visual capabilities. Classroom Services leads the support, design, and planning for campus learning spaces.


Benefits in teaching and learning:

Blending the Best of Both Worlds
Traditional learning and cutting-edge technology both have a place in schools. Get the best of both worlds by investing in blended learning. Blended learning combines online learning with in-person communication to create a smart classroom. Digital curriculum is blended with in-class topics to promote powerful learning. Adopting blended learning took one school from a low-performing status to eventually winning a national award for performance.

Technology also streamlines administrative tasks and makes learning more convenient. Teachers can upload lectures, videos and assignments to mobile applications. Students can then access these apps anywhere, at any time. Online platforms also store grades and attendance records, making it easier for students and parents to check them.

Wearables Provide Ease of Mind
Technology in the classroom goes beyond computers and tablets. Wearable technology is finding a place in schools, with trends showing an increase in the U.S. by 45 percent. Using smart wristwatches and wristbands, teachers can take attendance almost instantly. (Gone are the days when every student had to raise their hand and announce that they were present.) For younger students on field trips, wearable technology helps teachers and chaperones make sure that the class stays together. Monitoring health and encouraging daily activity are also possible with smartwatches. Track heart rates during recess, physical education classes, and throughout the day. Parents and teachers can also use wearable technology to ensure that children get enough sleep.

In addition to wrist wearables, virtual reality (VR) sets create an immersive, 3D learning environment for students. Using VR technology has proven to facilitate faster learning with greater retention when used in classrooms.

School-Wide Communication
Keeping people connected across campus is more manageable with smart classrooms. Install monitors in individual classrooms to provide a direct connection to the central office. These monitors can stream school messages that provide daily announcements, weather updates and emergency notifications. Both students and teachers will stay safe with timely notifications about severe weather or lockdown situations. Integrating emerging technology into your school infrastructure also makes communication more reliable.

Personalize Learning With Data
One of the biggest advantages to a smart classroom is access to analytics. Information gathered in schools can be used to personalize learning and cater to an individual student’s needs and abilities. School districts, principals, teachers and parents can all use student analytics to create a better learning environment. During class, teachers use live analytics to track student progress. Students receive timely feedback from online tests that offer an immediate score. Gathering answers to questions during discussions and lectures helps teachers tailor material to their pupils. Teachers can also pass on important data to parents. One study suggests that data analytics can predict future at-risk students who are likely to drop out of school.

While using analytics is helpful, maintaining student privacy must continue to be a priority. Only so much can be tracked. At the end of the day, students need to feel connected with their classmates and teachers to facilitate higher-order thinking.

A Better Learning Environment
In-classroom learning will always play a role in education, but emerging technologies can facilitate superior learning with better retention. Bringing monitors and wearables into schools provides teachers and administrators with the data they need to personalize learning. While smart classrooms don’t guarantee success in school, they can definitely put students on the right track.


Getting started
To get started in using this informative and interesting tools, first you need to know some tips for putting a smart board to work.

• Keep it interactive

Smart Boards are a wonderful way to focus students’ attention in the classroom, especially in elementary school. Teachers report great success with having students come up and work out problems on the Smart Board in front of the classroom. Because the technology is interesting, children are eager to work with it, and teachers should take advantage of this by having every student come up and work on the board.

• Utilize color

Teachers can make the text and background on the Smart Board any color they like, and they should take advantage of the brain’s natural tendencies towards memorization. The brain remembers more efficiently with blue or green backgrounds and white or yellow text. The screen does not have to stay this way, but a teacher can certainly use it during lessons where memorization is important.

• Save students’ work

Because the Smart Board is connected to a computer, teachers can save the work a student does for later review. When applicable, teachers should take advantage of this feature to assist students after the lesson is over, while the student is working on other problems.

• Use the web

There are vast educational resources available online, from video to text to interactive applications. Whenever a teacher needs to flesh out a lesson, it cannot hurt to do a relevant search to find interesting resources. Enthusiasm is infectious, and a teacher who is excited to demonstrate a new find will transfer that energy to students.

I think, the best way is for teachers to keep learning more and more everyday. Teachers continue to discover new and innovative ways to use the Smart Board, and it requires just a short search online to find a plethora of ideas on how to use the tool. Teachers who periodically update themselves about how others use the Smart Board will never run out of ideas for the classroom.


Here is the video about how Smart Classroom helps student bring their imagination into reality in a creative way. Hope you enjoy!