My Latest, Greatest Favorite Thing

Almost two years ago I did a post about My New Favorite Thing. My favorite thing was my new Mimio interactive board. It basically took a regular projected computer screen on a white board and made it so that you could control the movements of the computer from the board (not the actual computer screen).

But the original (as far as I know) interactive board, the Smart Board, was still far superior. It is just more user friendly and designed to work with any program immediately. The Mimio, it could be done, but you had to be sure to plan it out in advance so that you would have everything ready.

Anyways, I may have had a Mimio board, but I still envied the Smart Board people at my school.

Until the other day. The email I had been waiting for (but unknowingly) was sent. Some teacher was tired of their Smart Board and wanted to know if there was another teacher that would be interested in having it.

Who would give away such a thing? I actually went to a training at my school for the board even though I didn't have it. You mean there are people that have Smart Boards and don' t even appreciate it?!?

We are learning about the rock cycle and I have a worksheet that I have scanned and put on one of my power point slides. I usually just project the image onto my white board and write in with a white board marker. I have never used the Mimio because the ink on the pen is so fat that you can't fit all the writing on the page and it looks sloppy. But not with the Smart Board! Though I can't say that it doesn't still look a bit sloppy, but that is due to my poor handwriting and not the technology!

We also do a drawing of the inside of the Earth showing the rocks and how they form. I have always just drawn this on the board with no computer involved. But due to budget cuts this year, I do not have school supplied multi-colored white board markers. So I just put a blank slide up and then I got to use the multi-colored markers that come with the board, no ink needed, so cool!

Oh, and the kids LOVE this thing. I am just finding it hard to let it go and allow them to use it instead of me. But I did manage to do it. I found some interactive activities involving the rock cycle and let them go, they had a great time!

Y'all have a great week!