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Incorporating SMARTBoards in Special Education 

Technology is an ever-growing part of both today’s society and classroom. Students in the special education setting should have access to technology both during their time in the regular classroom as well as when they are in their special education rooms. SMARTBoards are one type of technology that is beneficial for special education students. They help to keep students engaged and when used, students are actively participating in the lesson. SMARTBoards help teachers in inclusive classrooms address all different types of learning styles including: visual, aduitory, and kinesthetic. It is well known that each student learns in their own specifc manner, and SMARTBoards help reach each students learning style. The use of SMARTBoards even allows those students who are unable to hold a pen or pencil participate in the lesson by using thier fingers to make marks on the SMARTBoard. SMARTBoards are flexible and give teachers the opportunities to change lessons quickly and adapt to students learning easily.
 * __Introduction __**

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Manipulating images displayed on the SMARTBoard is quick and simple. Teachers can move images around to help students better understand the information being discussed by simply touching the SMARTBoard, or by manipulating a pen on a handheld board. Bright colors are stimulating for students and will help to keep them interested in the lessons. Along with easy manipulation of images and bright colors, SMARTBoards are great because teachers and students can easily increase the width of lines used in graphs for those with visual impairments. One of the major advantages to using SMARTBoards in the Special Education classroom is that they are easy to use, especially for students with fine motor difficulties. Because the surface of the board itself is so large, students will not have the struggle of reaching for small objects like a mouse used with a computer. Also, because you can simply tap the board to change the function, students do not have to worry about hitting particular buttons on a keyboard or mouse. SMARTBoards support inclusion of students with special needs in the regular education classroom as they have multiple ways for students to express their knowledge and understanding of the content being taught in class. Differentiated instruction is facilitated through the use of SMARTBoards, as well as teachers creating activities with different levels of support and expectation with ease.
 * __Advantages __**

Students and teachers may become dependent on the technology and not take advantage of “old fashioned” resources such as books, encyclopedias, dictionaries, videos and other text resources. If the teacher is not asking students to actively engage themselves in the lessons by taking notes and participating at the board, there is a possibility for students to become “disengaged” from the lesson so learning is hindered. "One common complaint of K-12 educators who instruct via SMARTBoards is that users feel they get so wrapped up in the technical components they overlook classroom discipline. This is not to say students are climbing the walls and exiting through the windows, but educators feel they are unable to monitor students to see who is paying attention and who is not" (Lorcher at brighthub.com). There is also a possibility for teachers to become lazy in lesson preparation, as there are hundreds if not thousands of lessons available online that can be uploaded onto the SMARTBoard just minutes before use. Another major draw back to the use of SMARTBoards in the classroom is the cost: they are expensive to put in and also expensive to repair. Because SMARTBoards require the use of computers, the cost of maintaining and keep up the technology of these supplementary aids should also be considered. Learning new technology takes time, so teachers who are new to SMARTBoards will have to take time aside from what they are currently doing in their classroom and school to learn how to use the tool and incorporate it successfully into their classroom. Also, experienced teachers will have to look at their existing lesson plans and find ways to incorporate the new technology.
 * __Disadvantages__**

SMARTBoards are definitely the wave of the future. Currently, there are few SMARTBoards in local schools, but it is the hope of many teachers that their schools will invest in these interactive whiteboards. A school district in Phoenix Arizona plans to have SMARTBoards in every classroom by the end of next year. This idea is something that local classroom teachers dream about. There are, however, some teachers that do not like the idea of using and/or relying on these computers. This might be because of the disadvantages listed above, or because they enjoy using chalkboards and do not want such a large change. If teachers are willing to put in extra time outside of the classroom to learn about and how to use SMARTBoards, they will be an excellent addition to any classroom, especially a special education classroom. Putting SMARTBoard technology into the special education classroom along with the regular education rooms can help to bring the special education room (and the students inside the room) to a more even playing field as the rest of the school. Currently, when schools are putting SMARTBoards in the regular education rooms alone it sends the message that the students in special education are not worth the expenses of putting one in. Evening the playing field may help students in the regular education classroom to look at their special education peers as more similar to them which is beneficial for everyone: in society we all have to interact and get along and we should be promoting that in our schools.
 * __Future Direction __**

SMARTBoards are a useful tool in any type of classroom, especially special education classrooms. SMARTBoards allows students to have an active role in the lesson. Technology is an ever growing part of our world, with all of the importance and emphasis placed on being "tech-savy," it will help students in the special education classrooms feel more involved in the their school and community. When you provide equal materials and technology to all students, everyone is given the same opportunity to learn and excel. Even with the high prices, schools should be looking into including SMARTBoards in classrooms. Our children are our future and we owe them the best possible education available.
 * __Conclusion __**

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