If someone were to visit Robert Heugly’s eighth-grade math class on any given day they wouldn’t find him at the chalkboard. In fact, all he really uses it for is jotting down homework assignments and last-minute reminders. He’d much rather use the SMART Board.

New this year to five schools in the Hanford Elementary School District, SMART Boards are not only providing students with a more engaging way of learning, but are also helping them do better in school.

“Overall the kids’ grades have increased,” Heugly said. “The kids who are always on top are still on top, but the other kids that haven’t been doing as well, their grades are coming up.”

Heugly said he fully believes this is due in part to the SMART Board technology.

“Those kids that were maybe a little harder to get involved before are now more involved; they want to go up and touch the board and will pay more attention to it,” he said. “A lot of the kids are very visual learners; not all of them are, everyone learns a different way, but that is why this board is so great — we can cater to each of those learning styles much more easily.”

SMART Boards are interactive white boards that function without the use of chalk or Dry Erase markers.

The board, run by the teacher’s classroom computer, is touch-sensitive and can be used in a variety of different ways.

In Heugly’s math class the board is utilized for math quizzes, math games and can even be used to pull video right from the Internet — all with the touch of a finger.

The board has the capability to move things on the screen, pull up lessons saved on the computer, and even pull up graph paper for lessons involving algebra.

Heugly said that the boards are universally effective no matter what subject is being taught.

“I know that in geography lessons, the teacher can pull up a map of the U.S., remove the states from that map and then the kids have to come up and put the states back where they belong — it can be used for just about any academic subject.”

Although the classroom technology is still new to teachers and students, Heugly said everyone is adjusting well.

“ We (the teachers) learn a lot from each other,” he said. “Everyone of us are now using it with no problems. They’re not using the overheads as much, but really sticking with the new boards.”

Eighth-grader Brenda Yanez said she is excited about the new addition to the classroom and takes every chance she can to use the board.

“I think it’s cool. It gets us more into the lessons and keeps our attention more. I like going up there — I go up there all the time,” Yanez said. “Mr. Heugly lets us have fun and play with the board too, he keeps us involved.”

Another student, Jake Williams, said he too always jumps at the chance to use the board.

“It’s pretty tight,” he said. “We play a lot of (math) games on it too. It’s a lot better than last year when we didn’t have it. It makes learning a lot more fun.”

Paul Terry, HESD superintendent, recently held a board meeting on the campus of Woodrow Wilson Junior High School to show members just how special the new technology is. He said they all were thrilled with the recent purchase.

“I think all the board members really liked seeing that the categorical funds they are approving are benefiting the instruction of our students,” Terry said. “The boards are something that are really assisting the teachers in their job and resulting in students being more captivated by them; it enhances the lessons much more than what they were able to do with just a chalkboard or white board.”

The reporter can be reached at 583-2424.

(Nov. 13, 2009)