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Sibley East students at all age levels are being exposed to some of the latest technological advances in education this year.

Sibley East’s School Board, last year, committed $15,000 to purchase SMART boards, an interactive whiteboard, for the Junior and Senior High math and science teachers, and for Grade 6 teachers.

In addition, Elementary Principal Mari Lu Martens used some referendum dollars to purchase additional SMART Boards in elementary classrooms.

A SMART Board interactive whiteboard is a large, touch-controlled screen that works with a projector and a computer. The projector displays the computer’s desktop image onto the interactive whiteboard. Users can write on the interactive whiteboard in digital ink or use a finger to control computer applications by pointing, clicking and dragging, like with a desktop mouse.

At Sibley East, the whiteboards are mounted on the walls of the classrooms.

Using the SMART Board has created a “whole new interest in learning and interaction,” according to Sara Utendorfer, third grade teacher.

Utendorfer said that she took a workshop in Mankato to learn how to use the toolbar in the program. “I was scared. I didn’t know how to turn it on.” She said that she has been amazed how much she uses it.

In her third grade classroom, she has used it for the daily morning message, English, and math. She has also used it to show movies that relate to her social studies lessons, such as one about the physical geography of the United States.

Chip Wolverton, a sixth grade teacher, has used the SMART board in his classroom primarily for teaching math, English and reading.

“It’s been fun but it takes a little work to get things (lessons) ready to go,” Wolverton commented. “It’s a valuable tool and something different for the students to look at. I don’t have to erase things.” He also said it was “forward thinking” for the school district to purchase them.

Wolverton took a week-long class at Martin Luther College in New Ulm this summer to learn how to use it.

One feature that the teachers have found valuable is the ease with which all of the lessons can be saved. This is helpful to review material covered the day before.

Utendorfer commented that since she has had the SMART board, she no longer uses an overhead projector. Wolverton and Utendorfer also said that they hardly ever use the traditional white board in their classrooms any more.

Senior High science teacher Don Sauter admitted that he’s just learning how to use the SMART board. “The amount of things a person can do is infinite,” he said. Sauter teaches anatomy, biology, and basic chemistry.

The SMART board helps hold student interest because it moves fast, Sauter said. One feature that he likes is that notes can be saved. This is helpful because when a student is absent, the notes can be printed, he said.

Sauter also commented that the technology is advantageous especially for teachers entering the profession, because within a couple of years, lessons and notes could be saved in a couple of years.

In Sauter’s anatomy class, he has put the study guide on the SMART board to help students identify bones.

“It’s remarkable what you can do without having to go to your computer,” commented Dan Meier, Junior High math teacher. “Once you have something like this, it would be hard to be without it. I’m glad I have it.”

Meier said that he has not saved the daily lessons, because for each section, he will need to explain the lesson to the students. He said that he plans to save Power Point presentations.

He also said that the SMART board is more natural for students to follow, because students are used to doing similar things on computers.

The SMART boards were installed in the classrooms by the custodians. Kranz Electric did mounting of the LCD projectors and the electric work, according to district technology coordinator Cathy Wills.