Interactive whiteboards

Interactive Whiteboards are becoming very common in classrooms. They are being used more and more in Elementary schools. They get students more engaged and involved. You can use them to present powerpoints, teach lessons, have students participate in activities and practice certain concepts being learned. You can show videos and connect with links on the internet. It can be used in many different ways in the classroom.
I was not introduced to a Smart board until my senior year in High School. We did not really use them that much so I did not know how to use them or all the software they come with until I got to college. Most of my teachers use them for powerpoints, but some use the interactive software that comes with it and let us practice using it. When I first started making my slides I thought it would be easier than it was. I am not a big technology person so I did not know how to use a lot of the things. I got frustrated when something I was trying to do was not working. It was also difficult for me to think of ideas to make slides of. I will use this in my classroom, but I will have to get more comfortable using it.
There are a lot of pros to having a Smart board in the classroom. It is an instant tool that is always there for you to use whenever and however. Its a great way to engage students and keep them involved. Some cons would be the cost, installation and location in the room. If you are using it in the elementary classroom, you have to be sure that your students can reach it and know how to use it. Also the projector might get in the way of other things that you might be trying to teach without using the smart board.
I have only used the smartboard for powerpoints in previous lessons, but I could use it for instruction and involving all students in the lesson. I would also use it more practice in a specific subject or concept.