An Exploration of SMART Board Use in Jewish Education

Abstract

An Exploration of SMART Board Use in Jewish Education Walk into a classroom today, and it will look very different than a classroom fifty years ago did. Some changes, like different desks and more color in the room, are an effect of the change in educational psychology. Other changes, such as the technology in the room, are the result of the recent technological revolution. One of the big changes likely to be seen in a classroom today is the SMART Board. This board has changed education by giving teachers capabilities beyond a regular board. However, there is significant research on these changes and whether they are ultimately beneficial for students. This paper presents a detailed literature review of SMART Board use in general education. It then proceeds to evaluate how technology has been integrated into the Jewish education context, and the specific challenges of SMART Board use in a Jewish education classroom. Lastly, following the preliminary research, a number of teachers and education professionals were surveyed about how teachers and Jewish schools relate to SMART Boards specifically. It emerged that along every step of the way, every user of a SMART Board recognized both its positive and negative aspects, and there are teachers and schools who choose not to use the SMART Board at all.