10 Things to Consider When Buying digital screen board

What is a smart board used for? North Carolina-based fourth-grade teacher Riley Higgins is using a smart board in the classroom to build 21st-century learners. The language arts and social studies teacher recently asked her students, ages 9 and 10, to research a city in their state and create a multimedia project they then shared on their smart boards. The project makes kids excited to learn, and using an interactive whiteboard, she said, makes learning “fun.” These types of interactive projects recently helped her win the Teacher of the Week award from a local television station.

This is just an example of the many advantages of interactive whiteboards over normal blackboards or whiteboards. The technology, which is becoming more widely adopted in schools across the country, has also been proven to help students stay engaged with their schoolwork.

Today, tools that help teachers capture and keep students’ attention are invaluable. A 2022 study by Gallup found that digital tools are strongly associated with better student outcomes including ease of learning from home and expectations for learning progress. A Harvard Business Review article asserts that lack of student engagement is one of the biggest issues educators face today. Another study shows that student engagement — specifically low student engagement — is the issue most in the way of students reaching grade level, as 68% of teachers agreed.

Smart boards — also called interactive whiteboards or e-boards — improve the learning experience while making teachers’ lives better. They allow teachers and students to learn collaboratively, share files, access online resources and use educational software.

Here are five of the top uses of smart boards in teaching and learning, and how they can benefit every student.

1. Boost student engagement

Today’s K-12 students are digital natives, and researchers say they learn better because of it.

One study found that smart boards improve good teaching and increase clarity among teachers and students. With smart boards, like Samsung Interactive Displays, teachers can create more dynamic lessons by writing or typing on screen, calling attention to certain topics with highlights, circles, arrows or zooming in, and sharing multimedia content such as videos, webpages, presentations and images. The smart board can even be divided into multiple sections so more than one student can work on it at once. In fact, using Split Screen Mode, teachers and students can see two windows at once.

2. Accommodate different learning styles

Whether a child is a visual learner, an auditory learner or a kinesthetic (hands-on) learner, an interactive whiteboard can benefit them. Visual learners can view the 4K UHD screen — such as the one on Samsung Interactive Displays — while auditory learners can listen to multimedia content, and hands-on learners can write on the board with a stylus, or even their finger. Educators can use the smart board for teaching small groups, organized by learning style, or one on one with individual students. Plus, since Samsung Interactive Displays support powerful screen sharing, teachers and students can participate using smart wireless sharing from multiple devices.

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3. Save, share and send lessons

When students are out sick, K-12 teachers typically spend time creating work packets for them to catch up. With a smart board, this process is easier since teachers can screenshot their lessons and instantly save and share them with students and colleagues as needed. Or, they can record the entire lesson with the recording feature. The content options are limitless: Teachers can save their notes so they can pick up where they left off, or they can create review materials for students to bring home to study. This is especially beneficial for students who are trailing their peers, as they no longer have to take notes in real time while struggling to keep pace with the lesson. If they miss something, they can easily refer back to it on their own time.

At the beginning of the day, smart board startup is easy — just turn it on, and go. And at the end of the day, teachers can turn off the board without needing to erase anything or take physical notes on what they covered.

4. Make the classroom work for everyone

Sometimes, there’s a need for remote learning. Smart boards make it easier for teachers to include remote students via videoconference technology. There’s no need to set up any special cameras. Students at home can see everything the teacher is doing and interact with their peers, too. This not only enables hybrid learning but encourages it. You can also benefit by using intelligent apps for class, such as Boxlight’s MimioConnect educational software specifically designed to help students meet their educational goals.

5. Help students succeed

A study in the Universal Journal of Educational Research proved that students who learned via an interactive whiteboard did significantly better on standardized tests than those who did not use the technology. The same study points out that permanence in learning is increased through visual materials, paintings, symbols and screen designs. Another study linked achievement on the Ohio Achievement Reading Tests to the use of interactive whiteboards, across all grade levels. And since the newest Samsung Interactive Displays feature Android 11 OS, it’s easier and more comfortable for teachers to unlock unlimited learning potential via a familiar user experience.

Given all the ways interactive smart boards enhance the learning experience, school districts that invest in smart boards are investing in their students.

You can find the right classroom display for your students’ needs — and for your budget — by exploring Samsung’s full lineup of versatile interactive displays. And discover how simple, scalable and secure display solutions can empower educators to take control of the curriculum in this free guide.

January 22, 2018 10:30 AM

By Amy Cowen on

Putting together the project display board is one of the final steps before the science fair and can make a big difference in how others view the project. Science Buddies breaks down the process with clear steps a student can take to create an effective and successful display board. Make sure to review our top ten project display board tips and reminders before you begin creating your board!

Visit any science fair, and you will find hundreds of project display boards on display. Each board represents a student's science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) project. After all of the research, testing, data collection and analysis, the project display board asks students to organize and synthesize their project information and results into an eye-catching visual display.

The project display board requirement can be intimidating for some students, partly because of its size. Luckily, most science project display boards share similar elements. With a bit of planning and review of some basic information about creating a display board, all students can create a compelling display board to show off their projects!

Make a Great Display Board!

With the right approach, every student can create a successful display board. The ten tips below help students approach their display boards with confidence so that they work step by step to create great display boards that show off the hard work they put into their science projects.

1. Understand the goal. The goal of the science project display board is to share a project with a viewer who may or may not know anything at all about the project. Your display board is your key to getting a judge's attention at the science fair. Your science project may be top-notch, but if you can't get viewers to stop, look, and want to learn more about what you did, your project may not get the attention it deserves. Remember that the display board provides an overview of your project. By looking at the display board, the viewer should get a "nutshell" view of the project and understand what science question you asked, what hypothesis you proposed, what experiment you did, and how things turned out. Tip: Take a look at our gallery of project display boards for ideas about display boards that contain the necessary information but are visually engaging and exciting. Make a note of anything you see that you really like in terms of color, lettering, or layout. Many of the examples are linked to ArtSkills, where you can view step-by-step directions.
2. Plan your board. You should plan your project display board on a separate sheet of paper before you start printing your materials or gluing anything in place. Start by reviewing the sample layout shown below. the ArtSkills project display board template. Fill in the blank board on your printed copy with the sections you will use for your board and where they will go. This becomes your blueprint (or "storyboard") for your display board. Tip: Use the checklist that appears on the side of the template to help you stay on track from start to finish creating an awesome project display board.
3. Buy the right size board. Most science fairs and school assignments require a large tri-fold display board. These boards are typically approximately 36" x 48", like these display boards from ArtSkills. (Note: Some tri-fold boards have an additional section for the title header. This is optional.) Buy your board early so that you have it on hand when you are ready to begin creating your display board. Tip: Make sure you check your science fair guidelines (or with your teacher) for any specific size requirements or limitations.
4. Choose a great title. Your title should be accurate for your project but should be catchy enough to make a viewer curious about your project. Your title should also be big enough to be read from a distance. Because the title needs to be large, you may want to consider using pre-printed letters or stencils to make your title stand out. You want to get attention in a room filled with display boards, so make sure you use a color, size, and style that is easy to read and stands out on your board. Check our supplies page for suggested poster letters products from ArtSkills to make creating an eye-catching title easier. You can find additional information about titles on the Project Display Board Design Tips page. Tip: spend time brainstorming for the best title for your project. Come up with a list of possible titles before you decide.
5. Know your font sizes. A project display board title needs to be readable from a distance. Other elements of the board should be clearly readable at arm's length (several feet). As the following image shows, it is very important to use text that is large enough to work well on a display board. Tip: Review the Everything You Need to Know About Fonts for Display Boards resource for more information.
   
6. Pictures can be powerful. Photos and diagrams from your project can quickly and efficiently convey information to a viewer—plus, they'll add visual interest to your board! Just be sure to add relevant captions or subheads to explain photo or diagram contents. Do not put text directly on top of photos because it may be hard to read! Tip: You want your board to be visually balanced. Use visual elements to help support and convey your project information, but be careful not to make the board too cluttered.
   
7. Show your data. Like photos and diagrams, charts, graphs, and tables that show your project data help a viewer better understand your project. The image below shows an example from ArtSkills of a display board that effectively uses charts and graphs. Tip: Make sure your charts, graphs, and tables are large and clear and contain summary captions that help explain what they show. These elements are also a great way to add color to your display board!
   
8. Make a list of elements you need to type up or photos you need to print out. Using the sample ArtSkills template you printed as a guide, make a list of all of the information you will need, including headlines, titles, written information, diagrams, tables, charts, images, and photos. (Our handy Project Display Checklist can also help you keep track of what information should be on your board.) With your list in hand, and using all of the guidelines above, type up information that needs to be printed out and gather all other elements. Do not write elements for your display board by hand! Poster letter products, like these holographic letters (also available in jumbo size), these neon letters, or these black letters from ArtSkills, can make it easy to create titles and headlines that really stand out! Use a word processing program to type and print the rest of your project information. Remember, the board is large. You have a lot of space to fill. Be sure to review the information above about font sizes before printing your materials. Tip: Check things off your list after you print them to help you stay organized and to make sure you don't forget anything. Be sure not to leave out the acknowledgements and bibliography!
   
9. Use quality materials. From self-standing display boards to heavier papers and quality adhesives, gathering your materials before you start will help the project display board process go smoothly. In addition to buying your tri-fold board (or a board that meets your project guidelines), you will need adhesive and may also want to buy stick-on letters, stencils, heavy paper or cardstock to mount your sections on, or other materials. Tip: Our supplies list contains great options from ArtSkills for letters and embellishments to help you create and customize your board.
10. Don't Wait Until the Last Minute. You don't want to wait until the last night to do your display board! Plan ahead so you have time to map out how you want your information to appear, create your diagrams, charts, images, and text blocks, and print them out (in the right sizes) to assemble on your board. Remember: There is more to creating a successful project display board than just gluing some hand-written pieces of paper in place!

Your Turn!

Follow our tips and take things step by step, and you can create your own great project display board like the one shown below from ArtSkills.

We hope you will have a great experience making your project display board. Once you are all finished, stand back and admire your work! Snap a picture, too! We would love to see your board. (You can email us a photo to scibuddy@sciencebuddies.org.)

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