I N T E R A C T I V E WH I T E B O A R D S N EWS
led to the birth of the IWB and a global industry
IT IS PROBABLYtrue that no other sector has seen such a rapid adoption of technology over the past twenty years than the education sector. Government targets were set to
narrow the child:PC ratio while curriculum online encouraged the adoption of eLearning resources. However, despite the wealth of learning opportunities available on a computer, it is a solitary learning device that encourages individualised or, at best, small group learning. Students respond better to playing an interactive part in the learning process and today the interactive whiteboard has taken centre stage as an integral educational tool in most classrooms. For many teachers, it is indispensable. It was in 1986, during a long
drive through upstate NewYork, that DavidMartin, SMART’s executive chairman and co-founder, conceptualised to his partner Nancy Knowlton, SMART’s CEO, a new product idea for a touch-enabled SMART Board™ interactive whiteboard (IWB). The following year, SMART
Technologies was founded. This began as the distributor for a US projector company. Revenue generated through projector sales was directed towards the research and development of the SMART Board interactive whiteboard. In 1991, David’s dream became a reality with the introduction of the SMART Board IWB. It was the first interactive whiteboard to provide touch control of computer applications and annotation over standardMicrosoftWindows applications. In those early years, no-one knew about an interactive
THE SMART BOARD
CELEBRATES THE 20th
ANNIVERSARY OF ITS
CREATION THIS
FEBRUARY
whiteboard, much less why they might want or need one, so sales for SMART started slowly. Those early years were characterised by a great deal of financial uncertainty and at various times, SMART’s future was in serious doubt.
Firm belief However, with a long-term
focus, a firm belief in the opportunity to forge a new way for people everywhere to learn and the patience of its bankers, the business began to succeed. Slowly, teachers, business people and government staff across the globe, came to appreciate the new way in which they could do their jobs using the SMART Board IWB, and a new product category was officially born. Now people in more than 175 countries benefit from the ability to interact and instantaneously share information with people in the same room or around the world. When people first see
SMART’s products, they are delighted and intrigued by the ‘magic’ that happens before their eyes. In fact, many teachers today avoid teaching in a room without an IWB. This February SMART is
Technology in Education No.180 January/February 2011 44
celebrating its 20-year anniversary. Over the last two decades, SMART has developed a comprehensive range of easy-to-use, touch- and gesture-enabled solutions that facilitate effective learning and collaboration.
recognition Touch SMART’s commitment to touch
recognition, multi-touch and gesture-driven systems ensures an intuitive user experience for education users. Its line of interactive whiteboards today includes the 400 series, the 600 series and the 800 series. It also has a line of SMART Board interactive displays and the SMART Table™ interactive learning centre, as well as a variety of complementary products and services. According to Futuresource
Consulting, an independent global research company that has tracked interactive whiteboard sales for more than nine years, SMART continues to lead the global IWB category with a 47% share as of September 2010, more than SMART’s nearest competitor. Today, approximately 8% of the
world’s classrooms have an IWB. The adoption rates in the UK, USAand Canada are approximately 73%, 36% and 26% respectively, according to Futuresource Consulting. SMART Board IWBs are used by more than 1.5 million teachers and more tha 30 million students worldwide. With demand for touch-based
and gesture-driven devices increasing, SMART brings more than two decades of experience to this growing market.
Circle No.E25 Onemillionth
SMART Board sold in 2010
TODAY, more than ever before, school administrators need to be pragmatic and ensure that their education budgets are invested wisely.With one million sales of the interactive whiteboard (IWB) predicted for 2010, Nancy Knowlton, CEO and co-founder of SMART Technologies, discusses the changes to IWBs in education over the years. “Our vision 20 years ago
was that the SMART Board™ IWB would be a flexible, open tool to allow interaction at a distance for educators and anyone else needing to work remotely. It was born from the concept of collaboration and communication. “Since then, enabling
technology has advanced, with colour projectors, faster communication speed and information on the internet easily accessible. “Today’s learners are
described as digital natives, open and accepting, multi-taskers, curious, willing to experiment, independent, investigative, prepared to learn anywhere, anytime. “We work closely with
teachers, seeking their input during the development stage of new products and listen to their comments once a product is in the marketplace. Our end goal is to develop functions and features that will continue to enhance their ability to teach and support children to learn collaboratively.”
Circle No.E26 Check out our website:
www.technology-in-education.co.uk A talk on a long country drive
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