Best Practices

• Technology Competition Winners

• Care of the SmartBoard

• Projector Care

• Using the Classroom Projector Effectively

Technology Competition Winners
By Peggy Steffens

Kathleen Koopman from La Cima Middle School and Betsy Wilkening from Wilson K-8 were recognized in March at the Microcomputers in Education Conference (MEC) at ASU.  Kathleen and Betsy were both recipients of the highly competitive Qwest grants. Qwest awarded eight grants from the forty-two applicants; Amphi was the only District to have two QWEST grant recipients!

Kathleen is a leader in integrating technology in her art curriculum and  she received a Smart Board and projector with her project entitled Smart Board = Art Board. Kathleen is using a 21^st century tool to engage her students with interactive art sites, exhibits and museums.  Betsy’s grant also focuses on 21^st century learning with her project Think, Act, Globally & Locally.  She received 4 computers and a digital camera which will help her students as they participate in a project on global climate change. Her students will be participating in the International Polar Year Youth Network. These educators will be sharing their experiences at other AzTEA conferences throughout the next year.

Kathleen also entered the CCS Smart Board lesson plan competition and was a semi-finalist.  She presented her lesson at a conference session during the MEC conference.  CCS paid for her to attend the conference and held an awards ceremony for all of the lesson plan winners.

Congratulations to Betsy and Kathleen for being the pride of Amphi.

Care of the SmartBoard
By Peggy Steffens

Here are a few tips to help keep your Smart Board up and running in the best shape.

Cleaning the Surface of the Smart Board
You should clean the surface of the Smart Board when the computer and projector are off, so you don’t confuse the computer with the pressure from your cleaning by making it think you are trying to open and use documents.  You should clean a frequently used Smart Board approximately once a week to eliminate finger prints and keep it looking great.  You can clean the writing surface with standard glass cleaner like Glass Plus that doesn’t have ammonia or white board cleaner. 

Spray a cloth or paper towel with the cleaning fluid and then wipe the Smart Board.

Preventing Damage to the Writing Surface
While the Smart Board is very sturdy, avoid using sharp writing instruments like ballpoint pens or fine-pointed pens, as they can damage the surface if they are applied using heavy pressure. Keep sharp objects away from the Smart Board and avoid abrasive erasers and cleaning materials.