Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 14/00) - This board draws kids like magnets.

Since October, Weledeh Catholic school teacher Jennifer Genge has been using a device called a Smartboard to help teach her students. With the aid of a Proxima, a type of projector, Genge can project images from a computer or VCR onto the Smartboard.

Thus, students can watch educational videos or solve problems on the Smartboard. (Its screen is about four feet high.)

And, when students write their answers on the interactive screen with coloured markers, their writing shows up on the computer screen, which can then be printed off.

Genge said her students use it every chance they get.

"Right now the kids are willing to do any kind of problems, so long as they get to use the Smartboard," Genge said.

"If I'd asked them, 'go to your seat and complete five multiplication problems on a piece of paper,' you're not going to get the enthusiasm you get here," Genge said.

"Even though they're doing work, they still love it. They just thoroughly enjoy it," the teacher said.

"It's like they never get tired of it."

At which point one Grade 4 student piped up, "And we never will."

Student Scott Adlem-Quilluniq said using the Smartboard is different.

"It's better than doing work on paper," he said. "It's hard learning but it's fun, too."

Classmate Sara Spreen summed it up best by saying, "It's cool and fun."

Genge said she first used the Smartboard during the previous school year and that it can be of special benefit to kids who have a hard time reading. She pointed out computers are becoming more and more important and it's good for children to not be afraid of them.

"It's kind of a learning device in that now they want to know how to do things so they get to go up and show the rest of the class."

Genge pointed out that often now, if students using the Smartboard are having trouble guessing the answer, they receive coaxing from their classmates.

Genge said she was sick recently and missed a day of work, during which the kids showed her substitute how to use the Smartboard.

"Usually you think they're just kind of sitting there, and not really knowing what's going on," Genge said.

She said the Smartboard is based in her classroom, but other teachers have learned how to operate it.