How to Use a Smart Board in the Classroom

 

Practical Guide: How to Use a Smart Board in the Classroom

1. Start Up Your Board

A. Turn on the Board

  • Press the power button on the panel.

  • Wait for the home screen to load (usually takes 10–30 seconds).

B. Connect Your Device (if needed)

Depending on your setup:

  • HDMI cable (most common)

  • USB-C cable (sends video + touch through one cable)

  • Wireless casting (AirPlay, Chromecast, Miracast, or the board’s own casting app)

Tip:
If the screen mirrors your computer but touch doesn’t work, the USB cable is missing. HDMI is video only.

2. Basic Navigation

Most boards have:

  • A home button

  • A back button

  • A toolbar for pens, colors, or shortcuts

  • Volume controls

  • Inputs (HDMI 1, HDMI 2, USB-C, etc.)

Get familiar with:

  • Opening apps

  • Switching inputs

  • Finding the whiteboard app

  • Accessing settings (Wi-Fi, brightness, etc.)

3. Using the Digital Whiteboard

Open the built-in whiteboard app. Most boards have these standard tools:

Digital Pen

  • Choose pen color and thickness.

  • Write directly on the board with your finger or stylus.

Eraser

  • Use the eraser icon or

  • Some boards let you erase with your palm.

Undo / Redo

Very helpful for modeling math or editing sentences.

Pages

  • Add multiple pages

  • Swipe between pages

  • Save them for later (PDF or image)

Backgrounds

Switch between:

  • Blank

  • Lined paper

  • Graph paper

  • Grids

  • Music staff

  • Dark mode

Insert Elements

You can usually add:

  • Sticky notes

  • Shapes

  • Text boxes

  • Images

  • Screenshots

4. Annotating Over Anything

This is one of the most powerful features.

Most boards have a floating toolbar or a pen button that lets you draw on top of:

  • Websites

  • YouTube videos

  • Documents

  • Google Slides

  • PDFs

  • Anything you’re projecting

You can circle, underline, write notes, highlight, and then:

  • Screenshot the annotated page

  • Save it to your board

  • Send it to students or your email

5. Using Your Board as a Teaching “Hub”

A. Opening Your Files

Most boards let you access:

  • Google Drive

  • OneDrive

  • USB drives

  • Local folders

You can open:

  • PDFs

  • PPTs

  • Images

  • Videos

  • Interactive apps

B. Running Lessons Without Your Laptop

Many boards can run:

  • Slideshows

  • Videos

  • Websites

  • Math apps

  • Reading passages

  • Timers and classroom tools

This is useful if your laptop dies or you need to walk away from your desk.

6. Wireless Screencasting

To cast your device wirelessly:

  • Open the board’s casting app

  • Choose AirPlay, Chromecast, or the board’s version of screen sharing

  • Choose your board from the device list

Benefits:

  • Move freely around the room

  • Let students share their work

  • No cables to trip over

Some boards allow multiple devices to appear on screen at once.

7. Classroom Teaching Tools

Nearly all modern smart boards come with built-in teacher tools like:

  • Timers

  • Random name pickers

  • Spinners

  • Dice

  • Stopwatches

  • Spotlights (highlight a small circle on the screen)

  • Screen shade (reveal answers slowly)

  • Magnifiers

These make lessons smoother and more interactive.

8. Using Split Screen / Multi-Window

You can put two things on the board at once, such as:

  • A reading passage + a graphic organizer

  • A math problem + manipulatives

  • A video + notes

  • Slides + a whiteboard

This is extremely useful for modeling thinking.

9. Saving & Sharing Your Work

Most boards let you save:

  • Whiteboard notes

  • Screenshots

  • Recordings

You can export and share through:

  • Google Drive

  • Email

  • Your computer

  • USB drive

  • Classroom LMS (Canvas, Schoology, Google Classroom)

This helps absent students catch up and lets you reuse lessons.

10. Troubleshooting Basics (Quick Fixes)

No Touch Response?

  • Check the USB cable

  • Restart the board

  • Switch to a different input

No Sound?

  • Make sure the board is selected as the audio output

  • Turn up both the device volume and the board volume

Board Not Connecting to Wi-Fi?

  • Restart Wi-Fi

  • Retry using teacher login

  • Switch to your classroom hotspot if allowed

Screen Won’t Cast?

  • Make sure device and board are on the same network

  • Restart casting app

11. Everyday Tips Teachers Say Make a Big Difference

  • Keep a microfiber cloth handy to wipe fingerprints

  • Turn off your board at the end of each day

  • Use a stylus for smaller writing

  • Use dark backgrounds for better contrast

  • Make a “favorites” folder on the board for frequently used apps

  • Keep a backup HDMI cable just in case

12. What Students Can Do on the Board

Students can:

  • Solve math problems

  • Sort words

  • Label diagrams

  • Annotate passages

  • Present slides

  • Play review games

  • Cast their device to show work

Even simple participation at the board boosts engagement.

If you have not read it, please read:

What is a Smart White Board and What can it Do?


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