Smart Boards and the Classroom---wish I had one!

I went to a smart board training session today and now have my level one certification. The possibilities for using the Smart technology are endless. It was interesting, though, that at one point, the instructor made sure to tell us that this does NOT replace "real" manipulatives. Nothing can replace having, holding and turning the real thing in your hand.

I wish I had access to a smart board this year, but I don't. I signed up for this conference while still at my old school, where I was starting to lead a primary technology team, but my job changed over the summer and I'm at a new school. The new school will be fine, I'm sure, but I won't be using my smart board know-how.

I used the smart board quite often last year with trying to schedule it weekly. I used it for a fun attendance game (I made it according to the theme we were working on), and then used it for inter-active science and math activities. After doing some of that, I would usually have the children go on to their own individual notebook computers where I had them work on individual programs in math and reading. After an hour or so, most students were done with screen time. They wanted real manipulatives to do and feel.

What have you done with smart boards in your class? Have you ever had to "go back" in time and do without some technology you liked using?