This is a hot topic these days. When I facilitate SMARTboard workshops this is a common question I get, " Should we mount the board in a common location, in someone's room or purchase a mobile stand so that teachers can move the board from room to room?"
Teachers in my school find the mobile board a pain. They hate the hassle of moving it, hate having cords all over their classroom and then find once they start using the board they don't want to give it up to another teacher. Thus, they are not fans of the mobile board.
Many teachers I have worked with find that when the board is mounted in a central location such as a computer lab or multi-purpose room that the board is not used very often and or not to its full capabilities. When the board is mounted in this environment it seems it is just used as a glorified overhead projector. There is no point spending thousands of dollars to continue doing what you have always done!
Mounting the board for permant use in one teachers' classroom seems to get the most bang for your buck. However, the question then is how do you choose whose room to place it in? My suggestion is let the teachers convince you! Who is going above and beyond in the area of technology? Who is a lead teacher in this area who can assisst others? Just because it is mounted in one room doesn't mean it can't be shared with others.
What do you think? What is working or not working in your schools?
