The need to involve traditional in-person and distance learners in day-to-day lesson planning drives educators to seek technological solutions. One of the most effective and innovative tools in the modern educational environment is the smart board for the classroom. These intelligent displays combine traditional teaching tools with powerful internet access and interactive components for simultaneous communication.

Here's What You Need To Know About Smart Displays

Image quality and brightness

The most notable difference between the two intelligent technologies is the resolution and brightness of the display. Projector displays have limited clarity, even when classroom lights are turned off. A smart board's flat panel display is a multi-megapixel LED screen that displays high-definition images and videos. The slate is also backlit, meaning images remain sharp and shadow-free in any lighting condition.

Touch controls and operations

A well-calibrated projector-based whiteboard still requires sensors to track a special pen. The innovative pad is easy to operate without calibration or a camera - all you need is a finger or a stylus.

Sound

Although external sound sources are readily available, projection-based whiteboard setups still require additional hardware for presentations to include audio. This will cause trouble with installation and operation. The all-in-one design of the smartboard includes front-facing speakers to circumvent this problem.

Connectivity

Smartboards are designed to keep students on the same page pretty much. They are great for engaging hybrid and remote classrooms in synchronous communication but differ in connectivity. Almost every modern smartboard will include VGA and HDMI inputs. Still, you're more likely to find extra ports (including USB, which Smartboards can use to transfer videos and presentations to the screen quickly) on the latest flat-panel monitors.

Install

The projector takes some time to set up and calibrate the associated cameras and sensors (if you're using a wall that isn't perfectly flat, heaven will help you). Once they are in place, they also basically prevent any rearrangement of the classroom. No calibration is required to mount the flat panel monitor on a stand or directly on the wall.

Life

Both technologies are designed to help teachers work in the classroom for years to come, but whiteboard projectors suffer from the same flaw as all projectors: their bulbs burn out. The estimated number of hours you can get out of a projector before the bulb goes off varies widely, but it pales in comparison to the average lifespan of a smartboard LED display.