Cool Tool | SMART Table

Just a letter off from ‘tablet’ makes a big difference – but will the new SMART Table 442i from SMART Technologies excite young learners and help them grow together both socially and academically? Pull up a chair and have a seat at the future of collaborative learning. Students using this smart new table can develop problem-solving skills by interacting with activities and collaborating with each other to achieve learning goals. Inclusive and accessible, it can engage preK–3 learners and students with special needs in active discussions and small group collaboration activities. With a durable design and stable pedestal, it’s sturdy enough to be kid proof and with plenty of room for wheelchairs. Comes with a toolkit enabling teachers to customize over a thousand ready-made activity packs; they can create their own themed lessons to meet specific classroom needs or access the SMART Exchange website to find interactive activities, or even import lessons, including in 3D, created in SMART Notebook collaborative learning software which comes with the table. The SMART Table 442i collaborative learning center will be available by mid-year at a suggested education price of $7,749 in the U.S. — and although it won’t reach the market penetration of the tablet, comparing it with the interactive whiteboard could be interesting.