Wendi Lytle now stands in front of her classroom with the academic world at her fingertips.

“It’s just awesome,” said the second and third grade combination class teacher at Oro Grande Elementary School. “I’m not technological inclined. … I just embraced it because my students embraced it.”

The Lake Havasu Unified School District purchased its first two SMART Boards about eight years ago and that number barely grew until this past year when teacher demand more than doubled the district’s stock.

SMART Technologies ULC, based in Canada, designed the systems that allow projectors connected to laptop computers to display pre-made lessons and to tap into online learning.

The district’s classrooms use oversized whiteboards — no longer chalkboards — at the front of the classroom. For those teachers using the systems, it basically turns their old-fashioned whiteboards into giant, interactive computer screens.

In August 2008, the district had 35 SMART Boards, now that number totals 91 and it is expected to keep growing, according to LHUSD Instructional Technologist Michelle Ravnikar.

She said eight years ago there were only 15 or 20 teachers across the district willing to use the technology. Now her list of interested teachers has grown to almost 100 — about a third of the district’s teaching staff.

Grant money and fundraising largely paid for the technological package, which can total slightly more than $2,000 for each board, she said.

“There is definitely a higher demand than supply,” she said. “It probably took a good two years to catch the flame and get the flame burning.”

Lytle, who has been teaching for nine years, received her SMART Board in November 2008.

She used the SMART Board to review for a quiz in early December and pulled up songs, games and short clips about verbs and nouns. One lesson allowed students to “pop” answer balloons on the screen that revealed if their guess was correct.

She said at first she only used the board a few times a week, but now a day doesn’t go by without turning it on.

Lytle said the technology has further engaged her students in the lessons, and they are paying more attention.

She said it takes a lot of time to develop the lessons — one reason Ravnikar said some teachers have declined to incorporate it into their lessons — but once Lytle got the hang of it, she has been able to stock pile her lessons and share them with other teachers in the district who are using the boards. She said there are more than 1,000 district-wide lessons that can be shared.

‘I thought it would make me a better teacher,” she said. “I can make sure that I hit every type of learner in my classroom.”

She said it has been obvious to her that the technology is making an impact on her students’ academic achievement.

“Their test scores have gone up,” she said. “They are pumped. They just can’t get enough, where if I gave them a worksheet, they would be like ‘oh.’ They are so used to being entertained all the time. This allows me to entertain them in an academic environment. I don’t lose them like I used to.”

You may contact the reporter at jleatherman@havasunews.com.