The Wide World of Promethean

Last week, I spent almost an hour going through Promethean Planet, which is a free online teaching resources for interactive whiteboard users.  This site is massive when it comes to the resources that are available for teachers of all grade levels and subjects.  There are searchable

lesson plans available with a downloadable interactive whiteboard (IWB) presentations for a variety of topics.  The ease of navigation through the site allows for a very user-friendly experience. 

I was interested to make note of their professional development opportunities that they offer as well through the website as well, including webinars and downloadable manuals.  If I was not taking this

class and receiving direct instruction in using an IWB, this would be an excellent way for me to train myself in how to use and integrate IWB activities into my lessons.  They also have a calendar of conferences and other "real-world" opportunities for learning about IWBs, their potential, and uses. 

Something that is very useful about this site is that besides being free, it allows to you keep a profile and files of favorite lessons and activities, as well as download at no cost previously made IWB activities.  They also have a blog and forum resource area which is great if you are looking for help or suggestions from other Promethean/IWB users.

My only concern about Promethean Planet is the platform and how compatible it will be with an interactive Smartboard, which is what I have in my classroom.  I know that there are ways to convert the Promethean packets and resources to Smartboard friendly ones, but I still have my reservations about how much will be lost in translation and how limited I may possibly be.  This will be something that I will have to explore further on my own, and probably with the help of the Promethean forum.