Interactive displays have become standard equipment in many K-12 classrooms, but having the hardware installed is only half the battle. Too many expensive interactive whiteboards and flat panels end up being used as glorified projector screens because teachers are not sure how to take full advantage of their capabilities.
Here are seven practical tips for getting real instructional value from your interactive display investment.
1. Stop Using It as a Projector
The single most common mistake is treating an interactive display like a one-way presentation tool. If you are only using it to show PowerPoint slides or play videos, you are leaving most of its value on the table. Interactive displays are designed for touch, annotation, and student interaction. Build lessons that require students to come to the board, manipulate objects, write answers, or drag items into categories. The display should be a workspace, not just a screen.
2. Use the Built-In Tools Before Buying Add-Ons
Most interactive display platforms, whether SMART Notebook, Promethean ActivInspire, or another vendor's software, ship with a large library of templates, activities, and lesson-building tools. Before spending money on third-party content, explore what is already available. Many teachers discover entire libraries of pre-built lessons aligned to Common Core standards that they never knew existed.
Spend time in the vendor's online community as well. Teachers share lessons and templates freely, and you can often find ready-made activities for your exact subject and grade level.
3. Let Students Drive
An interactive display is most effective when students are the ones interacting with it. Have students present their work on the board, solve problems in front of their peers, or collaborate on group activities. When students are physically engaged with the display, retention and engagement both increase.
For younger students, this is especially powerful. The ability to touch, drag, and draw on a large surface connects with kinesthetic learning styles in ways that a traditional whiteboard cannot match.
4. Integrate with Student Devices
Many modern interactive display systems support device mirroring and collaboration features that let students send content from their tablets or laptops directly to the main display. This turns the interactive board into a hub for the entire classroom. A student can work on a problem at their desk and share it with the class in one tap.
If your display supports multi-user touch, you can even have several students working on the board simultaneously, which opens up possibilities for team-based activities and competitions.
5. Record and Share Your Lessons
Most interactive display software includes screen recording capabilities. Use this to record your lessons, including annotations and interactions, and share them with students who were absent or who want to review the material. Some teachers post recorded lessons to a class website or LMS, creating a library of instructional content that students can access at any time.
This is also a valuable tool for professional development. Teachers can review their own lessons to identify areas for improvement, or share recordings with colleagues as examples of effective interactive display use.
6. Keep Lessons Short and Focused
Interactive displays are most effective for focused, high-engagement activities. A 10-minute interactive sorting exercise will have more impact than a 45-minute lecture delivered on the same screen. Plan your lessons so that the interactive display is used for the moments where interactivity adds genuine value, and use other instructional methods for the rest.
Variety keeps students engaged. Alternate between the interactive display, small-group work, independent practice, and discussion. The display is a powerful tool, but it should not be the only tool you use in a given class period.
7. Invest in Ongoing Training
The most underutilized interactive displays are almost always in classrooms where the teacher received one training session during installation and nothing after that. Effective use of interactive technology requires ongoing professional development.
Encourage teachers to attend vendor webinars, participate in online communities, and share techniques with colleagues. Consider establishing a peer mentoring program where teachers who are confident with the technology can coach those who are still learning. Even 30 minutes of collaborative practice per month can make a meaningful difference.
Making the Investment Count
Interactive displays represent a significant financial commitment for any district. The hardware itself is only part of the equation. The real return on investment comes from teachers who are trained, supported, and empowered to use these tools in ways that genuinely improve instruction. Districts that treat interactive display deployment as a one-time purchase rather than an ongoing initiative will never see the full potential of what these tools can do.