1. The SMART Table Rachel Bell Walden University March 31, 2011

2. What is the need for a interactive learning center? In primary education, there are very few technology innovations that students of this age are able to use. The SMART table provides a technological method of learning for Pre-K and Kindergarten students. This age group needs a technological method of learning just as the upper grades do.

3. What research organization created a solution to this problem? SMART Technologies created a solution to this problem by developing a unique innovation. This organization has developed many technological innovations that have become a large aspect of education. But in order to meet all teacher’s needs they developed the SMART table for primary students.

4. SMART Technologies SMART technologies is an organization that created the original interactive white board. The “lead thinkers” consisted of a variety of people from various areas of the company such as custom solutions and testing (Ellwood, 2009). Article on SMART Technologies innovation process: http://downloads01.smarttech.com/media/sit ecore/en/pdf/smart_publications/edcompass/ feature_articles/teaching_resources/edcomp assjanuary2009featurearticle.pdf http://downloads01.smarttech.com/media/sit ecore/en/pdf/smart_publications/edcompass/ feature_articles/teaching_resources/edcomp assjanuary2009featurearticle.pdf

5. Development The process of the invention to the product life cycle took only two years to complete (Ellwood, 2009). During the product life cycle process, the prototype table was built repeatedly until it was able to perform as expected. The intended audience of the product was for multiple primary level students to be able to all touch and interact with the table at the same time (Ellwood, 2009).

6. Commercialization SMART technologies began the commercialization process by beta testing tables. They sent the innovation to a few elementary schools around the globe (Ellwood, 2009). After learning that the product was successful it became available to the public to purchase.

7. Communication Channels The communication channels that worked best for the decision to adopt this innovation into the education industry are internet and in field testing. The internet provided SMART technologies a way of making the innovation research available to the public as well as educators. In field testing was a great communication channel for SMART technologies because it allowed the teachers an opportunity to use the SMART table and spread the word of its success.

8. S- Curve

9. S Curve Explanation The S-Curve displays the adoption rate of the SMART table from 2008 when it was first introduced into the education industry until today. The interactive table has taken awhile to catch on in primary classrooms, probably because it is a very expensive investment for only one classroom.

10. Principals, Teachers, and Librarians would be the main innovators and early adopters of this product. A strategy that would convince them that the product is effective would be to simply allow them to experiment with the SMART table itself. If resources weren’t available, showing the data of the product would also be another persuasive factor. Who are the consumers for this product?

11. Who would reject this product? The people that would reject this new innovation may be the school board. I believe this because of the cost of this valuable primary education resource is rather costly. Due to the economy at this point in time, it would be a difficult task for the school board to recognize this tool as being critical. One way that they might could be persuaded, is by giving the opportunity to experiment with one and asking for only one of these tables per school. The teachers could share the table by rotating weekly. This may not be appealing but at least the resource would be available.

12. Which combo of attributes would be best for helping this innovation meet critical mass in education? The attributes that would help this innovation are trialability, observability, and simplicity. Trialability would help this innovation because after one experiments with the SMART table it is very convincing how positive this resource would be in a classroom. Observability would help this innovation because after watching the students use the SMART table, it once again would be very convincing of the need of it in education. Simplicity would help this innovation because this device is very simple to use and learn. It would not take for a young child to learn how to use it.

13. Centralized or Decentralized? A centralized approach would work best for the adoption of this innovation by a school system. This is due to the fact that the SMART table is most valuable and effective to primary level students. The table would be beneficial to students in Pre-K and Kindergarten grade levels primarily.

14. Change Agents Some key change agents in the school system that will help teachers to adapt to this innovation are the media specialists and technology specialists. These people are trained to work with new technologies and will be able to assist teachers in the process of changing to this new innovation and adapting it easily into the classroom.

15. The Roles of the Change Agents According to Rogers (2003), there are seven roles a change agent plays. These roles are: –“To develop a need for change on the part of the clients” (Rogers, 2003, p. 369). The clients in this case are the primary education teachers and their lack of technology for their students. –“To establish an information-exchange relationship” (Rogers, 2003, p. 369). –“To diagnose problems” (Rogers, 2003, p.369). –“To create an intent to change in the client” (Rogers, 2003, p.369). –“To translate an intent into action” (Rogers, 2003). –“Credibility in the client’s eyes” (Rogers, 2003, p.369). –“The extent to which he or she works through opinion leaders” (Rogers, 2003, p.370).

16. The Positive Social Change By using these seven roles in our change agents, our system will be able to effectively strengthen our primary education program by adding beneficial technology to the classrooms with ease.

17. “With the SMART Table, you’re getting the visual, the auditory and the tactile. We know that the more we can incorporate all of the senses, the better chance that the child is going to retain the knowledge that is being presented.” Heather Lister Grade 1–3 teacher Killarney Elementary School

18. References Ellwood, Heather. (2009). Learning through Touch: The story behind the SMART table. EDCOMPASS Newsletter, 1-4. Retrieved from http://downloads01.smarttech.com/media/sitecore/en/pdf /smart_publications/edcompass/feature_articles/teaching _resources/edcompassjanuary2009featurearticle.pdf http://downloads01.smarttech.com/media/sitecore/en/pdf /smart_publications/edcompass/feature_articles/teaching _resources/edcompassjanuary2009featurearticle.pdf