To SMART board or Not to SMART board?

Going into my first practice teaching block, I was very excited to use some of the tools I had learned in 8Y59 (my technology class).  One of the things I was most excited to use was a SMART board.  Unfortunately, the classroom I was working in did not have a SMART board, only a regular whiteboard.  I was upset because I had all these amazing ideas for interactive lessons and I wanted to show the students somethings they probably had not seen before.  Instead of giving up, I improvised.  I created presentations where I would use the whiteboard as the interactive SMART board.  Of course this had its limitations in that I could not do things like "erase and reveal" and some other fun stuff you can do on a SMART board. However, matching games, timelines and brainstorming (mind map) activities worked just as well with a slide template and having the students come up and write on the board using dry erase markers.  I did several lessons like this and the students really enjoyed them.  I am still waiting for my chance to use a SMART board in the classroom.  I am really starting to realize how amazing technology is for learning and how important it is that we as teachers adapt our teaching styles to meet the needs and wants of the new generation.