Connecting MacBook to Large SmartBoard

I am having trouble figuring out how to connect my MacBook to a much larger display. I am a teacher, and when I try to hook my computer up to the 3'x3' SmartBoard, the resolution on my Macbook changes to such an extent that I cannot see all of my menu bar options or even get back to my Dock. I have read several different forums and help sites, but I am still confused.

What I would like to be able to do is have my MacBook desktop displayed on the SmartBoard without sacrificing the resolution of the native desktop.

Does that make sense? Am I in the right forum?

Thanks!

This may be a little late, but I've made a good tip guide on my site.

How to Connect a Macintosh Computer to a SMARTBoard | Kalvster Dot Com