Interactive whiteboards/Smartboards

Image courtesy of ETC

I have not had the pleasure of seeing an Interactive White Board (IWB) in use first hand. There is one in the classroom where I am doing my EPL, but I have been informed that there is no software at the moment to use it. The teacher has contacted the technicians for the school and they are in the process of getting it up and running.

I had never realised the potential of the IWB's until I viewed a you tube video with a debate with the pros and cons of IWB's in the classroom. The findings from this were that teachers have found that the pace of the lesson is increased, as is the motivation and engagement of the students since using this tool. Teachers have also found that they still teach the content of the lesson, but are reducing the use of their textbooks, because there is so much more, and often more interesting, information available that they have access to. It has been highlighted through my study that the most important thing in the classroom is effective pedagogy resulting in learning outcomes being achieved. In order to achieve this, students need to be engaged and motivated before learning can occur. Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999) suggest that learning must be meaningful and engaging for the students through interaction/collaboration with others and worthwhile tasks. I believe that IWB activities tick these boxes. IWB use in the classroom also engages all learning styles of students in the classroom.

I went on to watch videos of some features of the IWB, and real life examples of IWB's being used in Australian classrooms, and was quite literally amazed by their versatility and effectiveness of learning experiences they offer. I know I have only just scratched the surface as yet, but already I can see their potential, and the place they have in the 21st century classroom.

In one of the videos I viewed I heard the term 'Promethean activeboards' pop up a few times, with rave reviews about them. From what I can see Promethean is a global company producing IWB's and their products. They create an active classroom where their aim is to create, develop and support classroom technology that unlocks the potential of human achievement in kindergarten,primary, and secondary education around the world. They are a global leader in learning technology, bringing the promise of 21st Century learning to life, improving engagement and results for all types of learners and teachers. They aspire to unleash the potential of every student and every teacher every day. (Promethean, n.d)

I talked to my Mentor teacher about their use and she said she has never used one as yet. She is planning to attend Personal Development (PD) workshops to learn how. She has not yet really seen their use either, but has heard endless positive feedback on how 'great' they are in the classroom.

I think when I become a learning manager, I would try to use these IWB's in my daily routine if it is possible ... The children(on the videos above) seem to really enjoy their experiences, and engage in the lesson, which can only lead to one thing ... learning outcomes being achieved in all students. (which is the aim of the game!)