Week 2: Interactive Whiteboards

This week we looked at interactive whiteboards and how effective they are as a resource in Primary Schools. Most classrooms nowadays have one, but are teachers using them as interactive boards, or simply as whiteboards? I have used interactive whiteboards before, but I don't feel as though I have used them to their full potential at all! At the start of the lesson we watched a small video that really brought to life the endless potential an interactive board can bring inside the classroom. At a touch, the teacher has access to an array of resources that previously would have taken years to accumulate, and cluttered a lot of cupboards!

Advantages

·         Development of discussion skills- you can put a key question up/ or a video/ any stimuli and use it as a starting point for discussion.

·         Adaptable to all types of learners- Visual/auditory/kin aesthetic

·         Keeps a record of what's happened in the classroom

·         Provides good support for EAL/SEN children

·         Good for developing thinking skills- gets the children to think out loud, and as part of a group

·         Save time scribbling

·         Increased class participation

Disadvantages

·         Placement- can everybody see the board? Is the board reachable to all students?

·         Less personal

·         Issues of reliability- technology isn't always reliable, always have a back-up plan!

·         Lighting- need for blinds etc.

·         Text visibility

·         Expensive

Have a look at a few more here

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/Interactivewhiteboards.pdf

During the lesson we experimented with a few tools using the SMART notebook software programme. I played about with the random number generator tool-

You can customize this tool, adjusting the minimum and maximum range values. Once you click on the white space a random number will appear. You can then drag this number anywhere across the board. I thought this tool would be great to use in a maths lesson when practising times tables, or playing number bingo.

Personally I think interactive whiteboards are a fantastic resource to use in schools, but teachers need to have the right training in order to really use them to their full potential. They are a great way to engage pupils learning, and can be used across the curriculum. However, it’s important we still venture to the great outdoors and experience the world through our own eyes, not just through images and videos alone.