To coin a term my sister-in-law uses a lot, I think interactive white boards are "Gold". What an amazing tool to have in the classroom, and I believe an investment in this technology for all classrooms would be money well spent.
At my children's K-12 school in Mackay they are very fortunate to have Interactive White Board's (IWB's) in every classroom, from Prep upwards. The school is also working toward a Vision 2012, where all students will be learning with the latest technology on offer.
This You Tube video about IWB's, provided in our course, is evidence that both teachers and students love to use them. Yes - they require significant investment, Yes - they take time to learn and time spent experimenting, but the teachers and students can learn together.
Not only do IWB's offer many benefits in terms of student-teacher interaction, student-centred learning, active learning and increased student engagement, but they also offer additional benefits. For example, learning resources can be easily shared, such as those avaialble on 'Promethean Planet', where teachers from around the globe share their ideas and lesson plans developed for the IWB technology.
In addition, IWB technology reduces duplication of effort and offers an environmentally friendly way to teach, without the need for paper resources, photocopying and endless paper shuffling.
As this is the Year of Environmental Sustainability I reckon IWB's are the way to go! I'm sure there must be some grants and funding available out there?...
Hi Nat, love your comments on IWBs. My EPL classroom has one and my MT says she uses it at least once a day but I am yet to see it. I think some teachers are still afraid of them.
ReplyDeleteHi Nat,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post on IWBs. I still haven't had a chance to use one but I can't wait to experiment with them and learn all the different ways how I can use this technology. The school I am at has them in each classroom (with a few exceptions) and I have seen one teacher use one in a Maths lesson. I was quite excited and so were the students. I definitely agree with Josie, some teachers seem to be afraid of the technology... Fear of the unknown perhaps? Or possibly not willing to learn new methods of engaging students.
Thanks again for the post,
Toni
Hey Natalie!
ReplyDeleteStill waiting for that Photo Story! Kidding. Loved this blog. At my school for prac, I overheard talk that they were under way in acquiring IWB. They have spent the money, now they are just waiting to install them. Can't wait!
William Sutton
Hi William,
ReplyDeleteI have my photo stories but haven't been able to find out how to post them to my Blog. I'll be sure to let you know when I do!
Lucky you - soon you'll be able to get your hands on an IWB - I'm jealous! Have fun :-)
Cheers
Natalie Arthur