Interactive Whiteboards
What are Interactive Whiteboards?
(Victoria)
An interactive whiteboard is a large interactive display in which you connect to a computer and projector. From this point foward you can see the desktop image on your SMART board where you can control the computer using your finger, or wand to navigate. "SMART board interactive whiteboards bring interactivity to any environment, which is made easy!" This amazing tool is educational and fun for children to interact with in their classroom. Also allowing no mess or extra work for the instructor, how brilliant!
Using SMARTboards
(Rachel)
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Orienting your smartboard
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Starting a notebook presentation
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Using the pens in the tool tray
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Using your finger as the control tool
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Using the eraser tool
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Using the on-screen keyboard
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Saving your notebook file
Teacher Uses in the Classroom
(Victoria)
Teachers use interactive whiteboards in their classrooms for:
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interactivity in a lesson
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It provides their lesson to come alive and capture the attention of the learners
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This is a great involvement tool for students which is a teachers dream
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Record their instruction and post the material for review by students at a later time
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Save lessons to present to students who were absent
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Use the built in maps to teach continents, oceans, countries, or states and capitals.
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Present presentations created by student or teacher
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Have students create e-folios including samples of their work and narration
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Digital storytelling
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Teach whole group computer or keyboarding skills
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Brainstorming
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Take notes directly into PowerPoint presentations
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Reinforce skills by using on-line interactive web sites
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Creating a project calendar
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Teach editing skills using editing marks
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Use in the 6 trait writing process
Student Uses in the Classroom
(Jessica)
· Presenting a project
· Connecting different words or phrases to images (ESL students)
· Learning how to use the internet or other computer program
· Getting visuals when learning new material
· Accommodates to different learning styles of the students (Social Learning, Visual, Active, and Constructive Learning)
· Student’s are kept involved in the lesson for longer because of games, colors and hands-on activities.
Pros:
(Rachel)
• Allows the teacher to touch and interact
• You can control any computer application through the touch board
• Instead of being stuck behind the computer to control the projector screen, teachers can
be at the front of the classroom interacting with the screen and the students.
• You can save your work into a notebook file, and you can convert handwriting into text.
• You can upload these files to the internet or other databases used for student resources
or professional development opportunities
• The students are able to use the board as well. This gives them the opportunity to want
to participate in classroom discussions and lessons.
• Some boards are mobile allowing the teacher to put it away or off to the side when
necessary and bring it out when ready to use.
Cons:
(Rachel)
• May be hard to write on. When writing on the board, your body can cast a shadow on
the screen right where you are writing.
• Still have to move back and forth from board to computer when writing in a web
address
• Cost
• Need to supply own data projector. A decent one can cost anywhere from 500- 1,000
dollars
• Like any type of technology, there are "quirks" that can come up.
• Because it is hard to write neatly, the board can in turn cost more time for the teacher as
he or she may have to re-write or re-type several times.
• Takes up extra time and money for staff at each school. Training sessions cost time and
money for everyone involved.
Aricles on Interactive Whiteboards:
(Jessica)
Links:
Bibliography: