In preparation for creating my own Interactive White Board
(IWB) flipchart, Engaging Learners with
Interactive White Boards by O’Bannon and Anderson was a helpful tool for
learning about IWBs.
Identifying the different IWBs is important;
there are a variety of brands
Promethean is a brand known for tons of online resources. SMART is 25 years old and the first
touch-technology in the classroom. Mimio
is cost effective.
Knowing the different features of the board
is key.
Highlighting text, coloring, annotating, zooming, hiding and revealing
text and photos, dragging and dropping information, matching items, inserting multimedia
content, immediate feedback, and student response systems are all most
important.
Research has evidenced what we know about instructional
benefits.
Active learning, classroom management, lesson organization and flow, and flexibility
with lesson materials are effective for students. The boards are engaging!
Increased student attention, motivation, participation and collaboration have
all been found as products of using the boards effectively.
The effect on student achievement has also
been studied.
A 2009 study by Marzano concluded that students achieved more through IWB
use of certain features: Student response system, graphics and videos, and
reinforcement tools. However, other studies have found no difference in schools
that use IWBs and those that don’t.
The boards do have their challenges.
Studies have shown that often times the boards are not being used
effectively by teachers. They are being
used as projectors or white boards, and this restricts students’ benefits. Technical issues occur sometimes which can
cause student and teacher frustration.
So that’s why there are some teacher
training options!
Clearly,
teachers need and would benefit from training on how to use these boards
effectively. For schools that do not take initiative to train their teachers on
how to use the boards, tools such as online manuals, videos and webinars are
available.
