WHITEBOARDS - FUTURE TEACHERS?
Introduction
This article tells about interactive whiteboards and different uses of these. Years ago teachers had only a textbook and a workbook to teach an ideal lesson. Nowadays they have many other facilities to give a good lesson. The newest technology is to use an interactive whiteboard in the classroom. Reardon (2002) says that teachers have been using whiteboards in their classrooms since 1990s, but in Estonia it is not so common.
What is an interactive whiteboard?
According to Wikipedia an interactive whiteboard is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector shows the computer´s desktop onto the board´s surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger or other device. The board is usually hanging on the wall.
Hintz (2007) say that an interactive whiteboard is a touch-sensitive display panel which, when working with a computer and projector, can function as: an ordinary whiteboard, a projector screen, a touch-sensitive computer screen, or an electronic copy board.
The most widely used interactive whiteboard brand names are SMART Board, ActivBoard, eBeam, Mimio and Webster (Interactive..., 2010).
The use of interactive whiteboards
According to SMART Technologies, some uses for interactive whiteboards include:
o manipulating images and text;
o using digital ink to make notes;
o saving notes for later review;
o viewing websites as a group;
o demonstrating or using software at the front of a room without being tied to a computer;
o creating digital lesson activities with templates, images, and multimedia;
o writing notes over educational video clips;
o using presentation tools that are included with the whiteboard software to enhance learning materials;
o showcasing student presentations (Koenraad, 2008).
According to Reardon (2002) the effective ways interactive whiteboards are being used in classrooms are:
o record homework assignments - when students are absent from school, teachers print out the information stored in their whiteboard. Parents can monitor what their children are being taught each day;
o prerecord a daily lesson - this is perfect for teachers who know in advance when they will be absent from school. Substitute teachers can then play the video if the whiteboard is connected to a computer.
Whiteboards can also be used to teach continents, oceans, countries, states and capitals with the use of built -in maps; teach whole group computer or keyboarding skills; for digital storytelling; brainstorming; to create a project calendar; use a highlighter tool to highlight nouns, verbs, adjectives and end each day by having students write one thing that they have learned (Interactive..., 2010).
With the use of whiteboards, teachers can figure out many ways to capture students´ attention and imagination (Koenraad, 2008).
There are lots of videos on the Internet that tell about interactive whiteboards and also teach us how to use it correctly.
Conclusion
Whiteboards have many different benefits for the teacher. Lessons which include interactive whiteboards are more active and students pay more attention. Maybe someday there are no real teachers, but all the teaching can be done just by using a whiteboard, who knows.
I hope that soon there will be interactive whiteboards in every classroom in Estonia because teachers then have much more possibilities to make their lessons interesting.
SOURCES
Hintz, R. (2007). Interactive whiteboards and clickers in the Classroom. Ohio Media Spectrum.
Interactive Whiteboards in the Classroom. (sine anno). http://rmtc.fsdb.k12.fl.us/tutorials/whiteboards.html [16.01.2011]
Koenraad, T. (2008). Interactive Whiteboards in Educational Practice: the research literature reviewed. http://www.scribd.com/doc/21254905/Interactive-Whiteboards-in-educational-practice [16.01.2011].
Reardon, T. (2002). Interactive Whiteboards In School: Effective Uses. Media & Methods. EBSCOhost [15.01.2011]
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