Interactive Whiteboards in the Classroom
Interactive whiteboards have been a popular new development in the U.K. for a good number of years. Where I teach, in the West Midlands, primary schools were the first to put the new technology into their classrooms. The pupils responded so well that funding was also made available to secondary schools and they started to appear dotted around in odd classrooms. They were quickly identified as an invaluable tool for teaching and learning.
There are still schools in the U.K. who don't use their boards effectively and who still don't have enough of them to make their practice consistent throughout subjects and key stages. That said, there are a lot of schools, schools like Shenley Court School secondary school and Nine Styles in Birmingham for example, who have embraced the new technology and are using the boards to develop their practice and steer teaching and learning firmly into the 21st Century.
I believe that those who simply see the boards as "gimmicky" are not allowing themselves the opportunity to see the enormous impact that this new technology can have on teaching and learning. I am horrified to hear some secondary teachers saying that they are not interested in interactive whiteboards as they are a "primary thing" and invite them to give them a chance. I have used an interactive whiteboard in a secondary English classroom for years and would not be without it! The difference it has made to the teaching and learning for my pupils is immense. This technology has so many advantages it would be tragic for you to write it off without further investigation.
Which board should I buy?
To those schools who are giving it a go (especially in Australia where this technology is still rather new to you) I ask you to remember that when choosing an interactive whiteboard you need to consider far more than just hardware. In fact hardware should, perhaps, be the last consideration. I am often engaged in conversations in which, professionals trying to make the decision about which board to buy are pre-occupied with questions like which board will last longest and which board is the best? The answer is they are all the same! The hardware that you are buying is effectively a giant mouse that allows pupils and teachers to interact with what is shown on the PC or Mac. You are simply buying a human interface device.
The only difference in hardware that you may need to consider is the way in which you interface with the board. Smart and Team Board have technology which allows you to physically touch the board using your hands as well as a pen where as Promethean and the new Onfinity device require a pen to be used. Both of these methods have advantages and disadvantages in equal measure.
The key question should not be about brand or how long the hardware will last before being out of date; the hardware won’t change very much at all. I have a Smart Board that is over 4 years old, it looks different to the new ones (The new pens and eraser are a different shape!) but it works brilliantly. In the English department I work in we have 3 generations of Promethean boards, (Budgets meant that we had to buy boards in stages) they all run in exactly the same way, with exactly the same software. Instead of considering the board itself perhaps you should be thinking about the support, software (current and future updates), your budget and the training offered. After all, what's the point of buying a board if your software is out of date in a year, you have to pay for the new version, no one has offered you training so you don't even know how to use it anyway and you can't afford to buy more than one? For interactive whiteboards to make a real impact the more consistency you can have in your department or school the better!
I don't have much money!
When seeking new equipment I would advise that you start by thinking about what you need. Some schools think that a portable device will save money as it can be moved around to different rooms. I would imagine that, like me and hundreds of other teachers, most people who start using the board, will want to use it every single day plus having a board on wheels will mean that you have to orientate it every time you use it. Your teachers will have to take time out to set it up, plugging in wires everytime they want to use it. Plus, if a pupil knocks the board in a lesson you’ll have to orientate it all over again. Having one in a permanent position will mean that you never need to worry about these things – this can make it significantly more likely to be used and not shoved in the cupboard it can be wheeled into and forgotten about!
Make sure you consider how you want pupils to interact with the giant mouse. Do you want them to use their fingers or a pen? This will help you to choose the style of board you want. Then, forget about the hardware and see what the company has to offer in the way of software. Is it free? Is it downloadable – for when you can’t find that disc anywhere! Is it easy to use? Will they allow you free updates so that everyone can use the same version? Will they train you on how to use it and then be happy to answer your questions – no matter how daft they seem.
Personally, in regards to training, I think Promethean shine out the most. They offer free online training through an online learning environment. There are lessons that you can complete on line with assessments. Once you have completed all of the modules you are then sent professional user status, a brilliant CPD booster for any teacher. The course can be done at your own pace, in your own time and involves lots of handy videos to help you through. On top of that I know that they offer a free training session with the boards that you purchase.
Smart also offer online courses on their site InteractiveWhiteboard.net.au with online training resources, downloadable videos and self-led lessons for you to follow. They also have a timetable of online lessons which are held by trainers in Sydney (If you're in Australia) and will cost you little more than the connection to the internet. Once you have built your confidence and are ready you can then be considered as a Smart Exemplary Educator - and recieve a certificate, shirt and free license key to new software.
Don’t forget that it is possible to mix up the products. Obviously, Activ. board and Notebook come free with their respective boards. Easi-teach, of course, is designed to be used on any board at all so when you buy that you’re paying for it’s license no matter what the type of board you choose. There are also lots of supplementary software that you can buy from all sorts of different sources.
At the end of the day what you choose has to fit around your curriculum and pupil needs. Remember that there will be an awful lot of content available for the U.K. users purely because they have been using the devices for longer. Those Australian teachers who find it frustrating that there isn’t as much for your frameworks need to consider beginning to donate your own materials to Australian teacher exchange sites. Most of the content that you find on U.K. websites has been put their by teachers… You won’t find as many Australian resources until Australian teachers start to create sites or donate their materials to Australian resource sites!
What clipart and content does it have?
Don't get too hung up on the content provided with the board’s software. As you should be able to see through the Interactive Whiteboard Resources pages on this site, there are a lot activities readily available on the internet for you to access for free. You do need to consider the importance of ready made lessons and resources however as I am sure that you would agree that it is much better for a teacher to personalise their lessons to meet the individual needs of the pupils in their care. Are you ever going to be able to find the perfect resource to meet those requirements? Surely the best thing to consider is how easy it is going to be for you to create resources for your interactive board. Hopefully this site will help you to do so by giving you ideas, support and a friendly ear to ask advice from! I’m always happy to help. Just drop me an email.