What are IWBs and how can they help me teach?

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1 What are IWBs and how can they help me teach?

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3 Supporting Continuous Professional Development of VET teachers in the use of Interactive Whiteboards. SmartVET is a transfer of innovation project funded under the Lifelong Learning Programme of the EU. The project is about supporting the continuous professional development of vocational teachers in the use of interactive whiteboards for teaching and learning. Seven Champions were chosen to lead this exciting project, offering support and guidance to over 70 VET teachers in Co. Wicklow centres. The associated SmartVET site at ning.com contains training materials, useful links, resources, videos and more information about the project and the progress achieved. The SmartVET project partners are: Fastrack to IT (Ireland) Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) Tell Consult (The Netherlands) City College Norwich (UK) County Wicklow VEC (Ireland) ENAIP FVG (Italy) National Council for Technology in Education (Ireland) Teachers from the following County Wicklow VEC centres and schools are taking part in the project: Arklow Further Education Centre Blessington Further Education Centre Bray and North Wicklow Youthreach Bray Adult Education Centre Bray Institute of Further Education What are IWBs and how can they help me teach? 3

4 IWBs - Interactive White Boards IWBs or Interactive White Boards refers to an electronic version of a dry-wipe board linked to a computer, that can function as an ordinary whiteboard, a projector screen, an electronic copy board or as a computer projector screen on which the computer image can be controlled by touching or writing on the surface of the panel instead of using a mouse or keyboard. Typically these boards function using specialist software created by their manufacturer but they can also use third-party software and applications or be used as display screen with no specialist software in use. Interactive whiteboards can be found in many modern classrooms - and most Western educational institutions own at least one IWB. The IWB technology allows you to write or draw onto the surface of the board electronically - either using your finger or using a pen device supplied with the board. You can also project a computer screen image onto the surface of the whiteboard and then either control the application by touching the board directly or by using the special pen. Thus, the computer image can be annotated or drawn over and the annotations saved to disc or sent by to others. Fundamentally, an interactive whiteboard combines a dry erase whiteboard with an LCD projector and is usually mounted on a wall or floor stand. Anything that can be done on a computer monitor, can be replicated on the interactive white board. A teacher can create engaging lessons that focus on one task such as a matching activity where students use either their fingers or a pen to match items. Another teacher might integrate multiple items into a lesson plan such as websites, photos, and music that students can interact with, respond to verbally or even write comments on the board itself. Image size and placement can change with a simple touch to the screen. This technology makes the one-computer classroom a workable instructional model. There are four different kinds of interactive whiteboard technologies: Resistive Membrane These whiteboards have a soft, flexible surface similar to vinyl consisting of two pieces of resistive material separated by a small gap which creates a touch-sensitive membrane. They can be drawn on using fingers or a special stylus that can represent pens of different colours via software selection. Movement is tracked by detecting the pressure of the stylus object on the surface. Electro-Magnetic These whiteboards are similar to traditional whiteboards in that they have a hard surface and can be drawn on with normal pens. To work interactively they require special battery-driven pens that emit a small magnetic field detected 4

5 either by the frame of the whiteboard or by a grid of fine wires embedded beneath the surface of the board. Laser Scanners These whiteboards have a hard writing surface with infrared laser scanners mounted in the top corners of the board that detect pen movement. To work interactively they require special felt pens, each of which has a uniquely encoded reflective collar that the lasers use to register its colour and position. What are the advantages of IWBs? 1) Interactive whiteboards are suitable for learners of all ages. They can be particularly suited to working with younger learners as they encourage a haptic approach. 2) IWBs look, and can work, just like a conventional whiteboard. Thus they maintain the familiarity of the traditional which many learners and teachers appreciate. They provide electronically all the familiar features of a traditional classroom blackboard or ordinary whiteboard. 3) Through a limited number of classroom PCs only a few students can be view learning content at any one time. With an IWB an entire class can be covered very easily as all can view together. 4) IWBs make it easy for teachers to enhance presentation content by easily integrating a wide range of material into a lesson, such as a picture from the internet, a graph from a spreadsheet or text from a Microsoft Word file, in addition to student and teacher annotations on these objects. 5) Notes, diagrams and entire lessons or presentations can be saved, archived and added to the intranet or similar centralised resource. This means that presentation or class-work in progress can be saved ready for the next period. Thus, you can also edit information directly during lessons and save any changes or additions to the computer. 6) Contents from websites, blogs, forums, newsgroups, wikis and other web based resources can be brought on the IWB surface. 7) The IWBs size, positioning and simplicity makes it an ideal tool for collaborative work like brainstorming sessions and other group activities. All learners can participate in using the board, annotating on screen etc. 8) IWBs create a collaborative layout and an environment of engagement so that there is naturally more dialogue between tutor and students, peer-to-peer and within groups. 9) IWBs help in broadening the use of e-learning as they rapidly demonstrate the potential of alternative modes of delivery 10) IWBs allow teachers to create easily and rapidly customised learning objects from a range of existing content and to adapt it to the needs of the class in real time - or allow their students to. 11) When fully integrated into a VLE (virtual learning environment) and learning object repository there is potential for widespread sharing of resources. 12) When used for interactive testing of understanding for the entire class, they can rapidly provide learner feedback. 5

6 What are the positive impacts of using IWBs? The extract below comes from a 2007 FutureLab report on the use and future of IWBs - this can be found at documents/other/whiteboards_report.pdf Despite sometimes simplistic reporting, the research in the field does identify a broad range of positive impacts of the use of IWBs. These include evidence suggesting gains in children s sense of positive identity; increased enjoyment, engagement and motivation; and positive impacts on behaviour; as well as greater collaboration and participation in lessons by pupils. IWBs also have the potential to help teachers to bring aspects of their outside world into the classroom, and thereby create more authentic contexts for situated learning, and to create more immersive and engaging learning environments. Getting the Most Out of the Technology To get the most out of using IWBs in the classroom, teachers should consider the following points: Think about how you will organise information to be presented. Teachers should think through how they intend to organize information. Group information into small, meaningful segments that will be easily digested by students. Organise this before presenting any information. Once the content has been organised, then teachers can design their pages to complement this organisation. Rushing through things on IWBS, as with any presentation, can risk the risk of becoming to fast. To ensure that they don t run through the pages too quickly, teachers can insert pages with questions or pauses on or that challenge the students to debate a point before moving onwards. Don t go overboard with visuals Pages of information can (and should) contain visuals to engage and students and contextualise content. However, don t make pages too busy so that the information gets lost and ensure that the visuals serve a purpose and are in context. IWBs suit whole class teaching While it is recognised that IWBs suit whole class teaching, a teacher must always be aware of the individuals in the classroom. Plan how much of a lesson is suitable for whole-class teaching and, whilst using the IWB, take the time to check in with individuals that they are understanding what s being demonstrated. Interactive whiteboards have great potential as a tool to enhance pedagogical practices in the classroom and ultimately improve student achievement. However, simply assuming that using this or any other technological tool can automatically enhance student achievement would be a mistake. As is the case with all powerful tools, teachers must use interactive whiteboards thoughtfully, in accordance with what we know about good classroom practice. Robert J. Marzano, The Art and Science of Teaching / Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards available at leadership/nov09/vol67/num03/teaching-with- Interactive-Whiteboards.aspx A teacher s view Edutopia,, the online resource of the George Lucas Educational Foundation, interviewed a teacher, Sue Holland, who has been teaching for 34 years, on her use of IWBs. You can find the full article at Just creating lessons is so fun, Holland said. I used to sit with the old plan book and write, I m going to do this and this. But with the Smart Board, you get to design your lesson plans using their tools. You can be as creative as you want to be. And Holland has done just that. I can insert links to the Internet, or go right to a streaming video on the Web, she explained. During a lesson, if a student asks, What about this? I can say, Let s take a look and go online to view it, instead of just talking about it. Eighty percent of us are visual learners -- I do all my lessons now as Smart Board lessons, which is cool. And Holland isn t the only one who thinks it s cool. The students use the board in a variety of ways, too, individually and in groups. I just stand back, and the kids are engaged, she explained. For example, we study diseases of the human body in seventh grade. The kids will research a disease, 6

7 create a PowerPoint presentation, and then share it with the class. They can change their presentation while standing at the board, or write on the board if someone asks a question. Asked if she s had any problems with using the board, Holland replied It s technology! Sometimes it will just do something strange. But I love technology, even when it doesn t work. Here are just a few of the ways Holland identified for using the IWB: Digital storytelling. Creating, viewing, and annotating student PowerPoint and multimedia presentations in real time. Showing streamed or downloaded videos. Using online map and satellite imagery to teach geography. Displaying artwork or online museum presentations. Demonstrating movie-making techniques. Viewing and analyzing competitive sports and physical education activities Teaching students how to conduct research on the Internet. Working collaboratively on writing and editing exercises, math lessons, and science experiments. Instructing the class on the use of a software program, keyboarding techniques, and other computer skills. Anybody can use it -- it s limitless, Holland said. Unless the students are engaged in a project at their desks or they re taking a test, we use the board throughout the day, even if I just show them a short video. I use it all the time! The whiteboard is not a magic carpet. It will not float into your classroom and whisk your troubles away. It is more like investing in a new house, certain things are in place when you agree to the purchase, not all of it is organised as you would like, but with the careful gathering of the things you need, and a few new installations, it soon begins to feel familiar. However, it will need continued love, investment and maintenance to ensure that it remains adequate to be your C21st home. Diana Bannister, University of Wolverhampton 7

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