Classrooms started with the blackboard, moved into the whiteboard and now in the 21st century there is the Interactive WhiteBoard also known as the Smart board. Classrooms are moving forward with the times and starting to introduce Interactive WhiteBoards (IWB) into their classrooms. I am at a private school and IWB were brought into most classrooms at the start of the year. In the school there are still blackboards and whiteboards used, although from discussion with teachers they prefer to use the IWB as there are more opportunities for their students.
Interactive WhiteBoards can be used in classrooms for (Branzburg, J. 2006):
- Visual literacy
- Class presentations
- Word walls
- Brainstorming
- Maps
- 5 minute fillers
- Mathematic problems
- Storytelling
- Copacabana website - seen used in prac classroom (can be used with all KLA’s)
...... And the choices are endless
This is my first experience with using an IWB and I have found them very successful with the students. It engages the students in the curriculum and keeps them interested in the topic. With all the new gadgets the students are playing with outside of the class I think IWB's are a great tool for maintaining their interest in the classroom. Not only do the students enjoy the IWB but it can decrease the workload for the teacher and helps them to become futures oriented (Knight, B. & Rowan,L. 2001). I remember the first time I used the IWB for a lesson. The students knew more about it then I did. They were showing me all different shortcuts to use and it was great.
If you get the chance to use an IWB in your classroom remember to be creative as this resource is a great and fun!
- Natalie
Bruce Knight & Leonie Rowan. (2001). Researching Futures Oriented Pedagogies. Retrieved July, 26, 2009, from http://www.e-contentmanagement.com/books/133/researching-futures-oriented-pedagogies
Copacabana Public School. (n.d.). Get Smart Interactive Activities. Retrieved July 26, 2009, from http://www.copacabana-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/Get_Smart_Pages/Get_Smart.htm
Jeffrey Branzburg. (2006). How to: Use an Interactive Whiteboard. Retrieved July 26, 2009, from http://www.techlearning.com/article/5160
Hi Natalie,
ReplyDeleteI agree, IWB's are fantastic tools. Last year i had the opportunity to use one in my school placement and i loved every minute of it. I was in a year 2 classroom and i found that i had opportunities to use the IWB in so many different contexts. When used with explicit pedagogy they can be the ideal engagement tool and a means to maintain this engagement throughout any unit of work.
Looking forward to chatting again soon,
Kerri : )
Hi Natalie,
ReplyDeleteThe first time I used the IWB my writing was really messy and the students kept telling me to rub it off and start again - so picky!
My teacher put me on to cococabana as well.
Best,
Leonie
Hello!
ReplyDeleteMy writing was also messy, although when I was writing on the lines it helped a lot. This showed the students how to write using the red and blue lines like in their writing book.
It is great for 5 minute fillers. My teacher often gets me to search for great activities that will fill in the time relating to the activity they are learning. The students love maths Tetris at the moment!
Hello again Natalie and Leonie,
ReplyDeleteI am having a mental blank at the name of the application, but did you know that you can actually write on the IWB and there is an application that instantly changes your text into this lovely, neat, Queensland cursive font. I love it! I quite often stood back and admired my beautiful neat writing....and dreamed that i could do it on my own!
Chat soon,
kerri.