Interactive Whiteboards

            Many classrooms are now using interactive whiteboard systems. They create interactivity with students and enable them to become actively involved with lessons. It is important for teachers to become effective in using them since they are becoming more prominent in the education world. Today, many teachers plan their lessons and use interactive whiteboards while teaching. Today’s lessons have transitioned from textbooks to digital lessons. Teachers have been enthusiastic in adopting these boards; however, little research exists on their effect on student knowledge (Marzano, 2009).  

There are many companies that provide sales for interactive whiteboard systems. Three of these companies are found in schools. Promethean offers an integrated system that packages the interactive whiteboard, learner response, lesson design and delivery software and online support. SMART Board interactive whiteboards are common in business as well as education. Mimio is a system that turns a basic whiteboard into an interactive whiteboard by attaching the Mimio Teach Unit. For schools with a budget, Mimio is a great option.

There are many effective uses for an interactive board. The instructor is able to highlight, color, annotate, or zoom in on important content. This enhances visuals for students and enables them to closely look at material. It also imports pictures for instruction and brainstorming, or collaborative writing. It also provides visual or auditory feedback by touch. It provides classroom instruction and improvement of active learning, classroom management, lesson organization and flow, and flexibility in handling lesson materials. Research has also concluded that the use of interactive whiteboards include increased efficiency, versatility, multimodal presentation, and interactivity. It enhances interaction with the board or peers and establishes an ability to draw learners’ attention and facilitated learning and remembering using visual media.

There also many challenges to working with interactive whiteboards. Some teachers may not fully understand how to use interactive whiteboards. Additionally, they do not guarantee proficiency. Technical issues could occur, and teachers could not be instructed properly on how to fix them. This could cause glitches in time and in lessons. Students with visual impairments could also be impacted by these interactive whiteboards and may find challenges in seeing them. With proper training and planning, however, teachers could find interactive whiteboards useful.

Award Winning Blog Review: Will Richardson's Blog

 

In 2001, Will Richardson decided to take his teaching to the web. He started his own blog over the musings of his teachings. Will Richardson is relatable to his audience because he bases his blog upon the different aspects of his life- his role as a parent and his role as an educator. He has visited over 15 countries, written six books, became published in numerous newspapers, journals, and magazines, and was a public school teacher for 22 years. 

Richardson’s blog is successful because he challenges his audience’s thinking. Although many of his blog posts contain his own thoughts about education, he also invokes a lot of reflection. A lot of Richardson’s posts ask tantalizing questions about the future. In the post, “The De-Construction Crew,” he asks his audience, “If you were building a new school from scratch, would your beliefs about how kids learn lead you to separate them out by age? Would you teach a standardized curriculum assessed by standardized tests? Would those things hew to your beliefs?” As a future educator, I appreciate these kinds of questions because they are the ones we don’t really think about. I believe that we are too focused on the “here-and-now” instead of how we can excel and push forward the field of education. He even talks about how after years of teaching, the direction that the education field was going ("the Web 2.0") is what led him to blogging. He supports technological education, but also goes further into depth about the future of education. Richardson’s blog incites and inspires its audience. It is very easy to see how Richardson is also a motivational speaker because his use of rhetorical questions and powerful incentives challenge his audience. He talks about the current issues in the education field and enables his audience to step outside of the comfort zone and ask ourselves what we should be changing and how we should be changing it. 

Additionally, I think the fact that he plays a “down-to-earth” role in his blog attracts his audience and pulls him in. Richardson’s blog also contains humorous posts; one includes him jokingly creating a concept called “Tinder-Ed.” Richardson’s well-rounded personality combined with his provocative posts make this a worthy read for any future educator.