To use interactive white boards or not
Interactive white boards are tools that are used in
education to link the computer to a projector and a touch sensitive screen. The
teacher or lecturer is able to manipulate the elements on the interactive white
board by using their fingers as a mouse. One is able to control the interactive
white board by just touching the screen; there is no need for a mouse. Anything that is accessible on the computer
can be accessed on the interactive white board for example PowerPoint, word,
photographs, presentations and websites.
There are several advantages to having an interactive white
board:
- · Interaction between the students and teachers
- · Clear graphics
- · Images can be made larger and more visible
- · Teacher does not have to stand behind the computer
- · Colourful tools, students love colour ( I definitely do)
- · Allow for many different learning styles to take place ( touching , circling , listening to videos, visual images)
- · Motivates students through the wow factor that these boards have to offer
However there are several disadvantages of interactive white
boards:
- · They are expensive
- · The teacher have to take extra training classes on how to use the boards
- · They require specific software
- · An interesting feature of these interactive white boards is that they can connect to other devices, however, if there are too many students sending information it can cause an overload and mixed signal which are problematic. The students also have a tendency to send inappropriate messages and images to the screen
I have not had many, if any, classes where the interactive
white board has been used in an engaging manner, most of the lecturers in
university just use it to display their presentations. At my high school the
same thing happened and we only used it in an engaging manner once in a biology
class and this was because it had just been introduced, it was new, and the
teachers were forced to teach us how to use it. Thus I feel that unless they
are actually going to be used properly and not just for the purpose of
displaying a presentation then schools and universities don’t need to waste so
much money on interactive white boards. Also when the one teacher showed us all
the cool things that could be done on the interactive whiteboard I was so
fascinated with what it could do and didn’t even pay attention . I can see the
advantages of the interactive white board and that if it is used properly it
can enhance learning and make lesson more fun and interactive, however, if the
teachers are not willing to learn how to use the white boards properly then
these interactive white boards serve no purpose
