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:

1. ·         Interaction between the students and teachers
2. ·         Clear graphics
3. ·         Images can be made larger and more visible
4. ·         Teacher does not have to stand behind the computer
5. ·         Colourful tools, students love colour ( I definitely do)
6. ·         Allow for many different learning styles to take place ( touching , circling , listening to videos, visual images)
7. ·         Motivates students through the wow factor that these boards have to offer

However there are several disadvantages of interactive white boards:

1. ·         They are expensive
2. ·         The teacher have to take extra training classes on how to use the boards
3. ·         They require specific software
4. ·         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