Interactive Whiteboards are very expensive to have in every classroom in a school district. Many schools are turning to IWB's versus using the 'old school' white boards. The intentions are very good. The main ideas are to be able to get the students more involved with the lessons. The IWB's are suppose to make it more convent for the teacher and the students to be able to bring up the internet and be able to draw, and make marks on the power point, or whatever the teacher is using for the lesson.
However, there are a few issues with this. Not only does the technology not work at times, many teachers do not know how to use the IWB's correctly. It is very hard for teachers who have been teaching for years to want to learn to use a new form of technology. Therefore while IWB's may sound like a great idea, many older teachers may not care enough to learn about it, let alone use it in the classroom. Another issue with the IWB's is that although students may be very excited about the IWB's at first, sooner or later the students may get bored, and just not care again. I believe that it is up to the teacher to make the lesson interesting, not up to the technology to make the lesson interesting.
According to
"The Journal", many schools are jumping on the IWB's because it is the 'new' technology. When the schools need to want to use the IWB's because it is for educating the students. This is a sad thing because many people are just trying to fit in. So schools go out, and spend a ton of money on the IWB's and then they are just sitting in the classrooms.
I think that the IWB's would be good for students who may need additional help with certain subjects. If the teacher has activities on the IWB that could help the student learn, and is fun, then the students would be able to help improve their academics. This could be a great tool for teachers to use because they would be able to use it as a 'center', therefore while the students are playing, the teacher could be watching the students closely and see where they are struggling and how they can help the student.
I think it could espiecially help the children that are hands-on learners.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your last paragraph. I think it would be beneficial for students who need some extra one on one help.
ReplyDeleteI agree I think it a great way to incorporate and promote hand-on learning and interaction between the students and the lesson. I also agree that they do have their cons.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of different pros and cons to the boards. It mostly boils down to the fact that teachers need to be taught how to properly use the boards in order to keep students involved and engaged in lessons. Then and only then they can be very beneficial to students.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, that it doesn't have to be in a classroom but it can help students with a certain subject. Also that you cannot depend on them cause even at times they fail as well.
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