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Ludwig · Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 4:13 am Post subject: Interactive whiteboards

As from last week I have been using the digital interactive whiteboards that were installed in my department (at a cost of some $20,000 each) and, now, find it somewhat hard to believe that I ever managed without one.

Is anyone else using IWBs and, if so, what are your thoughts and experiences?

gugelhupf · Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 575 Location: Jabotabek

I'm not sure what you mean by interactive whiteboards but we had a digitised whiteboard installed in one of our lecture theatres which is attached to the PC driving a projector.

The board in question cost lots of money and is completely and utterly useless. OK, so you can use it as an ordinary whiteboard but it is then too small for the theatre that it is in. Using it as intended, all you are doing is writing in stereo! To my knowledge it has not been used for over a year and it now has a piano parked in front of it. We all find an OHP much more useful, and to be honest I actually prefer chalkboards to whiteboards myself.

Maybe the equipment you have is more useful than the item I am describing, but this one is just a triumph of gadget design over functionality.

Ludwig · Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 7:05 am Post subject:

I would have to disagree; at the moment they seem to be the best thing since sliced bread. I could not imagine one being employed in a lecture hall, though; we have them placed in our smaller tutorial rooms where they are highly effective.

stillnosheep · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 2068 Location: eslcafe

Troll!

How sad.

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

All our 18 classrooms have IWBs. They allow for an unbelievably vast array of options for your classroom. The only real grudges that I have against them is that, if they fail (or more likely your computer or projector go up the creek), you can't simply write on them anyway (I mean how difficult would that have been to sort out) and that they aren't cleaned as much as they should be. This is probably because the cleaners are too scared to touch them.

The kids love them and play teacher's pet at the mere hint that they can use the pen to do something on them. This is bound to wear off though.

Oh yes, thought of another problem: they can't be written on with two pens simultaneously which stops all sorts of stuff being done for team games.

What software have you got? Is it Activ Studio? I think this is rubbish. What do you think?

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

stillnosheep · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 2068 Location: eslcafe

Ludwig, I apologise unreservedly.

Furthermore, if you cease trolling other's posts, never again will I darken your door with such a baseless accusation.

gugelhupf · Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 575 Location: Jabotabek

I still fail to see what a $20000 IWB can achieve that a $800 OHP with a $20 acetate roll couldn't.

Capergirl · Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 9:29 am Post subject:

We have something called a SmartBoard. I have yet to attempt to use it, though.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Interactive whiteboards? I can't stop sneezing from all the chalk that flies around my classroom.

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

OHP's cost about $350.

The problem is the cost of printing the transparencies, particularly color ones. plus having to change them by hand.

I always argue for digital projectors and a white board as the screen. Are the $20,000 Ludwig is talking about Hong Kong dollars or US dollars? Could't we have an informal agreement on Dave's that the only permissabile currency for the board is the real McCoy?

zaneth · Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 11:37 am Post subject:

OHP's cost $800?

Can you access internet on the boards?

I used to have this teacher that had the magical ability to cover herself in chalk merely by approaching the chalkboard. It was amazing.

I find even whiteboards a bit too shiny and fancy, but I'm a luddite (albeit one who uses internet). I can't even imagine having such a device. We have to scrounge for a cd player. Heck, we have to scrounge for chalk. The front desk guy keeps it downstairs. In the classrooms there is a tiny wooden box with eensy weensy pieces of chalk that disappear under your finger and last only for a word or two.

On the plus side, we have these cool old two story high (well, I'm exagerating) chalkboards in wooden frames that use a pully system to allow you to write on a board and then raise it up high and write on the one that was underneath it. Or to uncover things you've written beforehand when you're ready for the students to see it.

Capergirl · Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 1:06 pm Post subject:

Speaking of technology in the classroom, who uses Power Point? I attended a PP seminar a couple of months ago and have been meaning to do a lesson using PP...just haven't gotten around to it yet. Razz

Ludwig · Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 2:37 pm Post subject:

Ludwig · Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 2:41 pm Post subject:

'Stephen Jones', sorry; I should have stated that. I was referring to $HK.