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zorro (3) · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 202

Does anybody use these in their class? Do you know of any decent shared online resources libraries? Do you use them often in your class? Does it make your teaching more organised? Are they just a pain in the ass? What's your overall verdict? Does it affect the way that you teach for better or for worse?

Any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

John Hall · Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 6:30 pm Post subject:

I haven't heard the term "interactive whiteboard" used before, so I am not quite sure what you mean. My students and I use the Internet program "Blackboard" as a supplemental tool for my uni courses. Does that qualify as an "interactive whiteboard"? Or do you have something else in mind?

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

Interactive whiteboards are like data projectors on steriods. The BC has them in most classrooms.

To quote wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_whiteboard
An Interactive Whiteboard is a device that interprets a projected two-dimensional surface that interacts with a computer's desktop. A typical use is as an electronic whiteboard but it is generally an interactive type of computer screen.

My condolences with having to use Blackboard. We have to too; though it has been renamed WebCT it is no less awful.

cmp45 · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 1475 Location: KSA

Our college recently installed these interactive whiteboards in all the computer labs this year. They are called "smartboards" where I work.

When we first had a workshop tutorial to learn how to use them, I thought they were quite amazing. I thought they would be really useful.

However as time progressed, I found them to be more of a nusiance than a help. They are complex and do require more than just a one hour technical "how to" tutorial to master them. The tutorial was okay, but would have been better had the technician leading the workshop provided some sort of easy to use guide for the teachers to take away and refer to; one spends too much class time trying to remember and navigate through all the tools etc.; wasting valuable class time to sift through the help program to figure out various problems!

Another problem is that most teachers do not have the time to figure out how to fully integrate them with current courses, I haven't written them off completely, as there are many ways in which they could be utilized to enhance the teaching~learning process.

It would be beneficial if the college offered more workshops to help teachers understand how they could be utilized for the specific courses we are curently teaching. Most of the teachers where I work are "older" and do not embrace such technology willingly; some teachers like myself require more assistance to get with the program Embarassed

The problem is I just don't have the time to spend mastering them as I have a full workload plus lots of overtime teaching. Currently, I do not use them much.

I plan to propose to the administration that the non-teaching weeks between sessions would be a great opprotunity to offer creative workshops on using the "smartboards" rather than sitting idle in our offices. It would also be beneficial if admin hired one or two teachers to design a user-friendly guide to use them efficiently as well as lead various workshops to help teachers utilize them in their courses.

We shall see how Admin responds to my suggestions, if at all.

zorro (3) · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 202

So what's this Blackboard thingy then? Is it a piece of software where teachers post lesson notes/assignments etc. and where students can pick them up and interact with the teachers?

Thanks for your reply cmp45. That was really useful. Having read a few reports on the implementation of interactive whiteboards, your issue of training seems to have been shared by numerous other teaching enterprises. It seems that for them to be used effectively, the training needs to be continous, with systems in place prior to the implementation of the actual whiteboard to account for ongoing training. Perhaps a month or two of 'support' from a designated expert.

Perhaps the best way to approach it is to hand the project to one teacher - preferably one who is au fait with ICT - who then dedicates themselves for a month prior to installation to really getting to know the potential for their use. This person then becomes the expert and shares their knowledge with other teachers in allotted training sessions for up to two months after installation. Of course, this teacher could also spend their time developing a resource library for others to share.

Which brings up the question of how easy it is to actually develop the resources?

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/uk/server/show/nav.3591

The above link was one of the only ones I could find (it was a quick search) for resources that are ready to go for IWB users. They're pretty standard EFL resources really. Do you know of any other links?

Thanks again for your detailed response and good luck with the admin!!!

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 2:48 pm Post subject:

We don't have interactive whiteboards, so this is second hand. But I have a friend who teaches in a place (high dollar) that does. And his report was that when they first got them, teachers spend ungodly amounts of time to adapt what they were already doing to use the darn things.

The question, then, is what do they add to the teaching/learning process. If it's just a case of doing the same in a higher tech way, I'm really not too interested...

best,
Justin

cmp45 · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 1475 Location: KSA

Piratetati · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 3

My school has interactive whiteboards in all the science and math classrooms. While the students are toally impressed with them the teachers have mixed reactions. Some cannot teach without them at this point, since they are able to guide their students easily and travel online while directing from the front of the class. A short class period can be used more effectivly. Using CD roms and other programs are fun for students. Many teachers have a hard time getting use to it and tell me they use them as a fancy whiteboard and nothing else. I have heard many stories of teachers going into classrooms and thinking that it is a normal whiteboard, writing on it and ruining the board.

basiltherat · Joined: 04 Oct 2003 Posts: 952

imho,for tefl at least, its technological nonsense. give me a traditional wb. wats to break/go wrong. the most that can happen is you cant find any friggin' markers to write with.
best
basil Smile

John Hall · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 7:40 pm Post subject:

There seems to be quite a bit of interest in discussing Blackboard for TESOL. So as not to hijack this thread, I will start a new one on that topic.

Phil_b · Joined: 14 Oct 2003 Posts: 239 Location: Back in London

Where I work we have a lot of 'Smart boards' and personally I find them useful, particularly for my beginner ESOL students -whether they are worth the money, I don't know. They might be of much more limited use for higher level students (although I think a data projector is a very useful piece of kit).

The secret of getting the most of them is preparation - if you use the software to produce content beforehand you can do a lot with them.

The problem is that this takes T-I-M-E. The second problem is that the thing I lack most at work is T-I-M-E Sad

Anyway - I too would be very interested if anyone knows of any sites that have EFL/ESOL materials (in my case in SMART Notebook format - because that's what we use at work). Ideally it'd be a site where people can post their own materials and comments rather than a commercial site....

I've posted some adaptaions of DFES produced ESOL materials at www.talent.ac.uk if they're of any use to anyone (shameless plug, I know - but it could be helpful)

http://www.talent.ac.uk/dsearch_details.asp?DocumentID=2028

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Would like to try out an interactive white board. Saw my first one last weekend at a CALL conference. A vendor was using it to display his wares. The school is a very high level place, yet sadly does not use them (and has chalkboards in all of the classrooms I saw). I heard that many elementary schools may have them here... don't know for certain.

Tired of chalk dust on my clothes and hands and laptop, and tired of throwing clothes away with whiteboard marker ink on them.

QatarChic · Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 445 Location: Qatar

I use them here- they can be great to use in the class- but when you get technical problems like projector bulbs not working or hardware problems- your whole lesson can go out of the window. Having tried and tested them, I much prefer the normal white board....

keepwalking · Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Posts: 194 Location: Peru, at last

Everything in moderation.... I love having access to a SMART board. If there's a way I could do a lesson using it, I can book a room which has one, otherwise I can just use the tried and tested techniques that we all use on a day to day basis.

I've found it useful for developing error correction skills (the students can annotate a text together to show errors), it's useful for quizes like Catchphrase or for any old fogey Brits out there, Blockbusters. There are also resources on teachit.co.uk which you can use/adapt for EFL which get to grips with grammatical structures.

A SMART board is one more tool for us to use to get our students involved and engaged. It is not magic, it needs input from us in terms of prep time but it is another weapon against disaffection and varying ability levels, plus it is great for the instant gratification generation of teenagers who respond to flashy graphics and noises. It shouldn't be see as a replacement for all the other things we do, like role-play, debates, group work, games, scaffolding etc. Used in moderation and used because it serves your lesson objective and your students and not because your boss expects it, it is a great addition. Used all day every day and it gives you and your students migraines!

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject:

Totally pragmatic question-

How much do these things cost? Any advice on best brands?

I think that outfitting all classrooms with them is probably a sign of illness, and the money could be better spent elsewhere. (Teachers salaries, for example!)

But to have one or two in a midsized institute might be worthwhile, as yet another tool teachers can use. My only concern is that they might wind up being used the same way I have seen simple screen projectors used. (for playstation games. Trippy, but a waste of potential.)

Best,
Justin