Job Discussion Forums

[zorro (3)]

Funny you should ask Justin.

Promactivstub78 �1129 exc vat and delivery.
This is a 78 inch model aimed at higher ed and sec ed users.

On top of this, you would need to purchase the projector which is around �400.

Then there are the resources that you can purchase or develop yourself. New English File have a series dedicated to IWBs. I think that they charge around �2000 for their software (this is from my memory though and I could be mistaken).

Why do I know so much? Because I'm submitting a 'mock' proposal for the installation of IWBs into a medium sized enterprise as we speak for my Masters.

You know that the installation of IWBs can benefit your marketing strategy ten fold what with the emphasis on technology nowadays. At the end of the day we are in business. If your competitors don't have them, you would be the most modern language school....

[Justin Trullinger]

Thanks for that. I don't think they're gonna fit in this years budget. Which is okay, as technology is slow to arrive in Ecuador. (And expensive.)

We're already one of the most high tech schools around- because we have computers and ....gasp....dvd players!

All the best,
Justin

[keepwalking]

I have no idea about costs here in Latin America but your concerns about them not being used to their full potential are valid. There is a temptation to see them as a way to show powerpoint presentations or movies on a big screen. If you do decide to invest in one or two, look into packages/companies that include training at a basic 'how do I switch it on' level and then come back later and offer further training and update software once staff have got to grips with the basics.

The two brand names I know are SMART and Promethean. I've used both and find the SMART software more accessible. The boards themselves are pretty similar I think.

[Justin Trullinger]

Thanks for that- I'm guilty of that here; at the moment, I can't actually imagine what they would be used for past power point on the wall. (Which I can already do with a projector, which we've finally been able to buy!)

If there are futher uses, I hope to learn soon- I've asked a local distributor to come round and explain them to us...


best,
Justin

[Phil_b]

[canadashirleyblue]

I found there was an issue with class control and behaviour.

Unless the teacher knows what he/she is doing the class will be in total uproar while the teacher is messing about with the computer.

I used to set up a page and use it and not change to anything else because I was not familiar enough with the program.

In time staff will figure it out (mostly on their own). It certainly would not be a good investment for a school with a high rate of staff turnover.

For the amount of money involved I would think an investment in books and other learning materials would be more effective. The are not as sexy though so it might be harder to convince parents to fork out their cash.

[Pavel]

We have conducted Cognitive Task Analysis to design some of these learning applications. After the second or third class we usually have a Training Effectiveness Evaluation conduct.

Our evals have shown that each method of instruction has good and bad aspects. The flagship course that we ran was for Tagalog, the instructor was in Korea while the students were in various locations throughout the states. One of the students actually tested out 2+2 after the course was completed. Whiteboards are used throughout the instruction. The teacher pushes content to the student via the internet. The teacher also has the ability to monitor the student's activities while class is going on.

http://www.pecinc.com/PECSITE/Services/LanguageTraining/tabid/59/Default.aspx

It's a good method for some students but not the gold standard for others.

We have also been using computer games to assist:

http://www.tacticallanguage.com/tacticaliraqi/gettingthem.htm

This has appealed to the younger crowd, but again it doesn't answer the learning requirements for all students.

We also do the brick and mortar classrooms with about the same results. Some students excell while some daydream and need a lot of coaxing from the instructor.

Ultimately we are installing 36 language learning labs throughout the world so that the students can have access to personal instructors, teletraining or gamebased training.

Each method by itself does not guarantee success, mixing and matching has proven very successful.

[Insubordination]

Disappointed to read mostly negative comments about the IWBs. My uni just had them installed and after a two-hour training session, we're going to use them on Monday. I'm determined to give it a good go. I will write some feedback here as I go along.

[gaijinalways]

Be interesting to see it. I was at one uni where they had access to Blackboard, but not all teachers had access to it (I was one who didn't).

As to smart boards, haven't seen it yet, the closest I've come is having projection boards (the PC/DVD can be projected onto the board, which is almost translucent in color. Actually, sometimes i's a nuisance as you have to be careful not to leave up writing in the middle of the board.

Money does seem to be the problem, with even CALL rooms sometimes being in short supply or not available in Japan (like at one place I work).

And yes, I have heard from people who use these systems that there is education involved in learning how to get the most out of them. It's the same for CALL rooms, I probably don't always get full use out of them.

[Kiels]

In the UK, many schools have IWBs/ Smartboads, and they are generally in most classrooms in primary schools... The children love them. As mentioned, you can use the pens and your fingers to move/drag items and there are a ton of resources online for IWBs that require little more than downloading to use. Try topmarks.co.uk, www.lgfl.net, scholastic.com, the coxhoe primary website (google) amongst many others for good games that will engage children. I'm not sure how many of these resources would be useful for teaching esl but I'm fairly sure with so many resources online for IWBs/smartboards you'd find something.

[powerrose]

My school has them in every class, but couldn't invest the same amount of money in a full-time IT support person. The software crashes my computer so I've never really used mine much. Its bad enough when I plan a lesson around a short video or listening piece and my computer crashes or the internet does its daily trick of disappearing for 15 minutes (when will it happen? no one knows!)

The teacher whose husband is the "part time" IT guy uses hers all the time and seems happy. Bottom line is if your school is generally supportive and provides constant support with training and fixing problems, IP boards are probably very cool and awesome.