Interactive Whiteboard

Interactive Whiteboard

Although the first interactive whiteboard was released in 1991, only I the last several years have whiteboards become a must-have tool in classroom. New emphasis on developing 21^st century skills for students, the requirement for educator proficiency in technology, and research documenting increased learning with the use of interactive whiteboards have spurred its adoption.

Fundamentally, an interactive whiteboard combines a dry erase whiteboard with an LCD projector and is usually mounted on a wall or floor stand. Powered by easy-to-use software, the whiteboard becomes a computer screen viewable by an entire classroom. The projector projects the content from the computer onto the surface of the board while the teacher controls the content either with a pointer or a touch of the hand instead of a keyboard and mouse. The combination of software with the projector results in much more than simply a projected image.

Anything that can be done on a computer monitor, can be replicated on the interactive white board. A teacher can create engaging lessons that focus on one task such as matching activity where students use either their fingers or a pen to match items. Another teacher might integrate multiple items into a lesson plan such as websites, photos, and music that students can interact with, respond to verbally or even write comments on the board itself. Image size and placement can change with a simple touch to the screen. This technology makes the one-computer classroom a workable instructional model. Imagine taking a class on a photo safari to Africa complete with embedded videos, animal sounds and mapping software.

Research has repeatedly demonstrated that students learn better when they are fully engaged and that multisensory, hands-on learning is the best way to engage them. Interactive whiteboards facilitate multisensory learning whether it is a collaboration exercise for math problem solving or a Google Earth tour of the Amazon rainforest.

The classroom applications for using interactive whiteboards include multimedia lessons and presentations including audio and video. Second, collaborative problem solving. Third, showcasing student projects and presentations. Fourth, virtual field trips. Fifth, recorded lessons that can be used by substitute teachers. Lastly, documentation of student achievement.  

The interactive whiteboard (IWB) are used in variety settings, including classrooms at all levels of education, in corporate board rooms and work groups, in training rooms for profesional sports coaching, in broadcasting studios and others. The uses for interactive whiteboard (IWB) may include several uses. First, running software that is loaded onto the connected PC, such as a web browsers or proprietary software used in the classroom. Second, capturing and saving notes written on a whiteboard to the connected PC. Third, capturing notes written on a graphics tablet connected to the whiteboard. Fourth, controlling the PC from the whiteboard using click and drag, markup which annotates a program or presentation.

There are many advantages by using the interactive whiteboards. One of them is that they provide electronically all the familiar features of a traditional classroom blackboard or ordinary whiteboard. Besides that, this situation are able to replace the scenario of a large group crowding around a single computer. The interactive whiteboard allows a large group to sit and participate comfortably in a presentation. We are also can edit information directly during lessons and save changes or additions to the computer. It proved that interactive whiteboard able to give many benefits towards learning and teaching process in school and other educational institutions.

Interactive Whiteboard