Interactive White Boards

This week I explored working with an interactive white board (IWB). I downloaded the software for Smart Notebook

and began my venture into the world of IWBs. After playing around with the software to 2am for many nights, I'm beginning to feel a little more comfortable with this amazing software.

What are IWB's? The web explains them as "a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector". (from Wikipedia) I've been working specifically with Smart Board (from Smart Technologies out of Calgary, Alberta) that although not originally designed to be used in academic settings, is now sold to elementary schools throughout the country. In Datacloud: Toward a New Theory of Online Work, Johndan Johnson-Eilola claims the functions of this technology as "1) allows users to work with large amounts of information 2) offers an information space that invites active collaboration and 3) the work produced is often 'dynamic and contingent'".

This sounds great, and some of what I've seen Smart Boards do has been really "dynamic" as students are engaged and actively involved in learning. The Smart Boards provide bright, colorful and big images for visual learners as well as opportunities to touch the board (which often produces some kind of action, such as balloons "popping") or the opportunity to draw on the board for kinesthetic learners. Multi-media visuals such as Youtube videos can be embeded into presentations. Graphs, charts and math manipulatives are easily and more effectively used to teach abstract concepts with concrete models. Games and classroom management tools such as Class Dojo I've seen keep students engaged and motivated.

But for all of the wonderful things I've seen IWBs do, I've never seem them work without a hitch. One of the biggest problems seems to be the need to "recalibrate" this tool repeatedly. For some reason the Smart Boards are extremely sensitive! I don't think I've ever seen them used for more than an hour before the need arises for the instructor to stop teaching and "mess" with the technology of the Smart Board. They are often cumbersome to use, especially writing on them. They will make anyone's handwriting look like a preschoolers, even with a lot of practice using them. They really seem to have a mind of their own and will often "lock you out" of connecting to the internet (to show a YouTube video for example, or a link to a website) at random times. In the elementary classroom, students seem use to the finicky nature of Smart Boards, ("there it goes again", "silly 'ole Smart Board") and seem to enjoy providing solutions to fix the problem themselves, (which provides for additional challenges to the teacher).

So I entered into the world of IWBs very cautiously and concerned.  My first assignment, to teach a elementary school lesson using an  IWB  to my peers, had me searching through resources on Smart Notebook.  Smart Notebook is full of lessons prepared by other teachers, IWB tools (such as interactive graphics) and pre-made lessons from Smart Notebook.  I wasn't thrilled with the lessons that I found on Smart Notebook, so I decided to adapt a lesson from LearnNC (a lesson plan resource for teachers).  That meant I had to start from scratch and really figure out the software so I could design my own lesson/presentation.  It was all trial and error and often very frustrating, (especially trying to attach a sound from a MP3 file onto an object from Smart Notebook).  But nothing beats trial and error, sometimes, for learning something new.  After putting together my Smart Notebook lesson I feel more confident about using this software and hopefully the long hours I spent beginning to learn this software will save me time as a new teacher.  

Screen shots from my IWB lesson done on Smart Notebook.

Tap the image of the alarm clock and it "rings" on the Smart Board.

Pictures can be added from Smart Notebook library or from the web.

Analog and Digital Clock are synched together on screen

Overall I enjoyed learning this new tool.  It's really not any harder to use than PowerPoint to put together a lesson, and actually might be even easier.  Putting in the fun graphics and animations can be very addictive and I can see how you really have to stop and think if the interactive you are adding is really going to add to students' learning or distract.

I'm excited to present my lesson on the IWB to my peers.  I'm sure there's going to be some glitches, I know to expect them when working with Smart Board. I just hope I know how to handle them or Smart Board has ironed them out before I'm in the classroom.  Or better yet I hope there are even better tools for involving students in interactive learning.  I'm wondering what the new Surface computers from Microsoft may be able to add to interactive learning in the elementary classroom. (?)