Teachers Praise Interactive White Boards

Old dusty chalkboards are a thing of the past.  Today’s students are used to technology being around them everywhere they go, and the classroom is no different.  The “chalkboard” of today has arrived with the development of an interactive digital whiteboard.   In a recent study on tools that are changing the classrooms, Interactive White Boards ranked as one of the most useful tools to enhance learning.  One teacher saids, ‘One year after having my interactive white board, I can definitely notice an increase in attention and participation levels for my students.  The interactive whiteboards helps focus their attention on me and my lessons and helps keep them focused.”

So what is an digital interactive whiteboard you may ask?   An interactive whiteboard is basically an interactive display that you connect to a computer, either directly or via flash drive keys.  Boards generally use internal or external projectors to display the computer’s image onto the screen and allow users to control the computer by using a pointing device, pen, or finger.  The board will display any type of program  that is projected onto the screen. Software built into the whiteboard can also capture still shots of whatever information was written on the whiteboard with a dry erase marker (which looks and feels like a traditional whiteboard.  Interactive whiteboards allow users to save data and notes to easily prepare handouts or quickly email files to students.  Some of the higher-end digital whiteboards such as the Panasonic Panaboard even offer built in printers allowing users to print files directly from the board.

Interactive whiteboards are being used in a multitude of settings, however they seem to be most popular with professionals in education for their effectiveness .  They are slowly replacing traditional systems of whiteboards, flip charts, and even portable A/V systems.  No longer do you need to go into that a/v closet and dig up the dvd player and tv, projector etc, simply run your media through the interactive whiteboard and use it as an oversized flat panel display.  Additionally, with built in networking, students can collaborate on the board from individual laptops or desktops in the room. 

Another popular reason to install an interactive whiteboard in the classroom is that is that there are many programs written for use on interactive whiteboards  to help teachers make the most of this investment.  Popular programs are designed for Math, Science, Reading, Sports and more generalized lesson plans.  With a few of these programs, educators can quickly and easily start teaching interactive lessons with little knowledge or training on the technology.

To get your full worth from your investment in a interactive whiteboard, you need to know all the functions it is capable of.    It doesn’t make sense to make the investment only to use it as a simple projector.  Spend some time getting to know which board you are interested in and learn what functions it is capable of.  Thre are Numerous websites and social networks on the internet that  exist specifically  for educators to share tools, ideas, and resources. 

For more information on how your classroom can benefit from digital interactive whiteboard technology, or to compare various types of boards, visit www.ishopit.com