Session Two – 30th October 2012: Interactive Whiteboard

Following the trend we have come to expect on our Primary PGCE Programme, learning and teaching input was taken up another notch this week as we were introduced to the wonders of the interactive whiteboard (IWB).  UK schools have embraced this technology and about 93% of UK classrooms now have them installed.  Like many other computer applications, they are sometimes underused with only a fraction of their potential being used and explored by teachers and their pupils.  By using my learning from, and prompted by, this session I will ensure that I do not fall into this trap. 

My learning from today’s ITC module session included:

• Increased understanding of the potential of the IWB.
It can be used as an alternative to virtually all other classroom resources.  It can bring the world to the children in my classroom

• How the IWB can make me a better teacher.
A good teacher with an IWB will always outperform a good teacher without an IWB

• Developing specific skills for the IWB
such as using the tools Magic Tunnel, Magnifier Glass, Checker Tool, Click to Reveal, Erase to Reveal, Random Generator, Pull Tabs and Balloon Pop Tool
• The need to adapt the IWB to my children and my class.

Reflections on learning – Implications for my teaching practice

1. By putting time and effort into using the IWB well, I can maximise its potential to support multi-sensory learning.  It supports visual learners through its images, auditory learners as you can add sound and kinaesthetic learners because of its interactivity.

2. The IWB is a great tool for supporting EAL and SEN pupils and developing children’s literacy, ICT and thinking skills.

3. The IWB helps children to get used to talking about their thinking and explaining their reasoning and actions – very important skills in core curriculum
                                         subjects such as mathematics and science.

4. It will always be important to have a back up plan in case the IWB technology fails during my lesson

5. I need to be aware of other considerations when using the IWB such as:

                Positioning    making sure natural light does not obscure the view

                Access          making sure that the IWB is not too high for children to reach

                Visibility         making sure that text on the IWB is large and that the overall content is  not too cluttered

Reflections and key learning points from this week’s directed task

1. Make sure I engage the children who may be sitting furthest away from the IWB e.g. by asking them questions or selecting them to come up to the board
2. Multimodal approaches to teaching offer a variety of modes to deliver and reinforce learning to minds that respond best to different stimuli.  IWBs offer a powerful tool for the delivery of such approaches
3. NQTs often confuse teaching about ICT and teaching using ICT, especially if there is a lack of clarity in the purpose of their lessons
4. Children coming up to the board could slow down the pace of a lesson so these elements need   to be carefully planned
5. On the other hand, when used well IWBs quicken the pace of a lesson as they reduce interruptions between the flow from one teaching point to the next
6. An IWB allows for interaction during the lesson and so can respond well to children’s feedback and ideas/learning needs during the lesson
7. An IWB should be used in all parts of the lesson (starter, main, plenary) but its use in group work is often neglected
8. The full potential of an IWB is achieved when it encourages the user to think in the context of an activity that they are conducting.  Drag and Drop, Matching and Hiding are all good examples of this
9. People generally remember 10% of what they read and 90% of what they do (Dale’s ‘Core of Experience', 1946)
10. An IWB can be used to assist handwriting development by making a record of the ways in which letters were formed and then playing it back to a pupil in slow motion

Research has shown that IWBs have the power to:

- Make learning fun and exciting for pupils Levy (2002)
- Make lessons more engaging for teachers  Smith (2001)
- Encourage children to pay attention Education Action Zone (2002)
- Combine serious intentions with fun Cuthell (2005)
- Help develop the language skills of deaf pupils Clark & Cooper (2003)

There are several Interesting case studies on the use of IWBs in primary schools:

• Primary school students' perceptions of interactive whiteboards - Ian Hall & Steve Higgins (2005)
• From 'bored' to screen: the use of the interactive whiteboard for literacy in six primary classrooms - Arthur Shenton & Linda Pagett (2007)
• How is the interactive whiteboard being used in the primary school and how does this affect teachers and teaching? - Julie Cogill (2002)
• The use of the interactive whiteboard for creative teaching and learning in literacy and mathematics: a case study - Ruth Wood & Jean Ashfield (2007)