IWB within the classroom

The use of IWB has become everyday practise within schools in the Uk. In today's lesson we looked at the uses of the IWB within the classroom. It can enhance many lessons throughout the national curriculum and also add to the learning experience. There uses include  brainstorming ideas from the whole class as notes made on the screen can be turned into text, and saved to be shared later. They are an ideal tool for small group work and collaborative learning, as students can huddle around the board developing ideas, and then save the work for sharing. They are a powerful tool in the classroom adding interactivity and collaboration, allowing the integration of media content into the lecture and supporting collaborative learning.
 



We first looked at the advantages of the IWB such as:

• They encourage and develop discussion skills
• help develop IT skills
• It’s fun and interactive
• Encourages active participation
• Enables lessons to flow
• Visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning aid
• Great tool for engaging SEN pupils 

We were then asked to think about how it might impact on a lesson negatively if not considered when a lesson is planned using this equipment: 

• Can all the children see it?
• Font, is the background and too similar?
• Lighting in the classroom
• Accessibility, can you and the children easily access the IWB. 

Examples of the features available when using an interactive whiteboard:
• Add annotations
• Highlight text
• Add notes and drawings and then save them to be printed out and shared, or added to a virtual learning environment.
• Show pictures and educational videos to the whole lecture theatre. You can label parts or highlight elements of an image.
• Demonstrate the content available on a website in a teacher-directed activity

We then looked at the Smartnotebook application which is used with the smartboard (IWB). With this a teacher can create things similar to powerpoint, interactive games and tell stories. The teacher (and children ) can also write on the bard using the special pens for it to become the conventional whiteboard. This however is something I would have to practise as it can be quite tricky to make writing legible if you are a novice! 

I feel that the IWB is a great tool to have within the classroom and can be used in most lessons in some way. Creating games and hiding answers gets the children thinking and learning in a fun and exciting way and I feel this can also be extended in to them creating there own games for their classmates. I feel that the IWB is a great tool to have within the classroom and can be used in most lessons in some way. Creating games and hiding answers gets the children thinking and learning in a fun and exciting way and I feel this can also be extended in to them creating there own games for their classmates. Having said this, if relied on consistently I feel it could impact on the teacher pupil relationship which is built on one to one communication with the class.