| Choosing
a whiteboard really depends on the needs of your school. Most
whiteboards are either operated by a finger and have a soft
surface or by an electromagnetic pen and have a hard surface.
Both types have pros and cons so visiting other schools to
see which will suit you best is a great idea.
Consider if large windows require blinds for
sunny days and the height of those viewing the board –
children and staff. Remember that a board and extra equipment
will require as many as six power sockets nearby.
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The installation company should offer you
basic training on the software which operates with your board.
Consider whether this software offers the tools and resources
to enable you to teach effectively. Look around and see what
is available before deciding.
Accept that, although initial gliches may happen, they are
often easily rectified.
Don’t be tempted to settle into a routine
of creating a series of slides for you to talk about. If you
would not have done it with traditional resources, don’t
do it now. Try to justify the learning aim of each slide.
Think about the area around the board. On
either side of the board, I have two waist high units, one
is for my laptop so I and the children can type onto the board
while looking into the class. On the other is my visualiser
or document camera. This allows easy access to the board,
but is flexible and allows for other approaches.
Think about where it is appropriate to make
pages, or slides, interactive. This could involve children
coming out to manipulate some text or a diagram, or typing
directly into the PC/laptop. A good, whizzy maths game with
things flying around and going bang at the beginning of a
numeracy lesson, will certainly get your children’s
attention.
Having the laptop or PC connected to your
board online is a must. There is now an extensive range of
whiteboard resources available online. A good place to start
is the National Whiteboard Network (details can be found in
our Best of the Web section). Don’t forget to check
that the font size on any websites you use are big enough
to be read at the back of the class.
Different learning requires different resources,
not all of which suit the whiteboard software alone. Websites,
text documents, multimedia files, CD-ROMs and DVDs can all
enhance the learning experience. By adding hyperlinks within
your main whiteboard software you can move between websites,
programmes or media by simply clicking on an icon.
Using data-loggers, digital video cameras,
voting systems and scanners with your whiteboard can take
your lessons to very exciting places. Document cameras, or
visualisers, are extremely powerful when used with a whiteboard.
They project anything placed under them onto the board, so
children’s work, a text book or even a woodlouse is
immediately visible to all in amazing detail.
A port will be installed next to your board
to allow you to attach your video player to the board and
could you be used for Teachers’ TV programmes and clips.
Many can be incorporated into whiteboard presentations and
can really clarify difficult points. Clips from your own digital
video camera can also be easily incorporated.
Images are powerful learning tools. The software
which runs on your board will allow you to import saved images
from your computer or copy and paste images from the web.
I try to start every lesson with an image which the children
can make some kind of emotional connection.
What
is a Whiteboard ? | Interactive
Whiteboards In The Classroom |
Advantages
Of Using An Interactive Whiteboard |
How
to use whiteboards |
Interactive
Whiteboard Tips | Buying
an Interactive Whiteboard | Interactive
Whiteboard Evaluation|
SMART
Board for Smart Teaching |
