Interactive whiteboards
(also known as smart boards) can be described as instructional tools
which allow for computer images to be accurately displayed a board with
the help of a digital projector. The elements on the board can then be
manipulated by the instructor using a mouse, stylus, pen or his finger
and this is done directly done on the screen. It allows items to be
clicked, dragged, copied and even the handwriting of notes is possible.
The handwriting can then be easily transformed to text before being
saved. The board is usually mounted onto a wall or even to a floor
stand. It can be used in work places as well as in classrooms of
different levels of learning.
Today, there are many
uses of interactive whiteboard in education. The main ways on the use of whiteboard in teaching are as outlined below:
Display
Interactive whiteboard in the classroom can be used by educators to improve the presentation
content. This can easily be achieved by developing an array of material
into a lesson e.g. a picture from the internet, text derived from a
Microsoft Word file, graphs from spreadsheets and teacher and student
annotations on the objects. Interactive whiteboards are used in display
because they engage students far better compared to chalk boards or even
the conventional projector-screen and whiteboards combination.
Record Lessons
One of the uses of interactive whiteboard in education is to record
lessons. Interactive whiteboards have a software such as the top notch
video conferencing software -ezTalks Meetings
which allows users to take notes and create presentations. Educators
can use this feature to record their notes and lesson activities.
Teachers can also encourage students to come up so that they can jot
down few works that can be saved for purposes of future reference. In
addition, the teacher can later print the saved works and publish them
for their students. Several interactive whiteboards softwares comprise
of screen recording tools that educators can use to capture and provide
previous lessons to students whenever necessary.
Resources
Using interactive whiteboards in the classroom is encouraged because
there are many flash files available on the internet that can be used by
teachers and lecturers to deliver effective lessons. The use of such
resources is beneficial in education as it functions to save both effort
and time while enhancing learning outcomes.
Sharing Resource
The use of whiteboard in teaching allows the computer to become some
sort of shared resource. This eliminates crowding or jostling of
students around a small screen in an attempt to observe a demonstration
by a teacher. This means that the interactive whiteboard can enable
students to easily access material from the comfort of their seats.
Learning Styles
Among the top uses of interactive whiteboard in education is to
successfully accommodate the different learning styles. This is because
recording tools can be utilized for audio learners, the board can be
touched and manipulated by tactile learners and visual learners can
easily track whatever that is happening as a lesson proceeds.
Facilitating the different learning styles is a superb way of
demonstrating the use of whiteboard in teaching.
Internet Access
Using interactive whiteboards in the classroom allows for the immediate
access to all the content that the internet has to provide. This is
beneficial because queries can be answered instantly through a Google
search as audio, video and images are all easily accessible.
Interactivity
The use of interactive whiteboard in the classroom allows pupils to
actively engage with material, receive instant feedback on current
projects and to manipulate learning objects. It enables the lecturer to
sit at the computer with a student at the whiteboard and the class
contributing ideas and offering suggestions. It basically promotes
interactive teaching.
Preservation
One of the uses of interactive whiteboard in education that is usually
taken for granted is its capability to preserve lessons, notes and
discussions. Such material can easily be accessed afterwards. Saving
concepts and ideas that had been extensively covered in a previous
lesson means that students can easily access the content so as to
refresh their knowledge. Furthermore, students who were absent when the
lessons were covered for one reason of the other can get an opportunity
to access the material to go through what was previously covered.
Games
Games is also a way of how to use a whiteboard in classroom. Education
via games such as rearranging jumbled texts/ objects or drag and match
is possible. This is mostly applicable for the education of very young
students. The games can be properly prepared and varied by the teacher
so that they are effective.
Emphasis
Interactive whiteboards have different patterns that can be used to lay
emphasis on a single word or even group of words. It uses movements and
color among other techniques to do this. Furthermore, the distractive
part of the interactive whiteboard's screen has an effective hideaway
feature.
Group Interaction
Interactive whiteboard in the classroom is perfect for the purpose of
group participation and discussion. It is a highly effective tool for
brainstorming because notes that are made on the screen can be
transformed into text and consequently saved for later sharing and
distribution. It is an ideal when collaborative learning and a small
group work is being aimed at. This can be achieved by students huddling
around the board as they develop bright ideas, the work can then be
saved for sharing via email or over a network. A good example of a
software that encourages group interaction is the video conferencing software
-ezTalks Meetings. The above points do not exhaust how to use a
whiteboard in classroom as they are limitless but one thing is very
clear, using interactive whiteboards in the classroom is a necessity.
Conclusion
The interactive whiteboard in the classroom is a cost saver as the
technology demonstrates how a single computer can provide an appropriate
learning stimuli for an entire classroom. It is also more cost
effective compared to equipping every student with a laptop or even an
entire IT room. The flexibility it brings to education is why it is
common in primary schools and universities all over the world. All the
above insightful information comprehensively shows how to use a
whiteboard in classroom.
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