Independent Inquiry: An Exploration into how to Engage Students with SMART Board Technology
The major factor that has contributed to the success of this exceptional tool is the fact that interactive whiteboard increases the involvement and collaboration of the students in the classroom. The media content on these interactive whiteboards successfully catches the attention of the students and make lectures far more interesting and engrossing. The interactive whiteboard is an economical choice when compared with the investments required for an IT classroom and it is often more effective as it creates a favorable environment for every student in the classroom.
As the interactive whiteboard is a relatively new device to regular classrooms many educational institutions are skeptical about integrating this device into their system. A potential buyer must check out the pros and cons of interactive whiteboards before actually investing in them as it will help him to weigh out the different advantages and disadvantages of the product.
Touchscreen: One of the main advantages of interactive whiteboard is the fact that it has a touchscreen and allows users to alter the data in the screen with their fingers. The addition of this feature has made its use much simpler and effective. The touchscreen feature also makes the classes for little kids much more entertaining as they are involved to far greater extent. The instructor can also easily move the data around due to the touchscreen feature of the interactive whiteboards.
Online Help: The interactive whiteboard allows the users to access the web through the device. Thus the instructors can take help of any software that is available in the internet. The use of interactive whiteboard also enables the instructors to play videos from the internet when they need to.
Imaging: The high quality imaging that these interactive whiteboards provide make the classes far more entertaining and informative. The involvement of the students and the collaboration from their side increases which enhances the quality of the class.
Smart Tools: The interactive whiteboard offers various tools to the instructors which makes their job much easier. Some of these smart tools are the magnifier, pointer, spotlight, screen capture etc.
Price: Though the cost of an interactive whiteboard is nominal when compared to the investment required for IT classrooms or even providing laptops to each student, there are many schools that are not able to afford this device. These schools thus lag behind other schools which are equipped with modern devices. But if a school has to make a choice between an interactive whiteboard and other essential requirements they should go for what it actually required.
Technical Inability: Old school teachers are not comfortable with modern technology and the interactive whiteboard is no exception. Some teachers find the device complex while others complain about having to change their style due to the device. Schools cannot afford to invest in devices that cannot be used to their full potential and the interactive whiteboard often falls on the wrong side of the argument.
Teacher Training: When a school or any educational institution invests in a modern device such as the interactive whiteboard it needs to make sure it is used to its full potential. The school needs to invest time and money in training their teachers for using the device properly. Not only does the teacher need to use the device he needs to productively integrate it into his teaching style. This requires a significant amount of time and effort and a school should consider such factors before investing in such a device.
The interactive whiteboard is an extremely powerful tool in the field of education. It enhances the experience of the student as well as the teacher by integrating various tools and enabling the instructor with them. Though one cannot deny that the device has its flaws but it definitely pales out in the light of its advantages and disadvantages of using interactive whiteboard.