Episode 30: The Whiteboard Conundrum
Love them or hate them, interactive whiteboards seem to have become a part of today’s modern classroom. There are many teachers who see them as a wonderful ‘window to the world’, able to open their classrooms up to a plethora of digital experiences, make learning richer and more engaging in the process. Then there are others who see IWBs as the devil incarnate, a scourge on the educational landscape that sets our classrooms back by thirty years. They claim them to be setting the sage back on the stage and ruining the student focused nature of the classroom.
The truth is that interactive technologies are whatever you make of them. Join us in this episode as we speak with five experienced and opinionated IWB users and try to dig into the deeper questions behind the use of this technology.
As always, we encourage you to continue the conversation in the comments below. Or if you want to engage in this conversation a little more deeply, take a look at www.iwbrevolution.com
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October 31st, 2009 at 10:02 pm
I don’t agree with the “Truth” as stated above. It is not good enough that you can make something of a technology (meaning use it well). To invest a large amount of money and deploy a technology school wide, it needs to encourage the types of learning we want to see. And that is one of the iwb’s biggest drawbacks - it encourages show and tell.
October 31st, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Of course, you’re entitled to your opinion, but to refute the idea that a technology COULD be used well by a skilled teacher is, I think, giving very little credence to the value a teacher brings to a classroom.
And I also think that saying that an IWB encourages “show and tell” is quite honestly just nonsense. Used well, IWBs can be powerful tools. Used badly, they can be a waste of time. But let’s not crucify the technology instead of the poor teaching practice.
PS, I’m guessing you responded to the post above without actually listening to the podcast.
November 1st, 2009 at 3:21 am
excellent discussion - touched on many things we’ve dealt with as our school has put IWB in all classrooms in the last couple of years. Thank you.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Some thoughts as I listen….
Hmm interesting discussion. I am so sorry I had to refuse the invite - Family emergency at the last minute had to take precedence.
IWB Pedagogy: I don’t think this exists… Yes it is a teacher tool but that is the essence of why the IWB can fail miserably as a great device for the classroom. Often reinforcing poor teaching methods.
Has the whiteboard made teachers use technology? Yes but poorly…. So they were probably better off not trying!!
Wow you can use the whiteboard to play a video? ahhh I think my teachers did that with a video player and TV… Or even a projector and screen.
True ubiquitous technology will have devices in the classroom not down the hall…. so wouldn’t 1 to 1 laptop programs do that? So where does the IWB play a part in the 1 to 1 classroom?
How is it different to the projector? - It is cool? Are you serious that is the best we can do? I am sorry the “cool” factor is disappearing…. Once again if your teaching relies on one device you are a poor practitioner. So the best interaction we are experiencing is the touching and pointing factor? Hmmm well in a laptop classroom I point and touch and interact that way… Learning is differentiated as students move away and work collaboratively or independently. How does this work in an IWB classroom? Especially in an environment where big $$ have been spent and teachers are expected to use them.
Agree the multi touch possibilities will be an interesting feature on new technologies for learning - but I can see this taking off in the laptop arena rather than in the single device at the front of the room.
My question is - what is the teaching and learning philosophy of the school investing in this technology? This to me is the key to many of the issues.
I like the point Martin made about the measurements of usefulness. There is some interesting areas here to consider. While I agree this is a great way to measure success of a tool, I think caution should be taken to make sure the ordinary teacher does not use this technology purely for the purpose of his or her life being easier…. An example would be the teacher who uses a 1 to 1 program to have kids do nothing but type assignments every lesson. That teacher is going to be positive about the program because their life is easier. I guess it comes down to how you develop those questions. I wrote about this idea a few months back on my blog - http://blog.brettmoller.com/2009/08/05/comical-or-offensive-iwb-claims/
As for IWB’s improving test scores - You have to be kidding me…. Response systems will never pick up increased student learning. It all ends up being recall. So we design the technology to fit the archaic testing system? That to me is a scary proposal!! While I understand testing is a reality for so many of us… I am sure this is not a sound reason to invest in IWB’s or any technology for that matter.
Taking stills during a video can be done with a computer and data projector (Screen shot on the pc or mac)
The recording of what happens on the whiteboard is a great tool of the IWB and I can see value there for some subject areas. So there I have one positive!! However, I am a massive fan of the $200 smartpen (livescribe) that does the same thing.
I really think there needs to be some further clarity given to these ideas. No one really made it clear to me why it was such a worthwhile tool. The $$ V educational outcomes is still clear enough.
Thanks for continuing the conversation.
November 4th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
[…] The more I think through the arguments for and against IWB technology, the clearer I think I become about it in my own head. It took me a while to get to this point, but I do believe that IWBs are a worthwhile addition to a classroom. I also don’t think that my opinion is simply based on having drunk the Kool-Aid of the whiteboard vendors, who too often promote the technology as an instant panacea. It’s not. I think it’s taken me a long time to get it clear in my own head just where the value proposition lies for IWBs, and where their true strengths are. […]
November 16th, 2009 at 1:10 am
[…] It was a truly international affair, with a few representatives from Australia, myself from the UK and James Hollis representing the USA […]
November 17th, 2009 at 4:58 am
Thanks for a stimulating podcast episode, Chris and co. It caused me to think about my own definition of ‘interactive’ and how this may be different from others’ definition. My thinking transformed when I noticed that the kids were interacting with one another through the IWB, not just interacting with a machine. There’s magic going on when a kid goes up to the board, but is guided by the wisdom of the suggestions from the floor. Hey, it’s pretty hard to see well when you’re up close at the board sometimes, but your mates back in their seats can guide you with their talk to help you make your move. So for me, the ‘interactive’ is paramount, but it is the student-student interaction is what counts for me. I’m only at the beginning stages of my IWB teacher journey, but finding my definition of ‘interactive’ helps me to design better IWB learning experiences.
Thanks for the chance to learn through the podcast, and to reflect through this post. Helpful!
cheers
Brette
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:39 pm
I really enjoyed this podcast Chris- it articulated a lot of my personal thought on interactive whiteboards, and what a difference ‘touch’ makes to the learning experience.
Chris, I definitely agree with your measure of success- if you can bring provide your class with a catalist for learning and intrigue then it’s done its job.
Interactive whiteboards are certainly a far more natural way of communicating visually to students, but there are still plenty of limitations! I look forward to a day when we’re using multi-touch whiteboards in classrooms so that kids can be using it at the same time and interact with each other. When I taught Prep with an IWB it was almost more frustrating for everyone, because they couldn’t actually use it as naturally as a five year old would like too!
January 5th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
It’s my first time to read your blog and hear your podcast. Thanks for sharing.. I really enjoy it.
January 25th, 2010 at 9:22 am
Helo everyone,
It is my first time using this technology although I am just reading and learning about its use and how It can more efficient in our lesson. At this moment It is like openning a new door in the space. Lot of information I hope I wil be ok.