Using Interactive Whiteboards as a Classroom Presentation Tool
Interactive whiteboards refer to electronic whiteboards that provide the facility to interact; you can touch the board to control it instead of using keyboard or mouse. It is an interactive whiteboard that is connected to a computer and a multimedia projector. Once the computer image is projected on the board, you can move your finger across the whiteboard, displaying the computer image, and the mouse cursor follows. You simply tap the screen twice with your finger to perform the normal double-click as you would do with your mouse. You can control most of the computer actions from the front of the classroom by just interacting on surface of the board. You can also write or draw on the whiteboard with your finger or the pens provided and save the image to the computer.
Here are six reasons why every teacher should have an interactive whiteboard.
1. Interactive whiteboards give the teacher instant access to a vast array of electronic resources. This makes learning much more exciting and breathes new life into old fashioned chalk-and-talk.
2. It enables seamless links to be made between the interactive whiteboard technology and the subject material.
3. The interactive whiteboard is controlled by the teacher from the front of the classroom using an easy-to-use electronic pen. Teachers are rethinking their approach to teaching and having fun doing so.
4. Using electronic ink, the teacher can write over any image shown on the interactive whiteboard screen. These annotations can then be captured on an electronic flipchart. The flexibility and the scope for imaginative lesson planning are huge.
5. At the end of the lesson, flipchart pages can automatically be saved and can be printed, e-mailed or even pasted onto a Web site. This opens up possibilities for pupils to access lesson materials out of the lesson itself and for teachers to share lesson resources.
6. The flipchart files can be updated or merged with other Windows applications, which enables the teachers to save the best lessons and improve on them in their own time.
Interactive whiteboards can be categorized in three ways.
1. Front Projection Interactive Whiteboards
In front projection interactive whiteboards, the projector is placed in front of the whiteboard. The projector connected to computer projects the computer image on the whiteboard. The projector can be placed on the table or mounted on the ceiling. Front projection whiteboards come in different sizes, ranging from around 45 to 104 inches diagonal size. They come either with a wall mount bracket, desktop stand or floor stand on wheels.
Front projection interactive whiteboards are cheaper than the rear projection interactive whiteboards and plasma overlays. They are also lighter than the rear projection and have bigger screen sizes than the plasma overlays. The drawback with front projection is that when the presenter stands in front of the whiteboard, he casts a shadow on the screen and may cause hindrance in image display when he moves across the projection. Also, when facing the audience, he/she may have eye contact with the projection and have to look into the projector light.
2. Rear Projection Interactive Whiteboards
Rear projection interactive whiteboard look effectively like a big TV or a plasma screen having a cabinet behind that houses a projector and mirrors. They work similarly to the front projection whiteboards. Basically, in rear projection interactive whiteboards, the projector is mounted behind the whiteboard and a series of mirrors project the image on the screen.
The advantage of a rear projection interactive whiteboard is that you don’t have any shadows cast by using it and the presenter doesn’t have to look into the projector light when speaking to the audience.
However, these smart whiteboards are a little more costly than front projection units. They also take up more room, as the back is bulkier due to housing the projector. However, there is also room in the cabinets for a computer base-unit and video recorder/DVD player, and many have cable management systems for connecting to visiting laptop computers. In-wall systems are also available where the rear-projection whiteboard is built into a wall that has an area behind it to house the projector. Partition walling is usually used. This gives a wonderful effect of a huge computer monitor on the wall.
3. Portable Interactive Whiteboards
A portable interactive whiteboard system is a small device that is attached to a standard dry wipe whiteboard to convert it into an interactive whiteboard. They are also known as virtual electronic whiteboards. Portable interactive whiteboards are available for presentations on the move. Portable devices attach themselves with rubber suckers to standard dry-erase whiteboards to turn them into copyboards. They are then connected to the laptop or desktop computer, allowing you to write your notes or drawings on the whiteboard and download them onto your computer to save, print, fax or e-mail them. You use specially designed pens to write on the whiteboard that use infra-red and ultrasound technology to determine where on the whiteboard you are writing. You can touch the board to control the computer mouse cursor. As you move the pen across the whiteboard, displaying the computer image, the mouse cursor follows. These devices are extremely portable and can be used on any whiteboard. These are ideal in classrooms for making good use of existing standard whiteboards.
This information is courtesy of Clary Business Machines.
Sidebar
Engaging Students with Classroom Amplification Technology
By Bruce Bebb
Multimedia instructional technology is fast becoming a standard in today’s classrooms. These audio and visual tools bring focus to the lessons of the day, allowing all students to see and hear clearly that which is being taught. Multimedia instructional tools aren't simply nice to include or reserved for affluent districts; rather, they are an essential part of the educational process. Studies are clear, on-task times and lesson retention increases when enhanced sight and sound presentations are in the mix.
Educators, at every level, are now using multimedia tools to liven up their lesson plans, reach different learning styles, and keep students on track.
One of the presentation tools receiving considerable attention is classroom amplification technology (CAT). Classroom amplification is defined as “a speech intelligibility system that provides clarity of voice and even sound distribution throughout the learning environment.” The teacher wears a small infrared microphone to amplify their voice, allowing every child to clearly hear the instruction. There is no change in curriculum or teaching methods, and it takes only a few minutes for training. The teacher speaks in normal conversational tones, saving his/her voice, while the students are more engaged in the learning process.
These mini sound systems have been in use in thousands of schools around the country, but only recently considered a core component for the integration of audio-visual equipment. The trend is gaining momentum, as schools are now specifying classroom amplification equipment as part of their instructional technology package, especially in new school construction and modernization projects. Although there are numerous studies showing increased academic achievement when using CAT, it is important to understand how classroom amplification enhances other multimedia instructional technologies as well.
Why does classroom amplification work so well with other instructional technologies? Computers, LCD projectors, electronic whiteboards, streaming videos, TVs, CDs, iPods and other audio sources are limited due to speaker size and location in the classroom. The CAT amplifier is designed to accept audio from all these sources, and it delivers a consistent, comfortable volume that is evenly distributed throughout the classroom.
Engaging the students, any way possible, translates to higher academic achievement.
Since the majority of classroom instruction is still delivered aurally, and multi-media presentations are on the raise, it makes sense to consider classroom amplification as the central building block to any instructional technology package.
Bruce Bebb is a former elementary school principal and currently the MarCom Director at LightSPEED Technologies, www.lightspeed-tek.com.
