Cora+Blades

As an elementary teacher, providing students with hands-on learning is a guaranteed way to actively engage students in the classroom. With the implementation of technology students take ownership of their education and the joy of learning is restored in the classroom. The interactive white board (IWB) is very beneficial in all aspects of education because it can be used inside and outside of the classroom. The IWB “connects to a computer and a projector in the classroom to make a very powerful tool. When connected, the interactive whiteboard becomes a giant, touch-sensitive version of the computer screen” (Pearson-Longman, 2011).

The research that I consulted focused on the use of the IWB inside the elementary classroom. Research revealed that once teachers are effectively trained on how to use the IWB they will benefit from “a wide range of opportunities to lead rich class discussions, allowing students to move beyond memorising the content of the board to engage more deeply with the underlying concept being taught” (Kent, 2008, pg. 457 (as sited in Cambell & Kent 2010)). The use of the IWB is relevant to students and teachers because it has “the potential to make a major impact on learning and teaching at all education levels.” (Cambell & Kent, 2010, pg. 460).

After careful consideration, I chose the interactive white board over the wikis and blogs innovations. The wikis and blogs are great innovations; however, I find that they may be a little complex in regards to properly monitoring student use. The interactive white board maybe time consuming in regards to effectively training teachers on how to use them; nevertheless, the students will greatly benefit from actively engaging in the learning process.

References

Cambell, C. & Kent, P. (2010). Using interactive whiteboards in pre-service teacher education: Examples from two Australian universities. Australasain Journal of Educational Technology. //26 (4),// 447-463//.//Retrieved from

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 Pearson-Longman (2011). What is an interactive whiteboard? Retrieved from []