Just having an interactive whiteboard in the
classroom, does not automatically improve student achievement. Teachers will
need to pair the whiteboards with strong instructional strategies to get the
most out of them. Some of the uses for the board I listed above have been
proven to have positive effects on student learning. It is important to
remember that while technology in the classroom is awesome, it needs to be
utilized in the correct way!
Interactive whiteboards are wonderful
instructional tools that bring technology into the classroom. These boards
allow teachers to improve student engagement and achievement in a variety of
ways. With this board it is possible to highlight, annotate, drag and drop
information, import pictures, use multimedia content, provide feedback,
complete shared readings, use student response systems, and so much more!
Studies have
shown that successful use of interactive whiteboards have improved active
learning, classroom management, lesson organization, and lesson flexibility. I
have seen interactive whiteboards used successfully in classrooms and was
impressed with the increase in student engagement as well as classroom
management. By increasing student attention, you are also increasing their
participation and motivation, which should lead to more success.
The
interactive whiteboard has features associated with it that can improve student
learning even more. One that is statistically linked to achievement is studentresponse systems. These systems are great for formative assessments and knowing
where your students are at in their learning. It also promotes student participation,
which improves learning. A twenty-six-percentile
gain in achievement was noted when using these response systems in an effective
way!
While interactive whiteboards are wonderful
classroom tools, they do have some challenges associated with them. Technical
problems can hinder the effectiveness of the whiteboards and teacher training
is necessary. It is important that teachers understand what they can do with
the interactive whiteboards and what to do if they come upon an issue.
