Interactive Whiteboards

 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.