10 Feb What NZ Schools Need to Know About Interactive Whiteboards
Classrooms all around New Zealand and the world are changing. Many schools are beginning to use Interactive Whiteboards as a very effective way to enhance a student’s overall learning experience. These devices are not just large screens; they also serve as a source of great interactive resources for teachers to deliver lessons and for students to interact and use resources in order to learn. Before deciding investing in this, however, it is very important for the school to understand:
1) What makes Interactive Whiteboards an effective tool?
2) How they will help support the school’s unique educational goals.
This article will cover all of the things Kiwi educators should think about when choosing an Interactive display board and will cover all of the practical things as well as most important considerations for real-life educators who have and also going to use the digital classroom board on a daily basis.
What an Interactive Whiteboard Really Is
The first thing to address when we talk about interactive whiteboards is what they actually are. It is a large, touch-enabled screen that connects to your computer. You can use it to teach students how to interact with and create content and to work together with students to create or edit this content.
It also allows teachers to present students with digital resources (like documents) and allows them to save this content for later use (for example, if they want to reuse a lesson developed with an interactive whiteboard at a later date). Unlike traditional whiteboards or chalkboards, Interactive displays do not require any additional materials or supplies (like chalk or markers), are interactive, have a multi-media capability, are connected wirelessly via Internet Protocol (IP), and allow teachers to work collaboratively with students, enhancing the learning experience.
1. Think About Classroom Size and Screen Visibility
A question that is relevant to all schools is whether or not every student will be able to see the board. A whiteboard that appears nice and big when you are standing close to it may not be large enough for the students that are sitting in the back row of a larger classroom. For example, if you have a 48 to 50″ LCD TV in a large classroom, there is far less likely that you will need to replace the TV if you plan to buy a high resolution (4K) LCD TV for your school.
When it comes to the size of the screen, the general rule of thumb for classrooms with shallow depth or without much width would be a screen in the 75″ to 86″ category and larger, while smaller classrooms should consider a screen in the 55″ to 65″ category. Using the right sized screen reduces eye strain and increases student participation.
2. Prioritise Touch Responsiveness and Multi-User Support
Using a digital whiteboard should be just as easy as writing with pen and paper or tapping a tablet. Touch responsiveness plays a critical role in making the experience of writing and navigating with a whiteboard as easy as possible — not too much lag time, not too many missed touch inputs, no interruptions during writing and navigating.
Whiteboards that have multi-touch support allow multiple students to touch/act on the board at the same time, which can help with collaborative activities, group work, and brainstorming sessions, where multiple students may all write/point to the same area at once.
3. Make Sure It Works With Your Teaching Software
The smart board is only as good as how well it integrates with the other tools you already use as a teacher. Before making your purchase decision about an interactive whiteboard, take into account how the software used on the whiteboard will work with your lesson planning software, classroom management software, and the computers/laptops/tablets/Chromebooks you are using in your classrooms.
Most of them have features such as annotation tools, lesson recorders, multimedia players, and file sharing capabilities — all designed to enhance the teacher’s presentation of information.
Ultimately, your goal is to avoid ending up with an eletronics whiteboard that seems like a shiny new toy but does not seamlessly integrate into your day-to-day classroom lesson plans.
4. Connectivity Options Matter
An electronic whiteboard should not just be able to show content; it needs to be able to seamlessly interface with the devices used for teaching as well. One should look for boards that have:
- The ability to wirelessly mirror screens from any devices (Android, iOS, Windows, Mac) via HDMI and/or USB-C port
- Connect via Bluetooth and/or on the network
- These features will provide teachers the ability to share content from their laptop or tablet without tripping over the cables to their front desk each day.
Moreover, it’s also a good idea to ensure that the board will be “plug-and-play” into your school’s Wi-Fi system and not require ongoing technology support for it to work properly.
5. Durability — It Has to Last in Real Classrooms
School equipment is used a considerable amount of time. Much more than at home, school boards are touched, tapped on, and used by multiple people every single day, so durability is of utmost importance.
When shopping for school boards, look for sturdy construction, scratch-resistant surfaces, and robust hardware. Anti-glare panels and tempered glass will help prevent damage to the surface due to daily use. School boards are also designed for durability in schools and usually last longer than similar products that are not designed for education.
6. Teacher Training Is Essential
You need staff trained on how to effectively use the Interactive Whiteboards for school. Before making an investment , you will want to ask your supplier who provides training? Is there an onboarding session? Are there any available tutorials for teachers to use as reference/for additional information that may be needed during the onboarding session, so they can learn how to use the new equipment?
If ongoing support and professional development are provided by the supplier, teachers can start using their new Interactive Whiteboards right away with confidence and ease!
7. Budget Carefully — Don’t Stop at the Sticker Price
The costs for interactive whiteboards can be very different from one another. The less expensive whiteboards (entry level) are often less expensive than premium smart boards. However, premium interactive boards will provide better touch quality, will have large screens, and will often be shipped with advanced software features.
When looking at the total cost of an interactive whiteboard, school districts should also consider:
- Installation fees
- Warranty and Technical Support
- Software License Fees
- Possibility of needing to upgrade other areas of infrastructure (improved WI-FI)
When schools create a balance between the short term costs and the long-term benefits of purchasing a digital whiteboard, it will allow the school district to maximize their investments in the long run.
8. Think About the Curriculum and How It’s Taught
The New Zealand Education System supports all learning modalities; therefore, the ability to use an Interactive Whiteboard helps create a more inclusive environment through a technology medium that supports visual, auditory and/or tactile learners. It provides teachers with the opportunity to present a variety of teaching media (i.e., images, diagrams, video clips, sound clips, group projects, interactive games, etc.) in an effort to enhance student understanding of complex concepts.
Ask yourself how technology will enhance your teaching; before you make your decision, consider a board’s ability to facilitate multimedia lesson design and the capability to link to the internet.
Final Thoughts — Choose Wisely, Teach Confidently
With proper selection and implementation, interactive whiteboards can enhance student engagement in classrooms, support various different learning styles, and improve lesson interactivity and effectiveness.
On the other hand, if these boards are purchased without thorough consideration, they could result in wasted money, wasted space, and ultimately, wasted technology.
To ensure a wise selection is made, schools must consider the following 9 primary considerations in relation to both teachers and students for many years to come: screen quality, touch sensitivity, connectivity options (including wireless/wired), availability of teacher training/resources, and a reasonable cost vs. benefit ratio.
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