Interactive Whiteboards

I feel that interactive whiteboard really do help enhance teaching and learning within the classroom.

For teachers it enhances teaching because everything is right on the board, meaning that the teacher doesn't need to go get worksheets, or copies, materials, etc. Everything is simply saved write onto the board, such as presentations, links, side notes, etc. It enhances learning for students because that are always engaged within the activity or lesson going on. They physically can solve a math equation literally at the tips of the finger instead of trying to go back to their seats and remember what to do. I know when I was elementary school I loved being able to go up to the chalk board and right; I would have been amazed if I was allowed to go up to the Smart board to write when I was younger.

The technology for interactive whiteboards was not difficult to use. However if I didn't have a class that put time aside to teach us how to use some of the tools with interactive whiteboards, I probally won't have been able to gain as much as I did. The only probally I see is that if I don't use the interactive whiteboards that much I might have to eventaully be retaught or have a refresher with this software.

However, interactive whiteboards do have their pros and cons when installed into a classroom.
     Pros- every tool is right at your finger tip, most teachers are more confident because students are able to explore as well, interactive which makes for more participation, can store notes, images, lessons, links, etc. Already provides numerous ideas, lessons, pictures, etc.
    Cons- Expensive, not using real objects (sure students can interactive with the whiteboards but I feel like some things they need to physically hold in order to understand the subject)

I wish I knew how to use the interactive whiteboard at the beginning of my education classes; I feel like I could have done so much more for my lessons with the use of the interactive whiteboard. I did a math unit on numbers are adding. I could have did different interactive medias such as dice, games, videos, practice writing the numbers, etc. Also this could have help with a lesson I did on time. Instead of using a still image of a clock I could have used an interactive clock in which students could have came up to the board and physically move the hands on the clock to display a certain time. For my science unit, I could have did different experiments with the interactive whiteboard. Such as changing the state of matter.