INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARDS (IWBs)
REMEMBER ALSO MY DATA PROJECTOR RESOURCES
This page archived in August 2008
USING AN INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD FOR THE TEACHING OF GEOGRAPHY
Impetus for re-establishing and enlarging the page has been the development of the Norfolk 'Whiteboard Initiative'. If you have an IWB let us know what you think of them, how do you use them ? How have they improved your pedagogy ? What do the pupils think of them ? Which software would you recommend ? What useful websites are out there ? The whiteboards that were installed are SMART BOARD 580. Very nice boards.
You can download the MANUAL for these boards too, to see what the SMARTBOARD software is capable of. Lots of interesting annotation tools. There are 2 main programmes which are installed:
SMART Notebook
SMART Board Tools
Be sure to go to the SMART BOARD SUPPORT AREA to download the latest information and software and manuals.
ED COMPASS have some very useful free downloads.
A range of different resources are available.
So what is an Interactive whiteboard ?
2 useful articles:
http://www.curriculumonline.gov.uk/Whatisa/whatisaninteractivewhiteboard.htm?cookie%5Ftest=1
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected/connected8/specialfeature/differentypes.asp
Who produces Interactive Whiteboards ? What types are there ?
Sell SOLID STATE boards. ACTIV boards and ACTIV Studio 2.
Claim to be the 'world leader' on their website. We're getting the SmartBoard 580s.
Sells the CLEVERBOARD.
Mimio (Virtual Ink)
Fit on existing whiteboards. Infra-red and ultrasonic boards. The Mimio Xi is apparently the latest model. The company's website has 1 example in the Curriculum area at the time of writing: Africa geography
Bullet Point (Dual membrane boards)
Remember that boards differ, their specification and construction differs, as does their ability to withstand the rigours of life in the classroom, which tests most things to destruction - especially patience.
Was recently alerted to a different system: the ONFINITY PORTABLE WHITEBOARD SYSTEM by a blog posting by Sam Prince - looks interesting
If you manufacture IWBs and I've missed you off, get in touch and I'll add you to the list....
By the way, GeographyPages recommends SMARTBOARDS !
Keep in mind the learning objectives of the lesson.
The main features of an IWB are the interactions between resources such as CD-ROMs, website pages, Word documents and Powerpoint slides and the pupils / teachers. Tools such as highlighters and coloured pens will also be available. Images can be called up quickly, and demonstrations can be made of tools such as rulers and protractors. Students can come up and 'draw what they mean' on the board.
Key words can be highlighted, or removed from the text (a cloze exercise)
The whiteboard spells an end to cutting up cards: it can jumble letters or sentences and these can be dragged back to the correct place, or labels can be added to diagrams.
Some exercises that could be done on an OHP can also be done on the IWB. The IWB comes with blinds which can be pulled down over a page and then revealed from top down, left to right etc. The blinds can be closed when you want a group's attention.
Exercises can also be programmed to appear after a certain time, and stay on screen for a certain time, which means that pupils have a certain amount of time to carry out an exercise (although this could also be done with a digital projector..) I have downloaded a great FLASH BBC Clock from the 1980s which will act as my classroom clock.
DVDs can be played full screen, and sound can be added to the lesson ambience. This can mean that Starters are audio visual, and create an impact from the moment pupils walk through the door.
The TES (May 2003) published an article on the use of IWBs in lessons. It included the following useful tips:
Clear clutter from the front of the room
Stand to one side of the board when writing to avoid casting a shadow - also be aware of health and safety issues with extended periods of staring into the projector
Put the lesson aims and objectives up on the board to greet pupils as they come into the room, or use an open-ended starter activity such as a picture
Put together sets of flashcards which can be used in different ways - remember that once a resource has been created it can be reused
Sounds can also be used as prompts
Don't put too much text on the screen at a time
Make sure everything is easy to read from the back of the room - test out...
Exploit colour - consider using colour coding which is standardised across the department / school - or regular changes in 'wallpaper' to change the nature of the room
Make use of games and activities to get the brain working.
Even if you haven't got a board, download the software and you can still get a similar functionality with a wireless mouse on a surface, or use an AIRLINER tablet.index
There was also an excellent article in 'Teaching Geography' in October 2003, by Sarah Todd and David Jackson: "Using interactive whiteboards in geography". Try to get hold of this ! Make sure that you subscribe to the GA.
More recently, the Education Guardian on 10/01/06 had an excellent 8 page supplement called "Get on Board" which had a lot of excellent advice. See below for a link to an online version.
Try INTERACTIVE TEACHING for some information on the use of Whiteboards. The site is run by ROS WALKER. at the University of Hull. It is part of the REVIEW project: Research and Evaluation of Interactive Electronic Whiteboards. There are some case studies.
There is more chance to discuss Whiteboard resources, and the research into whether they actually make a difference, at this site run by ROS WALKER too.
BECTA has a useful site for resources in this area at their ICT ADVICE site. Looks at Ask the Expert, and is always grounded in research and evidence. Sign up to receive the regular NEWSLETTERS and you will get a regular set of subject specific ideas.
Do a search on the FERL site for more details.
Findings of the REVIEW project (University of Hull) can be seen by clicking the link. Suggests some uses of IWB in Geography. Interestingly it recommends GeographyPhotos. Looks at the impact of IWBs in education.
MIRANDA NET has some case studies for using IWBs in the classroom. This is part of a research project in association with Promethean, which explores "New pedagogies, new learning ?" - case studies are hosted at MIRANDA NORTH.
Some links from Norfolk based PRIORITAS. This is one of the most interesting pages on IWBs I've found so far. Lots of interesting links. Explore some of these to get some ideas to get you started.
http://www.becta.org.uk/corporate/publications/publications_detail.cfm?currentbrand=1&pubid=7&cart= - What the Research Says: BECTa document on the value of IWBs
I get mentioned on a website based in Australia. This is a Virtual Teacher Newsletter No. 114 September 3rd 2005 - IBW
THE FREE ONLINE FORTNIGHTLY IT TEACHERS' NEWSLETTER
Thanks to this site I was directed to the next link:
TONY POULTER has produced a long list of IWB sites, which should provide some useful FODDER for those who want to explore the technology further.
http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/mentalmaths/Calculator.html - a large screen calculator: a FLASH file - this is also available on some IWBs
Gavin Richards has produced a rather nice VISUAL GUIDE to SMARTBOARD software at his TEACHING WITH ICT site. Well worth downloading the PDF perhaps, printing in colour and laminating as a mousemat or poster next to the board.
Start with all my RESOURCES recommendations, many of which offer IWB stuff - PROJECTOR page also relevant.
There are over over 40 weblinks and resources on the PROMETHEAN site for Geography. Requires the FLIPCHART software, and many of links will be familiar to you (or don't exist anymore)
http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+Activities/Notebook+Activities/default.htm - a huge range of FREE stuff for your Smartboard for a range of subjects.... - not a lot for Geography though....
The EDCOMPASS site has resources produced using the SMART boards NOTEBOOK software. The UK page has a range of stuff for Geography - the other geographical regions presumably do too..
http://edcompass.smarttech.com/ec/en-US/Learning+Resources/Lesson+Activities/Notebook+Activities
Don't forget that the EMBEDDING ICT initiative has some useful materials, including a booklet on "Use of Interactive whiteboards in Geography." The booklet can be downloaded as a PDF file from TEACHERNET
Check out the ICT across the Curriculum (ICTAC) materials for more details.
The E-Riding site has a useful section on WHITEBOARDS. Materials for KS2 for use with SMART boards (.xbk format)
Head over to the OS GISZONE and download the 6 missions which are now available to get you started on using GIS. They come with a series of support materials and worksheets which can all be downloaded from the Teachers Zone.
Mr. P (not me) from Australia has a good blog on using a Smartboard with a Primary Science class. I'll no doubt add some bits to Geo Blogs as I get used to it.
Search on the TEACHER RESOURCE EXCHANGE for the area you want, and then look for the INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD icon on the details. They include a range of PHOTO SETS, Blockbuster type games and a range of other ideas.
BOARDWORKS and BIRCHFIELD are amongst the companies who produce interactive whiteboard resources to purchase.
CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY has made available 4 sets of resources which I intend to make use of. For example, there's a nice activity where people say where they went on holiday and these are then mapped. Follow the link below:
http://www.teachers.tv/subjectBlock.do?transmissionBlockId=144128&zoneId=1 - from the Primary ICT programmes.
This is a set of links to clips from TEACHERS TV programmes. The programmes go into BASIC and more ADVANCED techniques for planning lessons using an IWB. This is a great resource for those who are new to the technology, and thanks to Tony Poulter for putting this link on his page.
Try PUZZLE CREATOR for some rather good starters. You can get a FREE evaluation version which takes an image and turns it into a full screen JIGSAW puzzle. This is a good starter. Remember that you need to RIGHT CLICK to rotate the pieces, so work out how to do this before using the resource. With my Smart Board I have to keep my finger pressed on the board for about 3 seconds to bring up the right click menu. This may vary depending on the model. Remember also to put the pen back in the tray or all you get is a pen mark on the screen....
Check out my RESOURCE page for a link to a FREE online BLOCKBUSTERS generator.
FOR SPENDING MONEY ON
The BOARDWORKS company offer a range of resources for use with Interactive Whiteboards. You can order a sample disc. Available to buy with your eLCs. Make sure you get your share - I know I did.
PERSONAL HINTS & TIPS : THIS WILL BE A GROWING LIST....
Some of these garnered from the SLN GEOGRAPHY FORUM. Many thanks to those people who make this such a valuable CPD resource.
1. Make sure that the front of the room is cleared of clutter so that you and the students can access the board easily. I have now done this. The laptop is on a stand, and there's plenty of room for students to come up to the board. I have also purchased a BELKIN BLUETOOTH DESKTOP which can be plonked onto any student's desk.
2. A recent posting on SLN Forum referred to the SMART VIDEO tool, which sounds rather good. This allows for the annotation of video clips, a little like the lines drawn on by commentators at sports fixtures showing field places at cricket for example.
3. Check the forums at the NATIONAL WHITEBOARD NETWORK and resource sites like GEO INTERACTIVE.
4. Have protocols for who uses the board. Anyone using it must have undertaken a course. Have laminated guides next to the board to explain the basics of how they are used, and what should NOT be used.
5. Transfer regularly used videos to DVD format as short clips which can be paused and over-written.
6. Make sure that you have your pen set to a narrow width if you want control, and practise using your finger. May want to have some wipes handy to remove grease if necessary from sticky fingers - either your own, or your pupils'. Also set the eraser to a thin line so that you can erase slight errors, and if you want to erase a larger area of the board, draw round the area in a circle then tap in the middle. The back of the finger nail seems to work best, or a quick tap with the knuckles. Also make sure that the board is calibrated each time a different laptop is attached.
7. Clearly label the board for anyone who uses your room: NO PENS OF ANY KIND TO BE USED ON THIS BOARD (and keep your fingers crossed) - I've also invested in clear plastic boxes to hold all the pens and remotes for projector.
8. Get some SECURE LOCKS on the doors, and get into a routine of locking up appropriately.
9. With SMART BOARDs running version 9.0 of the software and above, press the board for 2-3 seconds for the right click menu. Make sure you keep up with the software updates.
10. Capture video stills to Notebook to do a captioning style exercise, or rearrange the clips to make a sequence.
11. Head over to the GUARDIAN site where you can download a copy of a supplement which was published in January 2006.
The link to the resource, called GET ON BOARD is here.
12. Use SMART BOARD RECORDER to model a sequence of tasks which you would like the students to complete, then play it back in a loop with Windows Media Player - this will then MODEL the task and they can see what to do without asking you every 5 minutes....
13. Use IMAGES and COLOUR as starters... Get some pictures on the board...
14. This is a newly discovered (2007) resource thanks to Tony Cassidy
It's a weblog for RS teachers
Has loads of useful templates for use with IWBs
http://rsteacher.edublogs.org/interactive-whiteboards/
Check it out !
Many thanks to Andy Lockley of Reepham High School, Norfolk for running a Whiteboard training course which I attended on the 14th of October 2005. Amongst the things I learned on the day were: BULLET HOLES: an idea for using images with pupils and getting interactivity at the start of the lesson. Cover the image with a BLACK layer and then allow students to start erasing the black covering to reveal the image. By answering the questions they have a chance to come up and reveal a little more of the image. Can you tell what it is yet ? How to get handwriting into TEXT - which I'd not got round to doing before. Also good to network with colleagues from elsewhere in the county.
WHY NOT SEND IN SOME NOTEBOOK FILES FOR MY IWB PAGES. This will hopefully grow into a useful resource.
Thanks to Helen Edmundson and colleagues Rebecca Dawbarn and Ben Utting at Sprowston High School, plus thanks to Terry Mansfield for various resources.
Make sure that you get the FREE GAME GENERATORS from CONTENT GENERATOR which produce FLASH animations which can then be played on IWBs, and then spend some cash on one of the other versions.
New SHOOT THE HOOP game available soon.