Whiteboard - White Elephant?
Article by Matt Dolan, Marketing Manager, Epic.
In 2000, Whiteboards were championed as the latest
piece of technology to revolutionise teaching in schools. Throughout
2003 – 4, BECTA earmarked £50 million for UK primary
and London secondary schools to invest in interactive whiteboard
technology. The Rt. Hon. Charles Clarke, Minister for Education,
speaking at the BETT show earlier this year said "I have been
hugely impressed myself by the use of electronic whiteboard technology.
I have seen really exhilarating lessons taking place, engaging children
in an entirely different way." Teacher of the Year, Baldev
Singh also enthusiastically backed the innovation, noting that teachers
were much more discerning than they were five years ago as they
come to fully appreciate the technology.
In addition, a recent study by the Education
Department, University of Keele has made some recommendations
for teachers intent on using the whiteboards to their full potential.
Referring specifically to teachers of mathematics, it suggests among
other things, that teachers get some initial training, including
how to switch it on, that they discuss sharing material with their
colleagues and not to worry about making technical mistakes as the
students will help them. Sounds like my old school days when the
betamax was dusted down to show a Stop, Look and Listen rerun.
However, drill further down the advice sheet and some interesting
observations emerge. Under the heading ‘We believe that teachers
will be more effective if…’ the following points are
made:
- There is a recognition that there will be a development of one’s…pedagogic
skills…
- Consideration is given to appropriate Continuous Professional
Development in terms of pedagogic and technological skills
- The classroom layout allows good visibility…
- Materials are designed so that they incorporate interactive
features…
- Pupils are encouraged to explain things to each other…
Much of which seems self-explanatory but it is gratifying to see
that teachers are being encouraged to expand teaching styles to
fit new technology rather than simply inserting the newest fad into
a tried and tested teaching format. Large sums of money have been
spent by education on whiteboards and the hope is that it is not
merely a drive to be seen to be advancing. There are plenty of industry
examples of whiteboards being purchased and then left to seed in
the corner of an unused room. It is also encouraging to consider
that technology-driven lessons are accepting that many learning
styles exist and that chalk and talk, which is at last drying up,
may not have much remaining shelf life.
Whiteboard resources:
http://www.nwnet.org.uk/pages/index.html
http://www.becta.org.uk/leaders/leaders.cfm?section=3_1&id=3173
http://www.ros.org.uk/iwb/researchers.htm
http://cardiffschools.net/~roelmann/whiteboard/
Do you have a example of innovative use of a whiteboard? Perhaps
you are a teacher who regularly delivers exciting lessons. Do you
use a whiteboard in a non-education environment? We’d love
to hear from you.
If you have any comments about whiteboards, this article or any
other spect of learning and e-learning please mail
us.
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