Blackboard 2.0

Quill, blackboards, whiteboards...and now interactive whiteboards. We have come a long way with developing things to write on and using them in the classroom. My first experience with an interactive whiteboard (IWB) was way back when in 2008 – one day, my biology teacher had this strange white thing in the front of the class and we were able to watch videos on it. There was no need to move desks in order to make space for the projection screen that had to be wheeled in – exciting times! Other than watching videos and writing with different colour “pens” on it, we had no idea how to use it. Pretty soon, it became a glorified blackboard.

If you Google what an IWB is, you get some pretty good explanations. “An interactive whiteboard is an instructional tool that allows computer images to be displayed onto a board using a digital projector. The instructor can then manipulate the elements on the board by using his finger as a mouse, directly on the screen. Items can be dragged, clicked and copied and the lecturer can handwrite notes, which can be transformed into text and saved.” Pretty much sums it up, right?

Wrong.

You can also add annotations, highlight text, add notes and drawings and then save them to be printed out and shared – to name a few. It is also a great way to get students involved in class – they can come up and move/highlight/change the content themselves.

I think the IWB is a great tool to use in the classroom, especially in subjects like Life Orientation and Xhosa. For language purposes, you could use the highlight feature to show how words correlate or differ in spelling or meaning. When displaying content words in different languages, each language can be assigned a specific colour to make it easy to see. The video function will come in very handy for showing videos about Xhosa traditions and cultural customs. Clips about personality, bullying, career choices, etc will add some variety to a Life orientation class.

An IWB also has many practical advantages. Since you can touch the board directly, you don’t have to worry about things like where to plug in the mouse, connecting the right cable, hovering around the computer to be close to the controls or run around looking for chalk. You will be (or at least seem) more in control – no one will see you going through all the files in your computer looking for the right image/video/PowerPoint.

I also think it is a great way to encourage teachers to be more prepared for class – if you want to highlight or move things around; you need to know exactly where on the board what is and be very familiar with your content.

I hope I get to use one of these very soon!