Much debate has been made over teaching with interactive whiteboards and tablets. Interactive whiteboard technology became "trendy" in education in the early 21st century and districts began clammoring to get one in every classroom. As time went on and more money was spent on whiteboard technology, many of those traditional mounted interactive whiteboards became nothing more than very expensive dry erase boards.

We were, in fact, interactive whiteboard "naysayers" in the early days, believing that clickers had a much more direct impact on student learning and teacher effectiveness than interactive whiteboards and tablets, and we were quite frankly appalled that teachers would spend the entire day with their back to the classroom.

However, in the last few years, our beliefs have been shattered as interactive whiteboards and tablets have become portable and much more flexible in their use.

With easy-to-use whiteboard software, the creative and engaging lessons that we've seen created by teachers around the country are nothing short of amazing and are being used to teach topics in a fun, interactive way. Just step into a room where students are learning with an interactive whiteboard and you will feel the increase of energy and motivation in the classroom.

Interactive whiteboards, such as the MimioTeach, eInstruction DualBoard, or the mobile eInstruction MobiView allow teachers to display interactive content which can be easily manipulated by both teachers and students. The latest offering by eInstruction, the Mobi 360 for iPad, is a downloadable iPad app that allows the teacher to us the iPad to control their computer, student clickers, and whiteboard software with multiuser mode!

All of these different interactive whiteboards and tablets offer their own set of benefits.

How do interactive whiteboards work?

Interactive whiteboards like the eInstruction DualBoard can be installed on the wall of a classroom or mounted on a mobile mount. The MimioTeach simply attaches to a wall, dry erase board, or other surface with a strong magnet or adhesive strip, providing interactivity with the benefit of easy mobility.

Handheld mobile interactive whiteboards, like the MobiView by eInstruction or the MimioPad, provide the capabilities of a traditional interactive whiteboard with the mobility of a magic wand, allowing the teacher to access their computer from anywhere in the room. eInstruction's new Mobi Case for iPad even provides an ergonomic case for your iPad so that you can use it as your mobile interactive whiteboard!

The interactive whiteboard hardware is coupled with software installed on the teacher's computer, such as MimioStudio or eInstruction Workspace, that contain thousands of interactive lessons and numerous annotation and teaching tools which keep students engaged in the lesson and helps the teacher to drive the point of the lesson home.

A third requirement to an interactive whiteboard purchase is an LCD or DLP video projector, which allows the interactive content within the software to be displayed for all the class to see. To avoid shadows when students are interacting with content at the board, ceiling mounted or short-throw projectors make a nice addition to the classroom.

Why are interactive whiteboards so popular in the classroom?

Interactive whiteboards are kid magnets.

Some teachers may feel pressured to adopt an interactive whiteboard in their classroom and do so often times with pressure from the administration. However, when that very same teacher sees the enthusiasm in her students the first time she implements a whiteboard activity in the classroom, there is no turning back. The enthusiam of students is nothing short of contagious!

Organizing lessons and incorporating media is easy.

Interactive whiteboard software is a fabulous planning tool, allowing the teacher or trainer to lay out the framework of the lesson or unit within the software, making sure to incorporate all the necessary components for different learning styles within the lesson. That lesson can then be easily broken up into activities, lessons, days, etc. Many whiteboard software solutions also allows provide fun drag-and-drop simulations that make teaching certain concepts a breeze.

If you prefer to teach on-the-fly, the interactive whiteboard software allows you to easily pull websites and screenshots of many different resources into a file that can be provided easily to students who were absent or need reteaching.

Interactive whiteboards allow students to interact with lesson content.

No more does the teacher have to be the "sage on the stage" as the interactive whiteboard makes it easy for students to do just that - interact. They can discuss as they group, solve, or create at the interactive whiteboard. Some whiteboards and tablets even allow multiple students to work at a time, allowing the ultimate in collaboration. With multiple eInstruction Mobis, each classroom group can be working in their own "sandbox" on the board!

Interactive whiteboards work well with other peripheral technologies.

Because of its ability to work with other peripheral technologies, the interactive whiteboard is fast becoming a foundational piece of technology - like a video projector.View a student's writing in class under your document camera, use your interactive whiteboard to edit or annotate, view the results of a student clicker poll, or allow a student to manipulate a Livescribe pencast - all right from your interactive whiteboard! An interactive whiteboard allows you to interact with many different kinds of content - anything that you can run on your computer!

Interested in interactive whiteboards and tablets?

Contact us for more information or browse our ideas for teaching with interactive whiteboards and tablets!

 

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