iBook - Engaging Learners with Interactive Whiteboards

In the first chapter of the iBook, the most important thing that I learned about Interactive White Boards (IWBs) is that they can get students actively involved in learning. However, simply installing an ActivBoard in a classroom will not magically increase student achievement. Therefore it is crucial to learn how IWBs are best used in the classroom.
The first chapter of the iBook provides a list of strategies and features that research has found to have a positive effect on student learning. These include: highlighting important content, matching items, and importing pictures,
According to this iBook, there are three features that raise student achievement by 26% or more. These are: student response systems, graphics and videos, and reinforcer properties.

When using IWBs, there are challenges to consider as well. For example, in my placement classroom, the teacher has been unable to use her ActivBoard this year because a necessary cable is missing. While someone has come to fix this, the wrong part was ordered, and now she is waiting for the replacement part to arrive. Other challenges to consider according to the iBook are teacher confidence and school culture.

Midterm Checkpoint

As this is the middle of the semester, I feel more at ease in a technology class. So far, we have posted blogs, created wikis, and taken digital pictures for a scavenger hunt. I have enjoyed applying the materials and technology at my high school field placement. My favorite aspect of this class is taking what we have learned and implementing the technology in the classroom. The students in my classes have seemed to enjoy the technology I have integrated into my lessons.

For the rest of the semester, I am excited to use more technology in new ways. I am especially excited to learn how to create and edit movies, as this is something I have not attempted before. It will be great to learn more ways to use technology effectively!