Are Interactive Boards the Solution?
[This post originally started as comment and turned into a response to "Is There a Whiteboard in this Class" on the "Developing Professional Staff-MPS" blog]
Shhh...don't tell the Minneapolis ITS people. I don't want to get in trouble, but I have to share my thoughts on Interactive White Boards (IWBs).
I had a Smartboard last year. It was replaced with a Promethean board this year. The Smartboard was great. However, I like the Promethean board better. It is a great teaching tool. The biggest differences are the surface (feels more like actual writing) and the pens (must use the pen on Promethean). I won't get into the software, that is another long post.
However, I'm not sold on IWBs being the best solution in the classroom. The board requires me or someone to be at the board. That's not really how I teach. I tend to sit at tables with my students and work with them. Rarely do I actually deliever lecture-style lessons. Therefore, having to be at the board is not where I'm most comfortable.
I won a wired tablet last year at a meeting. I haven't actually got my hands on it yet (Mr. Pierson, where are you?). That is much closer to what I think is the solution sans the wire.
A wireless tablet would allow me to sit at a table, discuss things with students and keep adding content to the board. I could also walk around the room when delievering lectures and still be in control of what is on the board (not that the board is needed).
Here are a couple solutions that I'd like to try out:
- Aver-Media Presenation Pen - completely paperless
- Papershow Pen - uses special paper
Or if you have to have a board:
- Eno - which is less expensive and more versital than other boards.
I'm not willing to give up my board at this point. However, the software is the key piece of the "magic" that happens with the board. The board makes it easy to use the software. A less expensive and maybe better product might just make more sense and get the technology into more rooms for same amount of money.