TECH3008: Using IWB in the learning environment

Before reading, please watch this short video;

Using IWB in Classroom

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) that are structured to serve the pedagogy field are expected to: ease the teaching process for the teacher; strengthening the interaction between the teacher and the students and make the learning process more interesting for the students.

The Interactive White Board Technology (IWBT)

The Interactive White Board Technology (IWBT) is the epitome of such technologies. IWB is simply an electronic touchable whiteboard connected to a network-computer and a data projector. It enables teachers and students to use a non-ink pen tool to write on it and some types of IWB allow finger touch as well. The IWB promises to be a tool for "the creation of a student-centered collaborative environment" but after using it, it has been

viewed as a double-edged sword instead.

It facilitates the delivery of information to the students. It provides the teacher with an easy and quick access to the internet that enables him or her to upload facilitative materials for the lesson and enhance the presented materials with multimedia. It also allow the teacher to save what he or she has done during the lesson as notes that can be used later by the students when revising and by the teacher him/her-self anytime he/she wants to teach the same content.The notes-saving feature helps the student focus on the teacher's explanation rather than on taking notes.

The non-ink pen used with the IWB

There are some limitations in the use of IWBT in the classroom. One of them is the fact that sometimes either the board or the projector doesn't function properly which consume time to be fixed . Furthermore some of the IWBT's services require a technical mastery which some teachers lack and thereby this stands as a challenge in using IWBT. Moreover some teachers take the pen which is linked to the board to their offices by mistake which affects the other teachers' ability to use the IWBT. Additionally, some teachers forget to save notes which pan the students form utilizing the notes-saving feature.

In our schools, one main challenge in using IWBT is teachers. Our teachers are not qualified enough to deal with different technologies and fix technical problems. In many schools, IWBT are available but they are not used effectively by the teachers who prefer using the traditional way of information delivery rather than tangling with technology. The surprising thing is that those boards are used as passive tools instead of interactive ones because of the teachers low mastery in using them. Another challenge is the network. Unfortunately, the network access in our schools is limited which place our teachers and students far away from the available media that support the study materials .

In the future I hope I will be employed in a school where IWBT is available because I believe that we have to accustom our students to using technology to help them cope with the current world. Furthermore, IWBT will make my students interested about my lectures and simultaneously about the subject because IWBT: makes my students experience a new sophisticated way in learning; enables me to enhance the study material with multimedia which students like and the touchable nature of the IWBT attracts students and allows them to interact with the board. Even if IWBT is not available I will use the active inspire program for some of my lessons since this program has similar features like the IWBT.

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