Innovation Profile 002

Interactive whiteboards change teaching and learning approaches.

"The interactive whiteboard instantly transformed lessons."

" It has changed the way we teach, yet we are still only at the 'tip of the iceberg' in exploring the impact it can have."

" All the children want to be part of lessons that use the whiteboard."

With comments from teachers such as these, it is obvious that interactive whiteboards are an important new technology that should not be ignored.

A whole new body of knowledge is being generated about how use of interactive whiteboards can change teaching and learning in groups, for the better. Promethean (www.promethean.co.uk, www.promethean.co.uk/fr, www.promethean.co.uk/de) have developed Centres of Excellence in collaboration with educators. These Centres, and the ACTIVboard user forum, are generating insight into how best to use whiteboards to improve learning. (www.promethean.co.uk/centres_of%20_excellence/about.htm)

The Centres are also helping other teachers to learn the necessary skills and are providing accreditation in these skills. A next step will be to formalise the successful pedagogies being adopted by the teachers using the whiteboards.

Schools of all types now firmly believe in the effectiveness of this form of ICT-for-learning for whole group teaching across the curriculum. Many are seeking to equip all their classrooms so that the benefits can be spread across the whole school.

Specific benefits that are being identified by the teachers are -

  • more time working face to face with students instead of writing on blackboards.
  • the ability to re-use lesson content and to save preparation time.
  • better visual presentation, which is particularly good for children with dyslexia and those who struggle with text.
  • improved attention spans and involvement of pupils, and better behaviour in class.
  • collaborative planning of lessons helping teachers to focus on the quality of teaching and learning.

The best way to appreciate what is happening is to read the case studies and the comments of the teachers. A number of case studies in English can be found at www.promethean.co.uk/case_studies/casestudy.htm. Case studies in French and German are also being developed which can be accessed from the Promethean home page language buttons.

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If you know of examples of innovative use of ICT-for-learning that others would be interested in, please email innovations@eep-edu.org

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