Interactive Whiteboards: Leading us into the 21st century or chaining us to the past?

Chris Betcher is an Australian teacher, author, blogger and podcaster. 

He blogs about education, technology and ideas at betchablog.com, and produces The Virtual Staffroom, a podcast featuring conversations with leading teachers about the use of technology in the classroom. 

He has presented at conferences and workshops in Australia, New Zealand and Canada on the effective use of technology for learning, and is an active member of the online global educational community. 

Chris is also the co-author of the book “The Interactive Whiteboard Revolution”.

"Love them or hate them, interactive whiteboards seem to have become a part of today’s modern classroom.  There are many teachers who see them as a wonderful ‘window to the world’, able to open their classrooms up to a plethora of digital experiences, make learning richer and more engaging in the process.  Then there are others who see IWBs as the devil incarnate, a scourge on the educational landscape that sets our classrooms back by thirty years. They claim them to be setting the sage back on the stage and ruining the student focused nature of the classroom."

VSR30: The Whiteboard Conundrum   November 1st, 2009

In this episode as we speak with Rob Newberry, James Hollis, Danny Nicholson, Martin Levins and Stuart Walsh, five experienced and opinionated IWB users and try to explore some of the bigger, deeper questions behind the use of IWB technology.

Interactive Whiteboards: Leading us into the 21st Century or chaining us to the past?

View more presentations from Chris Betcher.

Love to hear from you

Ten Disruptive Uses of Your IWB

I found this fascinating quote today:

As I said before, there is a great temptation to be the didactic teacher when you have this type of technology. While it is fun to play with the toys, you will be surprised when you give your students the opportunity to try their hand at working on the board – and not just to write one word or to circle the mistake in a maths problem. Give groups of students control of the board for extended lengths of time, use your IWB as a station in a learning journey. Even just to brainstorm what they have learnt at the end of the day.Hall Jackson, The Interactive Classroom, May 2010

You should read the whole article.

Are you looking for an advanced interactive whiteboard course?

Image by James F Clay via Flickr

September 14                          Location: North Coast

This is a 1 day (6 hour) course which includes:
Develop advanced skills and understanding in the use of the lesson creation software;
hands on experience to extend skills and knowledge using the IWB applications, hardware and lesson creation software;
and review of the applications to enhance school based teaching/learning activities with a focus on quality teaching.
Specifically designed for primary and secondary teachers who have experience using Interactive Whiteboards and lesson creation software.

Venue: Toormina DET Office, Cnr Lyons & Toormina Rds, Toormina 2452

Contact: Jessica Little PO Box 275, Grafton NSW
Jessica.Little@det.nsw.edu.au
66909505
As advertised on TaLe

What a great game-Jeopardy

Video – Jeopardy VC Tournament Grand Final

3 07 2009

The Sydney Region of the New South Wales Department of Education and Training in Australia has been running another fantastic Jeopardy Tournament comprising 32 schools across the entire state via Video Conference! A recent State Government initiative to install a “Connected Classroom” into every school by the end of 2010 is making possible exciting opportunities that would otherwise simply not be imaginable.

Check out Stu's Double Jeopardy at my These are a few of my favourite web 2.0 things blog

Create your own worksheets in seconds

From this site you can create your own customised maths worksheets in seconds-FANTASTIC for IWB use.

Information and Communication Learning Technologies

Hope these can be of assistance:

Educational Origami

Educational Origami is a blog , and a wiki, about the integration of ICT into the classroom,

Edugator

Integrating technology into the curriculum

Information and Communication Reviews for teachers-links to teachers toolkit

Interactive Whiteboard resources

Intel K-12 Teaching Tools

Intel K-12 Teaching Resources

Teachers TV Australia-need to log in

Information Communication Technologies _Becta

ICT Tools for teachers

ICT Links within the Syllabus Development and Resources directorate
ICT from CMIS

Online learning activities

Open ended software

Theme pages EdNA
Teachers and students find online curriculum content engaging, interesting and effective. Integrating learning objects into teaching and learning can have a positive effect on student outcomes. The following links are to freely available learning objects within the edna repository.


The site for ICT teaching.

Hundreds of free downnloads, including posters.

Gifted Students, Thinking Skills and ICT

Northumberland NGfL: ICT Resources

Northumberland NGfL: ICT Resources - Dazzle

Digital Story Telling " 2008 " May ICT@Mt Waverley Primary
The ‘Wow’ Factor! Digital Story Telling has created a revolution at our school! A rich tapestry of stories has emerged about the lives of our students. We have learnt so much more about these kids – about what is happening in their lives and what is important to them. These children have real stories to tell – how often do we give them the voice to tell their stories?

The Education Podcast Network

The Education Podcast Network is an effort to bring together into one place, the wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century.

Powerful Software Seminars-Coffs Harbour and Dubbo

If you are a proficient user of ICT in the Classroom IWBNet would like to invite you to present at the Powerful Software Seminars to be held around Australia.

We are particularly looking for teachers who can present one day seminars in Dubbo and Coffs Harbour. The first scheduled dates for these two cities is Dubbo – Wednesday 6 May and Coffs Harbour – Monday 25 May 2009. There are two seminars on each day. Seminar One runs from 9.00am to 12 Noon and Seminar Two runs from 12.30 to 3.30pm. There may be additional dates later in the school year.

The Powerful Software Seminars aim to provide classroom teachers with access to great software (single user licenses are provided), step by step instructions and classroom lessons including Freeware and Shareware. Presenters will demonstrate the software to the audience and take them through a roadmap on how to create lessons using the appropriate software packages.

Delegates will be asked to bring their own laptops (with administrator rights) on which to load the software and to use throughout the sessions.

In PSS Seminar 1 (Freeware use in your classroom – suitable for K - 10) you will demonstrate three very powerful software applications that can be used in K – 10 classrooms; Pivot StickFigure Animator, All Things Google and Phun.

In PSS Seminar 2 (Kid Pix Deluxe 4 in your Classroom – suitable for K - 8) delegates will receive their own licensed copy (CD) of Kid Pix Deluxe 4 which they will install on their laptop at the beginning of the session. The presenter will then take them through a “view” of the software to demonstrate the features of the application using classroom examples.

As a presenter you will be supplied with the software, step-by-step instructions, presentation templates, a presentation running sheet, a CD Rom of samples and resources, all required technology for the seminars and phone support with an experienced trainer.

This is a commercial proposition and so IWBNet will provide a relief fee to your school and a daily presenter's fee.

If you think you have the necessary experience to deliver one of these seminars, live within driving distance of Dubbo or Coffs Harbour and you are available on the relevant date above please email team@iwb.net.au – We will then send you an Offer to Present which will need to be signed by your Principal and you, and returned to IWBNet.

For more information on the Powerful Software Seminars go to http://www.iwb.net.au/seminars

Best regards

Margo Metcalf

IWBNet Pty Ltd

www.iwb.net.au

Timer for the IWB

Timer for the Interactive Whiteboard

Primary ICT IWB Science lessons

This 15 minute video offers seven whiteboard lesson start ideas for primary science:

Primary ICT - Whiteboard Science - Seven Lesson Starts