Technology & Learning - April 2009 - (Page 37) W W W.T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE WHITEBOARDS? “Teachers can control their PCs from it and do terrific lessons. Watching the kids interact is amazing, especially at the first-grade level. Everyone loves having interactivity on a standard whiteboard.” WHAT DON’T YOU LIKE ABOUT THE WHITEBOARDS? “A small annoyance: We occasionally get some reflection from objects we have clipped to the board and have to move it around.” HAVE TEACHERS INTEGRATED THE WHITEBOARDS SUCCESSFULLY? “We installed a Luidia in one class at 5:30pm,” says Tucker. “By 11 the next morning, the students were already using the board. The teacher figured it out before school started and used it immediately.” ANY ADVICE FOR SCHOOLS THAT ARE CONSIDERING WHITEBOARDS? Tucker suggests figuring out what your district needs, what it would really like, and the fluff that would be useful. Then pick the best-fitting solution. He suggests giving it first to the teachers who will use it the most, to increase enthusiasm. “Teachers like the interactivity, and they can use so many programs. They love the immersion into the curriculum. I like that they didn’t require an extensive amount of training.” Salmon would love it if the boards had a way to disengage. “When a kid touches the board, the PC it’s connected to gets affected.” “Definitely,” says Salmon. “They are doing a great job of integrating them. Even our student teachers have embraced the technology and been able to use it with students. They love it.” “Look at what functions and features you need. Put together a rubric to compare different boards. We didn’t just buy the first board. We want it to be standard in every school so that at the district level, maintenance is a no-brainer.” “The feedback is positive. Teachers say it opens a whole new realm for reaching kids. They’re thrilled with the lesson plans already created by other teachers in various subjects, and Interwrite support has been great.” As with any new technology, Wolfe says, there have been a few bugs, but they’ve been worked out quickly and easily. “The teachers who have them rave about them,” says Wolfe. “Many used the Interwrite pad before we bought these; they even bought the pads with their own classroom money.” Wolfe suggests evaluating your needs against the products out there, and then looking at your budget. “Plan for professional development,” he urges. “Also, be sure to involve your teachers in the decision process; you’ll create more buy-in.” “The boards are very well made, and the construction has been designed for longevity, which helps with technology budgets. The new eno board is supereasy to use and is practically indestructible.” “The board response was being confused by our teachers resting their hands on the board as they wrote, but the eno resolved that.” “The teachers recorded a 30 percent jump in test scores. I believe that was at least partly due to teachers using boards, as they amplify teacher instruction.” Ask yourself: Will the product enhance education? Will the company provide free tech support? Is staff development provided free or at a nominal cost? How long is the warranty? What are the installation costs? Do teachers want the product? “The teachers love it. Each teacher gets to install the software at home, and they are using it. They use other interactive programs, too, and the teachers and students all love the stylus.” “The boards require some calibration, but it’s such a simple process that it really isn’t a problem,” says Hawkins. “Teachers started using them immediately, and I’m getting lots of great feedback.” He is especially pleased that teachers have requested licenses for online software to use in class. “From an installation standpoint, if your infrastructure will allow it, go with a ceiling mount. It reduces the shadow, and the kids can’t play with it. Also, if you can afford to go with one in each class, it will improve your tech integration.” TECH & LEARNING | 37 http://WWW.TECHLEARNING.COM
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