Smart boards in the classroom
So far we have talked a lot about the children in the classroom but with the new trend of smart boards in schools, we should also consider the teacher part. Smart boards are interactive whiteboards that are supposed to replace the traditional blackboards. The question now is: are teachers literate enough to work with them? The interactive white board is connected to a computer with special smart board software on it. I think the majority of the teachers is too old, to get used to the new technology. There are other problems that I see when thinking about the smart board. First, the software only allows one student at a time to write on it, second the lesson is totally depending on working software etc. There are several advantages of the smart board too, for example it allows the competent teacher to make his lesson more visual and interactive. So what do you think, should smart boards replace the black board completely?
11 comments:
LOL: Who is writing this entry?
It's never too old to learn something about technology. You are right to point out the problem with White Board. Are they being used in German classrooms?
Yes there are, like the international Berlin British School (see: http://www.milde-marketing.de/html/british_school_electronic_whit.html)
However this is a private school and parents have to pay high fees for their children's education. I don't know whether there are any public schools as well already using white boards in the classroom.
Vivien
Yes, smartboards are used in ordinary schools as well! I observed English and maths lessons in a "Gymnasium" in Berlin-Biesdorf and they have them in nearly all rooms (I think they took advantage of a "pay one, get two" offer). Some teachers are a bit hesitant to use them but step by step, they are exploring the various possibilities the new medium offers. It was a highlight of the English lesson when they used the smartboard for the presentation of self-made podcasts about their class trip accompanied by funny pictures of the pupils and the teacher climbing up trees in an adventure camp.
Mareike
Indeed they are used. However, I have to add that the usage is not as easy as it seems at first sight. The teacher has to download the software beforehand and has to get familiar to the various functions which are offered. The more the teacher is interested in introducing this new tool to his/her classroom the more likely it is that he/she will try to figure out how the smart board works.
Nevertheless, it has to be pointed out that even though they are installed in many schools not many teachers know how to handle them and therefore avoid using them.
I think that smart boards offer a mulitude of interesthing aspects which might be an advantage for classroom settings. It is quite a shame that they are not used more frequently.
cheers,
Mel
However, I think that they can easily be used in the classroom but only as an additional medium being added to the those we all know.
I´ve downloaded the smartboard software and I think it´s quite interesting and worth a closer look. Once you get used to it, you can create a lot of interesting and interactive learning games for students to support your lessons visually. Apart from that, I still think that this should only be seen as another, possible instrument (if available at schools) which won´t replace the black board completely because of different reasons: it is probably still very expensive to purchase and it requires further training for teachers to get used to it.
With all these great functions the smartboard is supposed to offer I wonder why I haven't seen a single board in Universities yet.
As future teachers I believe it is necessary to get used to the smartboard before we enter schools so that we can start using it effectively.
Nicole
Yes I also agree that it needs some time to get useed to it as it always is with new things. But as technology just keeps developing it is just a matter of time that smart boards are integrated in all classrooms. As they offer a potent visual experience and multimodal ways of teaching a topic, we as teachers should concentrate on how to use them in an appropiate way. Therefore, I would also suggest that we should start to work with them already in university.
Viviana
We tried to explore the opportunities a smart board can offer in one of our didactic seminars and I have to admit that I was a little disappointed....I didn't really see the pedagogic potential of a smart board. Maybe we didn't get as far as exploring them, but for me right now the smart board doesn't offer - except being more interactive - anything else than a well done power point presentation.
Lena
I have done an internship at a school in Lankwitz. They had smart boards in some classrooms, but I have never seen them work with one. I think that many teachers might be scared by the new technology. In Germany we have mostly elderly teachers, who might not know how to use the new media. This is not only the case for smart boards but also for the possibilities the Internet offers in the classroom. How many teachers really know how to design their own webpage for example? I am very happy to learn some more about these things in the seminar, but teachers do not really have that opportunity.
Iulia
Some schools in Hong Kong also use Smart Boards, but this is really not the case for university classrooms. I think it is more for primary schools (at least that is the case in HK). Generally teachers express the frustration that there is no time in the curriculum for anything else other than the examinations!
Post a Comment