C
omputer based teaching tools have been making inroads into the classroom slowly but surely over the last few years. One exciting example of this technology is the IWB-a tool which takes a normal whiteboard to another dimension by transforming it into an interactive computer screen. Originally this was another classic example of the possibilities of technology outpacing practical applications. Thankfully, software providers are now catching up and Express Publishing is well out in front of the pack.
Already, three of our major new series are accompanied by IWB software (Fairyland, Access and the lower levels of Upstream) and interest in them has been great. So why all the interest and what does this new technology have to offer?
Click on the cover of the IWB software samples provided below to view the entire sample contents!
To start with, it is new technology. Many teachers see it as an opportunity to bring something different to the classroom and see how they can utilise it to liven up the lesson. The fact that it is a teaching tool which makes use of computers and multimedia also makes it attractive to the SMS-sending, facebook-using, torrent-downloading student, who spends his/her life surrounded by the latest in technology-everywhere except in the classroom.
But is the above alone a good enough reason to use it? More than likely not. Unless technological advances are able to play a substantive role in teaching, they are nothing more than a shiny new toy, of which one rapidly becomes bored. The technology itself is enough to grab students’ attention at first; it is the use to which it is put that will determine its longer term success.
This was Express Publishing’s basic concern when the decision was taken to start producing IWB educational software. The product had to combine the excitement of the new with sound educational principles. Judging from the response so far, we have found the right balance.
To start with, a few words about the technical aspects of the programmes. It is important to stress that Express Publishing’s software works with any kind of interactive whiteboard. One of the reasons for this is the fact that the software comes with its own tool bar.
We have designed a set of tools that allow the user to interact with the programme. These tools are independent of specific interactive whiteboard drivers (the programme that you use to install the whiteboard on your computer). The toolbar also remains the same across our range of software, so once it has been learned (which takes all of five minutes) there is no need to learn it again. The programme also runs from a DVD and needs no installation.
Any educational tool has to meet two sets of criteria: that of the student and that of the teacher. So what can the teacher expect from Express Publishing’s latest classroom aid? Firstly, the software contains all the multimedia elements of the course: all the listening, video and animation (where available) have been included, so there is no more running around from board to CD player to DVD. Everything is operated with a click of the pen on the board, saving valuable time and keeping the learners focused.
Saving time and maintaining focus are two major issues with IWBs. Imagine you have to explain some grammatical phenomenon to the class. You need to draw the table on the board, write in the examples, etc, and at the same time keep the students’ attention. Not anymore! As the whiteboard software includes the entire grammar reference section and animated examples, explaining grammar has become a lot faster. The same is true of sample compositions and discourse management. If you need to analyse the tape script, just press on the icon and you have it there on the board for the whole class to see-try doing that with a page from the teacher’s book. Revision games? No problem-which one would you like to play?
As far as the students are concerned, please read the following taken from a Wikipedia entry on IWBs:
A research review by the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency reported the following benefits for students:
- Increased enjoyment and motivation
- Greater opportunities for participation and collaboration
- Improved personal and social skills
- Less need for note-taking
- Ability to cope with more complex concepts
- Accommodation for different learning styles
- Increased self-confidence
All the research quoted reported beneficial effects and no adverse ones. Of special interest was the improvement made by the weaker students.
The exciting thing about IWBs is that in many ways we are still at the beginning. In the near future, as more schools go on line, there will be increased opportunities to utilise the internet in the classroom (a possibility we are already exploring). As teachers become more familiar with the hardware they will be able to integrate peripheral material (pictures, websites, video, etc) more easily into the lesson. Lessons can be recorded and emailed to students who were absent (no more excuses for not doing homework). On-line distance learning becomes increasingly easier, and there are no doubt many other uses that have not occurred to us yet.
If we have managed to whet your appetite, please contact your local distributor and ask for more information. Welcome to the 21st century classroom.