Interactive Whiteboard

Hey, me again! In this weeks IT session, we looked at the interactive whiteboard and all that it can do.

Have you ever used an interactive whiteboard? I had used them prior to starting university during my time as a teaching assistant..but, I had no idea just how much you can use them for. We explored some of the things that you are able to do and how using the software 'SMART notebook'.
This included;

  • using the pens (writing, magic pen)
  • inserting pages
  • adding image(s) (type into search on the picture icon to the left)
  • adding shapes and right clicking for properties (animation or fill)
  • adding animation (fade in/out)
  • adding spotlight (can make things disappear)
  • creating rub & reveal (guess the shape/word/sentence)
  • adding tables/graphs
  • adding cell shade (to hide and click to reveal)
  • changing properties - object transparency
  • using the magic pen - shape recognition
  • spliting the screen (screen icon)

...and more!

When using the interactive whiteboard, there is something that all children will be able to engage with. Barber, Cooper and Meeson (2007) speak of the importance of giving all children an opportunity to access the interactive whiteboard and benefit from doing so.



 'Magic Box' - to create a magic box, you add a shape and fill it with a colour. After this, add pictures and the ones that you want to go into the magic box, right click and 'send to back'. For the pictures that you would like to stay out of the box, right click and 'send to front'. This works to show children what is correct and what isn't and could be used in all aspects of the curriculum. The National Curriculum (DfE, 2013) 'Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology.'



  'Infinite clone' - to do this, you add letters/words and then right click, to infinite clone. This means that whenever the letter is clicked, it will create another one. Therefore, you will be able to use each letter as many times as you would like.
This could be used to see what words children could come up with using certain letters.





Phonics - We also looked at incorporating the teaching of phonics with the interactive whiteboard. 
I changed the beginning letter to the same colour as the background so that it would be exciting and engaging for the children as they drag the word into the correct box and see what it is. You could also challenge the children further by adding different sounds and words. This could be used for many different subjects.


 As you can see, an interactive whiteboard in the classroom can be extremely beneficial. Barber, Cooper and Meeson (2007) Explain that the interactive whiteboard is an engaging and potentially powerful tool when integrated into the classroom.
As a teacher, you can quiz the children's knowledge and ask them to come up and engage with the task. If there are technical issues, you can also print the pages and continue without the interactivity. Overall, I think that the interactive whiteboard is great for classroom use.

If you would like some more information on how to use an interactive whiteboard, then please click here.
Reference list
Barber, D, Cooper, L and Meeson, G (2007) Learning and Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards: Primary and Early Years Learning Matters Ltd

Department for Education (2013) The National Curriculum in England - framework document


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