Student participation is important, more so than interactive.

When the DET NSW laptop, IWB, ICT finally converge it will be how much we contribute, share and particpate that will engage learners more deeply.

That is why I dislike seeing technology/ICT used as “imporatnt words”, it deflects from the real issue, how to improve our learning which is an attitudinal mindset, not a skill.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, I enjoyed hearing how others are using their IWB’s

My first lesson using the board involved the class completing a table in a word document on a poem we were studying. It was the day after the board was installed and at this point I had had no training in using the software and just had a belief that if it was on the wall I needed to do something with it, if only to justify the money spent and also to maintain my credibility with my students. I want them to be risk takers in learning so I had to be too.

I had already prepared a table in a word document that I would have done with the OHP if the board hadn’t been there. I sat as a student in the room and typed as they talked, occasionally redirecting or asking questions. It was fascinating – the kids became very engaged in the discussion directing me and ‘editing’ what I typed along the way. The next lesson, on a different poem, I handed the keyboard over to the students.

And I guess that is my point – as much as possible I need to ‘hand over’ the technology to the students if the board is to become more than just a computer screen on the wall and all my students die from Powerpoint/Flipchart poisoning!

One aspect that does impact on their learning is the multi-modal capabilities of the technology – it does engage students in many different ways throughout lessons and there is more learning if there is greater engagement with the focus of the lesson. The novelty has now worn off and I have a new dimension to my preparation – how can I use the interactive dimensions in a purposeful way in this lesson today?