Do Smartboards make students smart?

I was reading through my stack of magazines last night and I came across an article with the same title as this posting. The article is located in the August/September 2010 issue of neatoday magazine. The author, Rosita Force, teaches technology in Omaha, Nebraska. Her answer to the question at hand, "sometimes yes, sometimes no." Ms. Force provides two good examples for the pro Smartboard side. The first is a kindergarten teacher who's students learn letter sounds by tapping on letters on the Smartboard. The second is an interactive problem solving site by the BBC where students use their hands to make choices to further develop solutions. Ms. Force questions whether the use of Smartboards enhance our students ability to solve problems or if they are being used to babysit. She refers to teachers who have turned their IWB into a big movie screen. It saddens me greatly to think that there are teachers out there who would do such a thing.

The article raises the fact that the generation of students we have seated in front of us daily are so connected to technology and school often serves as their time away from their devices and gadgets. We have already discussed through our course readings that it may be to our advantage to incorporate the technological fads our students utilize into our teaching so they become more invested in the learning process. Does the increased usage of such technologies limit our students' creativity and innovation or encourage it? I think back to discussions with Alan Foley about developing mobile apps as teaching or learning tools. If students create their own programs or apps to use on Smartboards or Smartphones, it would appear they are solving problems on many levels.

Ms. Force ends her article by reminding the reader that some of our greatest thinkers had only tablets and a something to write with as tools. Are we doing our students a disservice by including more advanced tools in our classrooms in leu of pencil and paper? Only time will tell.

To read the article in its entirety visit neatoday magazine.

They don't all work the same way either...

This week the discussion topic will focus on different types of IWBs. There are different ways to operate, display, and interact with IWBs. I had no idea there was such variety in this tool.

Most Interactive WhiteBoards work using one of three main operating systems. Touch-based systems rely on changes in pressure over a membrane that is stretched over the electronics. Users like that fingers, pointers, or any stick like object can activate the mouse click. Electromagnetic pen-based systems utilize a coordinate plain and the displacement of electric signals to determine the location of the touch. Accuracy is a key feature with this type of IWB. The third category is ultrasonic IR pen-based. They can turn most surfaces into IWBs once the special pen is calibrated to the projected image. This type is also portable, which leads us to the display options.

IWBs use either front or rear projection to display the images on the screen. A video projector transmits the images onto the screen with the user in between in the front kind. The biggest issue with this type is that the user gets in the way of the image and can cast a shadow on the board interfering with the image and accuracy of the operation. Rear projection models tend to cost more than their front counterparts and pose the issue of where to mount the projector if the screen is located on a wall, since it must be behind it. Users enjoy not having to stare into the light while interacting with rear projection type.

How do IWBs sense that a touch is occurring? Resistive IWBs feel when two membranes touch and locate the spot of interaction. Electromagnetic IWBs react when magnets on the board surface or in the pen to pinpoint the location of the touch. Capacitive IWBs use an x, y coordinate and touch to produce the mouse click. Optical  IWBs use lasers and the reflection of inferred light to function. Ultrasonic IWBs work when ultrasonic waves become suppressed after being touched.

While writing this blog, I realized that this entry could have been several weeks worth. If anyone has questions about a specific type of IWB, let me know and I will do my best to locate an answer for you.  

I thought they were all SmartBoards.

A Google search for "electronic white boards" reveals that there are many brands that produce the product being discussed. I didn't realize that SmartBoard was the name of a specific company. It is probably the first name educators think of but it appears that the business world also has a strong presence in the market of purchasing these tools. Traditional electronics powerhouses Panasonic and Hitachi made the top 5 brand list from that search. The final two spots went to mimio and PolyVision. mimio focuses on the portable EWB market, while PolyVision offers progressive technologies including a calibration free model and one that requires no cables or wires.Going back to that Google search, the first link offered is for the Electronic Whiteboard Warehouse. Who knew that there was such a place? I was even more shocked when looking at the left side navigation menu and counted 20 different brands of EWBs. Did I mention that SmartBoard is not among them? The Warehouse offers bundled packages of EWBs, projectors, mounts, and other accessories from between around $1,000 and $4,000. The two best selling boards alone were $995 and $1095 respectively. Installation prices vary depending on the size of the board. Since the company is based in San Diego, I wonder how far they would travel to install the EWB to the standards they list on the website. Probably not all the across the country to New York. 


I wanted to make a connection to this week's course content. One of the synchronous communications that was discussed in the readings was video chatting. As I mentioned in my discussion board posts on BlackBoard, my 2nd grade class participated in a video chat last school year. The interactive white board that was housed in our school's library served as the medium for the video chat. It provided a large enough screen for all students to see and be seen by the friends on the other side. Since the librarian set up the hardware and the video chat, I am not sure if the EWB was used because it was convenient due to its size and lack of wall space or because the technology required it to be. 


Next time I will discuss the different types of interactive white boards. I didn't know there were different types. I am enjoying learning about them and sharing it all with you.

Introductions

Who? What? Why?


I am Greg Bickett. Currently I am enrolled in an Instructional Technologies Master's Degree program at Syracuse University. I have also just begun my 10th year as a Special Education teacher in the Syracuse City School District. I teach in an Inclusive 2nd grade classroom at Elmwood Elementary School.

This blog is going to focus on Interactive Whiteboards also referred to as IWB. We may recognize the brand name SmartBoard but IWB is the more general term for these devices. IWBs are free standing or wall mounted touch sensitive display boards that present images created by a computer and a projector. A Wikipedia page about this topic reveals that there will be plenty to discuss.

I chose to blog about Interactive Whiteboards for a few reasons. My school possesses several IWBs and is looking to purchase more with technology based grant monies. The 3rd grade Inclusive classroom, where many of my students will be placed, has their own IWB, so it would be nice to partner with them in to create a continuum or flow  to instructional practices especially for students with special needs. As I look at the trend of incorporating technology into classroom instruction, I see IWBs as an option that is very ready for integration and a replacement for chalkboards. Additionally, I have a friend who works for an educational technologies company that promotes products and staff development concerning Smart Techologies.

I intend to blog about what Interactive Whiteboards are, their uses, brands, and differences between them. I will also discuss classroom implications and lessons. I will attempt to include several different points of view by utilizing the resources available to me. I hope that followers will be able share their knowledge and experiences using such devices as we converse throughout the semester. I am by no means an expert on this subject but look forward to expanding my understanding and use of such a dynamic tool.