Interactive whiteboards (IWB)

Reviewing the literature on interactive whiteboards (Beauchamp, Higgins and Miller, 2007) was this week's reading. Not only did it raise an interesting discussion in class but this reading also got me thinking too. I remember last year on prac, the only interaction I had with the Interactive white board was for playing games or marking the roll. the reading raises the issue that some teachers use the IWB for everything such as lessons, videos and interactive games whereas some uses them as a normal white board or don't use it very much at all. Why is this? Why is there such a difference from classroom to classroom? could it be that some teacher's find it difficult to integrate the IWB into lessons, has the technology been difficult to use or has there not been enough training? I guess the answer is subjective and I will find out with more experience using it. Beauchamp et al., argue that the IWB needs ongoing support and training (p. 218)

Students in my class argued that they were unsure whether children had equal time and use of the technology. Most of the attention were usually focused the one child who would get picked to answer a question, write something or click on the correct answer. The question is whether the rest of the children were still engaged while this was happening. How can teachers allow for whole class learning?

In my own experience, teachers' attitude towards the IWB and new technologies varied. Some were unwilling to incorporate new methods of teaching because they argued that the technology often failed, required maintenance or changed the way teaching used to be. Others were more open, used the IWB to engage and motivate students with the content and didn't just use it as a normal whiteboard or a device to show information. I wonder when all teachers will come to view the IWB in a more positive light. It is after all, a very powerful tool that facilitates and supports meaningful learning with the ability to engage and motivate students when used correctly and purposefully. 

For a start, let's all keep an open mind because inevitably technology is and will continue to impact on and challenge our teaching.

Higgins, S., Beauchamp, G. & Miller, D. (2007). Reviewing the literature on interactive whiteboards. Learning, Media and Technology, 32(3), 213-225.

TPACK

Although TPACK may sound like a hip hop artist or rap artist's name, I am in fact talking about an important model of teaching in the 21st century. TPACK stands for Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Here is a link to a youtube video we watched in professional experience class Thinking creatively part 1. 

As you can see in the image of TPACK, it is a complex interplay of three important strands of knowledge. Content Knowledge (CK) refers to the content in which teachers need to know before teaching a subject or lesson e.g. research, social studies or math knowledge. CK alone does not mean that you will be able to teach what you know. Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) contains the knowledge or know how to teach, convey and transfer information onto your students.

The third strand is Technological Knowledge (TK), which is increasingly playing a bigger role in the classroom. This strand includes the knowing how to use technologies relevant to the classroom. 

The TPACK model shows that all three elements of knowledge should come together in order to support and give a balanced learning experience. Teachers need to understand the content, understand how to teach the content and use technologies as a means of interacting with information and support your teaching or research.

I believe that this model is significant and relevant in teaching today. It also takes into consideration that each classroom is a unique context, hence the dotted circle around the model.


Koehler, M. (2011). TPACK. Technological, pedagogical and content knowledge. Retrieved from http://www.tpck.org/tpck/index.php?title=Main_Page

Technologies Mindmap

This mind map was made using a creative tool Bubbl.us. It makes concept mapping/ mind mapping fun, easy and visually appealing. I find that mind mapping is a useful way to link and draw out ideas from students whether it is done on a piece of paper, on the board or online. It can give educators insight into student's prior knowledge and any gaps in their learning. By working as a group or in a pair, students have the opportunity to collaborate ideas and expand on their knowledge.

Technology, an educational tool

Well, I guess you could say that coming back to uni from almost 4 months of break doing the odd charity work and working part time can be pretty overwhelming. I mean first day back and we students have already been swamped with looming assessments, groups have been made and not to mention the weight of books that will eventually cause me to have back pain early in life. But enough ranting and on to more productive things...


Professional experience 3 - Integrating learning technologies: one of my assignments is jump on the social media bandwagon and create my own blog, something I've never done before.  The aim is to blog about the experiences and observations you've made in class, reflect on your own learning and to really just embrace the era of technology that we have so rapidly been moving in. I can't help but wonder what new technologies will greet me tomorrow?


In my experiences from Pracs 1 and 2, I am not the only one struggling to keep up with the fast paced world out there. Many teachers argue that going to computer labs is time consuming, seeing as kindergarten do take a good 15 to 20 minutes logging in and then the next 10 minutes are spent on opening a folder. Smart boards have failed to turn on and smart board pens have run out of batteries which is when the ICT man/woman is in big demand to quickly fix the problem.


I realise that technology is no longer 'out there' but right here and right now. Almost every school and/or classroom has internet access, computers, Smart boards, some school even have tablet rooms, not to mention various other technologies such as beebots, projectors, digital cameras and laptops. These are all examples of the current technologies replacing the ones I used to encounter when I was a primary school student. In the 90's, we had over head projectors, VHS players, floppy disks, tapes and box like computers.


Class and this week's reading has taught me that technology should not be overwhelming, it should not be complicated and it should not replace good teaching and pedagogy. Instead it should be used as a tool to enhance teaching and learning, a space for creativity and endless possibilities. I do believe that technology does play an important role in any classroom. Therefore it is important that teachers are up to date with the latest concepts and ideas, are open to new technological experiences and most importantly; they should be prepared. Well planned and prepared lessons should aim to incorporate new learning experiences that could include videos, interactive games and problems or surfing the net for research, keeping in mind that technology does fail sometimes, things do go wrong but you always have to be equipped with charging on with the lesson until things are fixed. It is important that technologies are tools for helping students learn and experience things in new ways.



Roblyer, M (2006). Teaching with instructional software. In M. Roblyer (Ed). Integrating educational technology into teaching. (4th ed.). Merrill. Prentice Hall. Columbus, Ohio. Chapter 3.