One of the must have items in a primary and secondary classroom is the interactive whiteboard. Interactive whiteboards are whiteboards that are mounted to the walls of the classroom and serve the same purpose as chalkboards did. These whiteboards are a combination of dry erase whiteboards that can be written on by students and teachers, and an interactive screen that can show projected images such as a computer desktop or computer application.
While this application might sound like a standard classroom item it is much more than that. Interactive whiteboards can be controlled by the teacher with a click of a mouse, an interactive pointer or even just the touch of a teacher’s hand. Due to the interactive nature of an interactive whiteboard, students can also be encouraged to take a more hands on approach to classroom learning.
Teachers who have access to interactive whiteboards have started to supplement their classes with a number of different media forms. For example, a lesson on China can include a Google map image of the country, photos of various parts of the country, audio files from those that live in China or even a brief lesson on the Chinese language. Instead of just reading about China straight from a text book, students are actually interacting and experiencing China as if they were really there.
Studies have been conducted that show that classrooms that have an interactive whiteboard have a higher percent of students that are engaged in the learning process. This could be because the teacher’s lessons are more interactive, engaging and allow the students to really explore the fun side of learning. Whiteboards also offer a multi-sensory classroom experience which allows the students to become more engaged with the classroom activities. When students are engaged in the classroom activities it allows them to remember the lessons that are being taught and encourages them to explore other aspects of the learning experience.