I recently explained Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards Too which like my other posts on the topic received numerous responses. Kent3, who clearly cares about helping students succeed, wrote a thoughtful (three-part) comment which deserves at least a blog entry (or two) in response. I enjoy being challenged in thought-provoking ways on my views and respect those who can move or help grow my thinking.In this case, though, it’s another opponent in the ring who tried to change my mind about IWBs being tools of needless, misguided spending that has not changed my beliefs. Like the IWB companies who masterfully market to educational institutions to gain huge profits from schools (and all those who they pay), ), Kent3 (surely unintentionally) is confusing the power of the internet, laptop/tablet, projector, speakers with the power of the extra very expensive IWB add-on.
This doesn’t surprise me as these companies spend countless dollars to lead people to believe that the device runs the show. Confusing the masses into believing this, which means big profits for them. The reality is the co-star of this show (aside from the teacher and students) is the internet, which is supported by that fabulous laptop or even better the supah stah...***The Tablet***. Putting them up in lights, is of course, none-other-than the beloved... projector!!! Providing sound is those powerful, but very affordable (under $40) speakers.
The IWB is merely a highly overpaid insignificant extra that can be replaced by any number of other free and more effective substitutes.
IWB just has a very good (marketing) agent that fools you into believing he’s the star. I did read Kent’s entire research report supporting IWBs. Not surprisingly what I found is there is not a single instance where IWBs aren’t given credit for the work of the real tech stars of the show: the laptop/tablet, internet, projector, and software (which can/and often is run independent of the board, whose functionality can be accomplished with alternate free software as well). Examples include:
- A photo was displayed on the IWB and revealed in portions using the ‘spotlight tool’.
-Ahem, you don't need an IWB to display a photo or to use a spotlight tool. - Speaking Activity – Students reported on current events using Internet News websites via an IWB.
-Huh? What does the IWB have to do with bringing us current events or websites that have current events. The other hardware stars are responsible. - Selected student’s work was displayed on the IWB at the end of the lesson using the visualiser.
-Ummm...I don't need an IWB or visualiser to display student work and actually, I'm more interested in where this work was authentically published and the global community who was involved in the conversation. - Using the IWB students had to write their name on a continuum identifying ‘How well do they swim’.
-Okay, why do I even need any tech for this??? Let's have students line up and have cool conversations with classmates about where they belong to do so. - There's lotsa arranging and prioritizing.
-We can do this easily, more efficiently, and with more interactivity without an IWB. Why on earth are we using and IWB to prioritize? Not necessary. - Downloading onto the IWB and playing the song ‘Come on the bay’ engaged the boys who were usually reluctant singers.
- Ahhhh! You didn't download on the IWB. You downloaded on a computer. No IWB required. - Students were being read to by a ‘talking book’ on the IWB.
-Well, umm, no. The talking came through the speakers and the book was on the laptop. IWB is unnecessary. - The teacher displayed a work sample on the IWB while the students were completing the task. This allowed students to complete the task without having to be continually reminded of what to do.
-Really? Do I even need to explain why the $2.5K investment is an extra with an overpaid agent here????
If I had the extra bucks to throw around in these cash-strapped times, I would instead cast a shiny class set of student response systems or Smart pens or maybe 10 iTouches or netbooks. These extras would no doubt soon rise to the role of supporting actor or maybe even steal the show. They certainly would be more worthy of idolization then those overpaid IWB extras who are typecast to a boring front and center role, never mingling among or even having the opportunity to go home with their audience. Instead, my stars would shine, connected to a student, rather than that of an immobile (but valuable) Midas star stuck helplessly in front of the room. The reason that’s important and all the other flaws of using an IWB vs more effective means of teaching and learning is the topic of yet another post indeed.
Stay tuned.
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with you here, at least on a few points.
You make reference to a powerful technology tool called "The Tablet" and "The Projector". I've used both in the classroom, at let me at least share my experience.
As a math teacher, I tend to be pretty dynamic in the classroom, and use all of the white board space I have. I'll work through a problem on part of the board, make notes on another part,
and do the "side math" calculators on a third.
I convinced my admin to get me a tablet (we couldn't afford a IWB). All set up and ready to use, I was excited to be able to
a) Make better notes and lessons with pieces of free software like Evernote.
b) Be able to save my notes online for students who couldn't keep up or who missed the day
c) Instantly have access to various colours, shapes, math tools, etc.
d) do all of the things that IWB were able to do
Here's what happened...
When I had to actually use the tablet to teach, I noticed two things.
1. I was stuck in one place! Indeed, I couldn't even write legibly standing up - perhaps that's just me, perhaps not, but I had to be sitting at a desk, hooked up to the projector which was sitting in the middle of the room. Being completely undynamic when creating notes caused classroom management to be an issue - at least if I was in the middle of the class standing I could reach a desk to teach from for a brief moment. Sitting created an "atmosphere" change in the students.
Not only was I not mobile, but moving around the classroom was a bit more challenging for all because of both the projector cart and the cables (power cord, etc).
If I cost it out, it's almost as much as the cost of an entry level IWB. Tablet is ~$1300, projector is ~$800.
What could an IWB have done (and now that I've used one, it has for me)? For starters, when a school is willing to drop money on an IWB, they are usually willing to drop the few hundred more to set it up right. Mount the projector on the ceiling, run the cords down the wall, have a plug in the middle of the room, etc. Also, some of the IWB, for a bit more, don't even need a projector!
The second thing I noticed is that I had a ton less room - you could argue that the same thing happens on a white board since I'm really just attached to the laptop and using their software, but it "feels" bigger, and I can write easier on a larger surface. When you're writing for an hour a day between teaching, it makes a difference. Call that 5 hours a week, 35 weeks of the year - 175 hours of "easier" writing. Granted, this is just my experience, but I'm glad the board paid the money to save me the frustration.
Now, to your points
"A photo was displayed on the IWB and revealed in portions using the ‘spotlight tool’.
-Ahem, you don't need an IWB to display a photo or to use a spotlight tool."
No, you don't. But what you need is someone willing to find out how to do it the other way. You need a teacher willing to do the research, or a tech department willing to load and teach the correct software, to do this. After getting around the tablet/laptop issues, there is a bit of "ease of use" that is so nice. Part of the reason that Mac computers sell SO WELL to families and individuals is they "just work". They are intuitive, they generally don't crash, and they are all the same. IWB software has been made in a similar fashion - for a techie like me, I don't mind trying to find a substitute, or a few substitutes, for the various things that it does. But for non-tech teachers, those who don't spend the time to do the research and training required, it's nice to be able to show them something reasonably intuitive.
Part 2:
ReplyDelete"Speaking Activity – Students reported on current events using Internet News websites via an IWB.
-Huh? What does the IWB have to do with bringing us current events or websites that have current events. The other hardware stars are responsible."
I'll attribute this to "coolness factor" and "ease of use" again. The coolness factor (I want to use the board, let me show what I can do) is part, which, I agree, a laptop/tablet could also achieve. The ease of use, however, is also evident. Being able to touch and drag, or click while still looking at your audience instead of down at a screen makes this a more dynamic activity. How many students have we seen staring at computer screens while powerpoint slides go across, barely looking up.
Sadly, "coolness" factor plays a lot into who gets in front of the class, and laptops just don't do it, again, at least for my students.
Regarding the visualizer - I refer you to another blog with an example of why this is helpful...http://techtips4teachers.posterous.com/document-cameras-cant-get-one-build-your-own
An IWB can be just as engaging as the clickers (which are great, I agree) or netbooks. Students come up and use it, and it can be central to any lesson that you put it in. Perhaps it's just my subject, or the students that I teach, but I still stand at the front for 15-20 minutes working out problems, writing notes, showing examples, etc. The IWB makes this saveable, and more efficient than a tablet. Laptops are out of the question for me because you can't write math effectively on a laptop.
The cost of the materials required to do better than an IWB is similar, albeit a bit less.
Anyway, I've had success with them, and I'm glad that I don't have to adjust projector carts, prevent students from tripping on wires, sit at a desk and try and write on a tablet legibly and fit my work into a 15 inch screen.
Just my 2 cents...
Well you've got me thinking. I am mixed in general. I know that students are highly visual and that an IWB can illustrate concepts in ways that include, say, showing how blood circulates through the heart and maybe offering "what if" visual possibilities. Can only the IWB do this? I guess not.
ReplyDeleteI do think that eventually IWB's will not exist and be supplanted by other devices, e.g., tablets; the Wii solution; projectors with interactivity built in; real wireless projection possibilities (and so far wireless projectors earn a C- at best.)
One thing that seems evident - anything fixed and requiring forward facing by its very nature can be inflexible and rigid. That said I have seen some awesome lessons done with IWB's.
So I remain on the fence.
In my cash-strapped school, an IWB was out of the question. However, I was able to scrounge a projector and spend some of my own money on a document camera which is connected to my laptop. I LOVE the document camera! I am able to project work sample using the projector, create movies of math examples ahead of time, display a real book and zoom in on specific pictures or text for discussion. For me, this tool was exciting and the kids were comfortable using it because it used a regular pen and paper. I can toggle between the doc cam and my lappy for lessons on youtube or ppt or even using a graphics tablet. I even threw in a blue tooth keyboard for collaborative writing. All without a IWB. Cost? lappy, projector, bluetooth keyboard, doc cam ($300-800 depending on how fancy you want it).
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom we used email for communication, wikis for collaboration as well as developed simple web sites...I was impressed at what they were capable of doing in Grade 6. The doc cam opened up some great discussions on writing because we were able to project the students work, real time.
Food for thought.
@Kerry, yep. That's a great combo. Agree.
ReplyDelete@Pamela, I think every person has seen that blood heart demo, but it's from the laptop. No IWB required...savings $2000. I'm a bit confused about the fixed comment. I think you are referring to the fixed nature of an IWB requiring a back to the students. This is why I like using a laptop or as Kerry suggests a document camera.
@Graeme, will need a moment to read through your response.
@Graeme, Thank you for sharing your feedback. It sounds like you are indeed a dynamic teacher and I appreciate your feedback, but ( you knew that was coming right), not sold. In response to your points:
ReplyDeleteNeed for more space then a tablet affords
The IWB takes the same amount of projection space as a tablet. You say you are working through a problem on one part of the board, making notes on another part, and doing the "side math" calculators on a third. You can just open three windows in your Tablet. Also, re: your writing notes comment, I’m not following that either. I would think you’d already have all that prepared and ready to project.
You can’t write legibly standing
I’m not following. When you write on a board, you’re standing. However, why stand anyhow? I sit with my students when I teach using the real tools that educators use which includes a keyboard.
Being in the middle
You lament that at least if you are in the middle of the class you could reach a desk to teach from for a moment. I’m really not following. With the non-IWB option you can be in the middle. And the IWB option ties you to the front of the room detached from your keyboard.
Cost
Not equal. IWBs don’t come with a computer, so that’s not a consideration and the built in projector adds considerable cost. I’ve seen tons of glitches with built in speakers with software upgrades. I’d stay away from those and op for the under $40 option that connects to my laptop.
Cords/Cables
These should be dealt with whether you have an IWB or not and can be effectively placed with either configuration.
Ease of writing / touching draggin
You find it easier to write on a board then on a flat Tablet service. Aren’t your students primarily writing on a flat surface? While a traditional teaching style has a teacher writing standing up front and center, I don’t think it would take long for you to adjust to teaching in a style that has you closer to your students and facing them.
You also indicate that touching and dragging is easier. You can touch and drag with a Tablet pen or mouse without your face toward the front of the room and instead have it toward the students.
Type of work
I’m not sold on the idea that we should just take IWB lessons, videos, etc. Effective teachers find materials mapped to their curriculum and IWB lessons are not curriculum. In fact Kent3 even shared that his studied teacher created their own lessons. The videos are on the computer. Not in the IWB.
Comparison of IWBs to clickers/netbooks
I disagree. The clickers and netbooks are tied to a person (valuable) not a place (less valuable).
You say IWB makes your work saveable. Another confusion of who the star is. You can save on the computer. You don’t need an IWB.
Perhaps most importantly here is that I think we should help students use tools in school that they’ll use away from school for personal learning. That means modeling on a laptop or tablet so that when they leave you they can transfer those skills.
I have been paying close attention to comments on IWBs for the last several months in preparation on a conference talk i will be giving at the beginning of August. I roped myself into to talking about presentation literacy in 21st century classrooms. As a regular reader I have to say that I cannot agree with you more. I see so many teachers in my school and around the county who use 6000 dollars worth of tech as a glamorized chalkboard designing lessons that are extremely teacher centered.
ReplyDeleteReading this post I was reminded of Johnny Lee's TED presentation. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgKCrGvShZs He took a Wii remote and an LED pen and bluetoothed it to a computer, creating a system that could turn any surface from a desk to an entire wall into an IWB for a grand total of $65. The software needed is free to download.
My personal challenge, since their is an IWB in every classroom in the county is to convince teachers that a 21st century classroom is an environment where students cooperate and facilitate their own learning. Students should be presenting and teaching each other based upon good models of presentation design Duarte , Kawasaki, Roam, Ignite. Sticky notes and a sharpy are just as effective tools in 21st education as all the technology that can be purchased. When teachers uses the IWB to show 200 bullet points on 52 slides they have no write to complain that students turn to read the board when they present slideuments that the were sent to the computer lab to create in an hour with no real planning.
@Graeme, Part 1
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your feedback. It sounds like you are indeed a dynamic teacher and I appreciate your feedback, but ( you knew that was coming right), not sold. In response to your points:
Need for more space then a tablet affords
The IWB takes the same amount of projection space as a tablet. You say you are working through a problem on one part of the board, making notes on another part, and doing the "side math" calculators on a third. You can just open three windows in your Tablet. Also, re: your writing notes comment, I’m not following that either. I would think you’d already have all that prepared and ready to project.
You can’t write legibly standing
I’m not following. When you write on a board, you’re standing. However, why stand anyhow? I sit with my students when I teach using the real tools that educators use which includes a keyboard.
Being in the middle
You lament that at least if you are in the middle of the class you could reach a desk to teach from for a moment. I’m really not following. With the non-IWB option you can be in the middle. And the IWB option ties you to the front of the room detached from your keyboard.
Cost
Not equal. IWBs don’t come with a computer, so that’s not a consideration and the built in projector adds considerable cost. I’ve seen tons of glitches with built in speakers with software upgrades. I’d stay away from those and op for the under $40 option that connects to my laptop.
@Graeme Part 2
ReplyDeleteCords/Cables
These should be dealt with whether you have an IWB or not and can be effectively placed with either configuration.
Ease of writing / touching draggin
You find it easier to write on a board then on a flat Tablet service. Aren’t your students primarily writing on a flat surface? While a traditional teaching style has a teacher writing standing up front and center, I don’t think it would take long for you to adjust to teaching in a style that has you closer to your students and facing them.
You also indicate that touching and dragging is easier. You can touch and drag with a Tablet pen or mouse without your face toward the front of the room and instead have it toward the students.
Type of work
I’m not sold on the idea that we should just take IWB lessons, videos, etc. Effective teachers find materials mapped to their curriculum and IWB lessons are not curriculum. In fact Kent3 even shared that his studied teacher created their own lessons. The videos are on the computer. Not in the IWB.
Comparison of IWBs to clickers/netbooks
I disagree. The clickers and netbooks are tied to a person (valuable) not a place (less valuable).
You say IWB makes your work saveable. Another confusion of who the star is. You can save on the computer. You don’t need an IWB.
Perhaps most importantly here is that I think we should help students use tools in school that they’ll use away from school for personal learning. That means modeling on a laptop or tablet so that when they leave you they can transfer those skills.
@Mr Freeman, thank you for sharing and reading. While I agree that many use tech in the same way we use stickies and a sharpy, what I'd hope is that they move to harnessing technology to use those sharpies for sharing creations (like a blog) and sticky notes (for comments or new creations) with the world. That is when meaningful connections never possible without tech can occur.
ReplyDelete@Mr. Freeman, I tried the WiiMote at school. It worked well but was somewhat cumbersome. The kids and I had fun with it for a couple of days but there were issues with setting up the Wiimote at precisely the correct angle, then inevitably a student would bump into it so I had to recalibrate the screen. It wasn't a waste of time, though, and it would be a fun electricity unit to create an LED pen out of a highlighter pen so the kids could have the own IWB at home.
ReplyDeleteI still like my doc cam/lappy combo over the IWB.
I've been through a number of different projection tools. I started with an LCD panel with 8 shades of gray connected to a desktop placed on top of an overhead projector. Eventually moved to a color LCD panel with a laptop with the obligatory overhead projector. I finally convinced our admins to move immediately to projectors rather than mounted televisions/monitors. It was at this point for me that tech became transformative. I could do just about anything with that combo and if I attached a wireless mouse w/ some great software/presentation tools, I was off to the races. At the time, I also connected my laptop to all of the CD drives on the desktops in my science lab. I had access to 5 CDs all of the time.
ReplyDeleteBut back to your premise which I agree with totally. It really isn't about the tech and it should never be about the tech. It's about the teacher's capacity to think creatively, to instill a passion for learning, to model problem solving, and to accept failure as a possible outcome and learning experience.
I've seen too many instances where tech was considered to be the silver bullet and it fails miserable. On the other hand, I have also seen tech transform and engage students to the point where they are no longer completely focused on the content objectives but they now have classrooms where the majority of students seek out knowledge because they want to learn.
So where does this leave the IWB. Well, for me, I've seen some great use but more often than not, I see wasted $. Our school experimented with Mimio and we have a couple of mobile Smartboards but I continue to be amazed by the flexibility a wireless mouse, wireless projector, and a tablet can provide. For me, IWBs are a redundant and tired tech that had its time. I've been waiting patiently for the price point of large multitouch LCD panels to drop so I can also eliminate the need for a projector-I hope perceptive pixel is listening!!!
But ultimately, it's all about the teacher!
I also do not like how these are just bells and whistles that simple keep teaching the same in most cases- the teacher in from of the room implementing the 2.0 version of direct instruction. Aren't new tools suppose to help us make education reform and creative innovative classrooms? I rarely see this with IWBs.
ReplyDeleteVery well said and much appreciated post.
People in my school are often surprised that someone who enjoys technology as much as me would feel that the SMARTBoard (or other IWB) is a tool that's not always as useful as it could be.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many activities I could do in my classroom where more than one person could participate at a time. With an IWB, you're stuck with only one student participating while the rest look on (and my experience last year in first grade was that the rest of the class would disengage pretty quickly!)
The one thing I do find it useful for (with the aforementioned caveat that only one person can use it at a time) is that it is much easier for younger students to use. If I want to play a game where kids have to place numbers on a hundred chart, I just go to the website, and instead of having to control a mouse, they simply have to touch the screen.
Overall, I would agree that the IWB is overpaid... maybe not an extra, but someone with only one or two small lines in a movie.
Wow, Lisa, you really get a lot of run out of this comment. It's like crazed soap opera fans who keep coming back, even if the refrain is always the same. Well, I'm sucked in too, because here I am back for more stimulating IWB chat.
ReplyDeleteI think you know my feelings on this. I like the IWB, but your alternatives are nice too. So much depends on the school district and what it's willing to provide.
I don't know where they buy IWBs in NY, but in northeast Ohio, we get them for roughly $1,800 -- yes, that's including the projector.
Again, not disagreeing with your alternatives, but I do believe, as someone who has used it for three years, that the IWB has a place in the classroom. It's not the only tool a teacher should use, but it can be a nice addition to a solid 21st century digital classroom.
Thanks for keeping this lively debate going.
@innovativeeducator
ReplyDeleteAccuse me of a lot of things, but don't accuse me of falling for the IWB marketing!!
Pretty much all IWB and ICT marketing in general is counter productive and promotes bad teaching, and I have been raging against crappy marketing for years through my conference presentations, where the worst examples of IWB usage are usually to be found in the trade exhibit.
I have uploaded to Flickr just the most recent example of just how bad IWB marketing is:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45072502@N02/4831432713/
This is meant to be the first 'triple touch' IWB.
Firstly it is not. It is an IWB with 3 single touch areas.
Secondly look at the age of the kids and the task that has been set to them. Simplistic fact recall. No intellectual quality in the activity, no relevance assuming that the students have progressed beyond kindergarten. And how is one of the students going to feel if they get it wrong? It seems like an appalling classroom environment.
Thirdly, would the students be able to touch the top of the board? It doesn't seem so. It would appear that any piece of software where the menu was at the top of a page is useless from a student point of view on this IWB.
I know nothing about this IWB, whether it is good or not, what its functions are. But to me the ad speaks volumes about the company and what they think of education.
Just to add some balance I will also include an example of terrible marketing for student computing. This ad is just maybe the worst I have ever seen, for so many reasons.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45072502@N02/4831433087/
Occasionally I try talking to IWB / ICT companies trying to help them out in this regards, but....
I plan to respond further to your post in the next day or two when I get the time, but I just had to clear the air regarding my position on the quality of IWB marketing.
Cheers
Peter
@Kent3, what a timely comment. I just wrote a post containing equally awful photos of tech in use. My gawd! What is going on with these companies and the people who are trying to just purchase the thing that does nothing to transform instruction but gives the proper appearances to those who know no better.
ReplyDelete@David, you make a great point that I was just speaking about with colleagues. Another pitfall of IWBs is that even when we do have the student using it, usually blocking the rest of the class from seeing what they’re doing (which wouldn’t happen if they were on the laptop), you lose the rest of the class. No one is interested in watching a student publicly fumble through a problem. That’s just poor teaching 2.0. The rest of the class often loses attention in the mean time.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the example of touching a 100 chart, you can tap a Tablet to do the same trick or just using a doc cam and an iTouch. Also, I’m not convinced that young kids have such issues using a mouse. I was using them w/pre-K students ten years ago and with very little experience, they were flying.
As far as the IWB not being an extra, but rather the one with one or two small lines, I don’t agree. I think of it more like the character that stole lines we’d have been better without. A vision of Giuliani’s son Andrew during the 94 election comes to mind.
I'd like to read this conversation about IWB here:
ReplyDeletehttp://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/why-do-i-need-an-interactive-white-board/#comment-1178
I am so glad to hear others see the difference between awesome software that uses a projector and computer to enhance teaching and learning and an expensive board that requires a touch to manipulate the software. Why can't they see a computer mouse or slate (Mobi and others) is so much more practical and CHEAPER!
ReplyDeleteWhat seems to me as a simple observation, takes others sometimes hours to comprehend or in some cases, never.
Does anyone have a method to break through this unrelenting devotion of an expensive board?
At least eInstruction has started promoting their slate as a cheaper IWB that is mobile.
to respond to Graeme, I've successfully used tablets in the Math classroom. New International School of Thailand has been a tablet school for almost a decade.
ReplyDeleteYou do not need to be 'stuck', your tablet can be connected using wireless.
And I just wanted to add, I totally agree with using Student Response Systems, they are so effective in engaging and promoting student collaboration.
ReplyDeleteLots more information here, in particular for Science teachers. www.sciencecases.org