Interactive Whiteboard Advanced
Having downloaded the SMART software I have been able to refine my skills with the board. Below are some screenshots of the elements I have been experimenting with.
Using the compass tool on the tool bar (far right) I was able to draw circles which could be used for a whole range of things e.g. Venn diagrams.
There is also a ruler so you can measure how wide you are putting the compass (radius of the circle) and also a protractor if there are any angles you want to measure.
By having these tools visual and large on the board it means that the teacher is able to demonstrate to the class clearly how to use them. Additionally the children can come up to the board and measure whilst the rest of the class can clearly see what is happening.
A feature which I like about the SMARTboard is the side panel bar which displays all the pages of the flip chart. This means that moving between the pages is easy and the class is reminded of what you have done before to build up to the page you are currently on.
There is also a ruler so you can measure how wide you are putting the compass (radius of the circle) and also a protractor if there are any angles you want to measure.
By having these tools visual and large on the board it means that the teacher is able to demonstrate to the class clearly how to use them. Additionally the children can come up to the board and measure whilst the rest of the class can clearly see what is happening.
A feature which I like about the SMARTboard is the side panel bar which displays all the pages of the flip chart. This means that moving between the pages is easy and the class is reminded of what you have done before to build up to the page you are currently on.
Using the straight line option I was able to draw a line and add curved arrows to show the jumps along a number line. Then using the pens I drew the number quantity of the jumps. The children would be able to come up to the board and draw these jumps and numbers easily with one of the pens provided.
SMART board has a clever word recognition tool in which once you have written a work using a pen you can click on it and it'll put the word into typed font. If you have formed the letters correctly it will recognise the word (as shown with 'number line') however, often with children's writing in the early years they are not forming them accurately and so the software does not recognise it. It is really useful to have this element as it means the whole class can read the typed font clearly rather than struggling to read handwriting.
Handwriting can often be hard to read because the SMARTboard is not orientated correctly. I.e. when the pen is placed on the board, the board recognises it a centimetre to the right for example. When it comes to crossing t's and dotting i's this is problematic as they end up in the wrong place. Orientation of the board sometimes needs to be done once a day but the children love to orientate the board for you- it is a fun game for them to play which helps you!
Picture caption: "I have used the interactive whiteboard for the first time and I predictably wrote my name"
During October we had an afternoon being taught how to use the whiteboard effectively. We were shown techniques such as 'rub and reveal', annotating children's work through using the visualiser, and adding pull tabs to reveal information or the Learning Objective. The SMARTboard has an endless supply of possibilities and only by using it regularly will I discover half of them
This website was recommended to work our way through to refine out whiteboard skills.
Pros:
- It is easy to use
- If used in the correct way it can bring a lesson alive
- Clear side bar which shows all pages of the flip chart (something Promethian would benefit from)
Cons:
- You could easily spend a good number of hours making a resource that is used for 5 minutes.
- It can be difficult to find resources such as grids and 100 sqaures (compared to Promethian board)
- Potentially isolating if used only with one children and the whole class observing.