[Yr7-10it] Missed the boat? (Was: the IWB revolution continues)

Tue Mar 10 22:19:51 EST 2009

agreed...electronic versions of talk and chalk can be better than the analogue version - (although no gaurantees) 

but not as empowering as giving kids control which i think is the main attraction of ICT in most cases (allowing more options and choices - thus more personalisation - as well as more creative options for modelling and simulation)

but personally, i'm luke warm about the tactile aspect of the IWB ...can't see compelling reasons yet for it in secondary maths and science 

but i'd love a projector in every room and kids with interactive tablets or, even better, laptops

i have no problem with kids running part of the lesson but its no big deal in my eyes whether they come up and touch the screen or use the mouse / keyboard - why should there be any difference? apart from the inital novelty i don't see whats so compelling about touching the screen? 

haven't used the bluetooth tablets much and while its probably good still seems a cut below giving kids full ict access

in my view, improving the ratio and access for kids to technology,  so pen and paper is not necessarily the default for them (when its not for us anymore) will enable a whole lot of things - ict no longer the addon  - teachers and students can in the same medium

i've been working all day - on plane and train - and haven't touched a pen once - kids would go there as well if we let them - and then things can change - won't be anchored to a whole lot of old practice

might not be all good - and the cynics probably have a good set of concerns - but its where the rest of (western) world has already gone - ie workplace etc - and we're hamstringing the ict revolution while its still such a part time proposition (its like the era when people had to walk in front of the first automobiles - which i've heard Julia atkins describe, in other context)

cheers, my 2c

rob 

________________________________

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Ros Meadows
Sent: Tue 3/10/2009 6:44 PM
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Yr7-10it] Missed the boat? (Was: the IWB revolution continues)

I saw a video recently in which one of the leading schools in terms of ICT in England refused whiteboards, claiming their use still revolved around the teacher as the "deliverer" of knowledge and the student and the "recipient" of that knowledge. Instead they opted for something which I used at Lauriston a few years ago - tablet PCs for all students, which could wirelessly hook up to the digital projectors in every room. This way each students PC desktop could be shown on the screen, and each student could contribute to the lesson. The overall cost was apparently cheaper than electronic whiteboards in every room.

I used this system at Lauriston, where the EWB was unused and simply became the projector screen! Although we did need to share the cable around the class to plug students into the projector (this predated bluetooth technologies in the digital projectors) I have never been enthused about EWBs since, believing that a Tablet PC and a digital projector can do anything and more than an EWB.

I have just spent almost an hour searching for the video, need to go now but will get the link back to y'all soon

Cheers
Ros Meadows
Bentleigh SC

Fawcett - Le Rossignol, Jamie E wrote: 

	Hi all,

	Maybe I'm missing the point, but I can not see how IWB really improve
	student learning.  How does it improve over a projector and a laptop?

	Both allow the quick display of information, and the incorporation of
	video.

	I can see a benefit for the one or two students (tactial learners)
	interacting with the IWB, but it's the same experience for all the
	others students.

	Does anyone have any examples of excellent learning using these devices?

	I've talked with experienced teachers about computers in the classroom,
	and his opinon was the is does not improve the learning of the student.
	I realise that it changes the learning experience, and enables
	difference learning styles to access the knowledge.  For example, a
	speel checker does the thinking for you, and you no longer need to
	remember how to spell various word, and you loose the advantage of
	language.

	Thoughts from secondry perspective,
	Jamie Le Rossignol

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