[Yr7-10it] Tools for Interactivity (Was: Missed the boat?)

Wed Mar 11 10:34:57 EST 2009

Thanks Phil .. I was interested to pick up your thread about the 9" screens.
There could be merit in seeing how expensive the 10" screens models end up.

I forgot to mention that I have had fun demonstrating programming at Monash
Uni with Scratch on an IWB, dragging, pushing and dropping the different
programming elements about on the whiteboard then controlling the program
with my fingers.

Regards Roland

2009/3/11 Phil Callil <P.Callil at xavier.vic.edu.au>

>  Interesting to see how like minds are thinking....
>
> If I were to summarize the feeling "around the table", it seems that from
> our ICT perspective (a considered one at that), we are somewhat sceptical of
> the perceived advantages of IWBs.  My comments concur with the general
> sentiment - they are very expensive and in the hands of the wrong
> practitioner, will be an expensive aid to "chalk and talk" teachers.  Then
> again, laptops are an even more expensive solution, even more so with
> tablets but at least the technology is in the hands of the students.
>
> However, as a teacher concerned primarily with Yr 5-8,  I can see real
> advantages for motivation and engagement for students in classes that
> productively use IWBs.  This is especially so for K-6 classes because these
> teachers "own" the room and don't switch rooms - primary teachers are
> therefore more likely to be creative and proficient in IWB use because this
> is their territory and so ownership is key. Contrast this to the secondary
> model with lots of teachers who move from room to room and therefore have no
> ownership or responsibility for the room.  In this secondary scenario,
> unless every room has an IWB and training and Admin direction is abundant,
> it won't work as effectively in the secondary model.
>
> Student motivation and engagement will increase in the primary model but
> student skills in ICT will not improve.  I keep coming back to why we are
> here - we all have a passion and belief in the productive use of ICT but
> even more important than that, our goal is to improve student learning - not
> just student ICT skills.  Of course, student learning improves with better
> ICT skills but students themselves can usually differentiate between
> activities that improve their learning as opposed to activities that only
> improve their computer skills.
>
> So, while it may be laptops or IWBS, the web 2.0 type apps that Paul
> mentions might just tip things in favour of being more student centred.  To
> me, netbooks with 9 inch screens are just not going to cut it.  They are too
> small and too underpowered.  Maybe a 10 inch screen with a bit more grunt
> and the same price is the optimum... but that is another thread.
>
> Best wishes
>
> Phil
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> Phil
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> Phil Callil
> Faculty Head IT
> Xavier College
> 9855-4163
> www.xavier.vic.edu.au
>
> Vice President VITTA
> www.vitta.org.au/
>
> iChat: pcallil at mac.com   Skype: pcallil000
>
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> >>> "Dr Paul Chandler" <paul.chandler at une.edu.au> 03/11/09 6:38 AM >>>
> Folks,
>
> In contributing my 2c worth, I'll probably come away with a case of
> foot- in- mouth, but there's a couple of points which I think are worth
> picking up on.  I'm writing from the perspective of a classroom teacher
> (which I was until the end of last year), not from my present position of
> being a researcher.
>
> . to me, IWBs are glorified data projectors.  To accompany a
> data- projection, the operator (teacher or student) can do their
> song- and- dance act 'at' the point of projection rather than at the
> keyboard
> . in an effort to be 'converted' to the benefit of this, I have attend
> several conference presentations and workshops by teachers on IWBs.  I
> have been disappointed.
> . nevertheless, there are a few functions of some of the IWB software (not
> the board itself) which do allow for greater interactivity which is
> otherwise hard to replicate; a _few_ that I remember being impressed with,
> but can't remember the detail now.
> . there is _serious_ research into IWBs in the classroom (not by any team
> that I am involved with), and I know that there are documented cases where
> the teacher's interactive teaching has improved because of the technology
>
> In all, I think its a mixed bag of outcomes; just unfortunate that it's an
> expensive mixed bag.
>
> What I have a passion for, though, is being able to genuinely increase the
> interactivity in a classroom which might otherwise consist of students
> operating 'in their own space with their own PC/laptop'.  What I think is
> worth discussing is the software (and maybe hardware) and the
> teacher- tactics which can help vitalise teaching/learning from this
> perspective.  If tablet PCs or IWBs are on the list, so be it.  For
> myself, I would nominate:
> -  vnc or other 'throw the student's screen onto the projector from where
> they are' technologies
> -  moodle workshop
> -  coword and copowerpoint (http://cooffice.ntu.edu.sg/coword/)
> -  blogging (and related technologies)
> -  creation of wikis
>
> Other suggested inclusions?  Or comments?
>
>
> --
> Dr Paul Chandler
> Research Fellow
> 'Multimedia grammatical design and authoring pedagogy' (Kahootz) project,
> School of Education, University of New England
>
> located at Australian Children's Television Foundation
> 145 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne, 3065
> e- mail: paul.chandler at une.edu.au
> Ph: (03) 9419 8800
> Fax: (03) 9419 0660
> Skype: paul.d.chandler
>
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-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead
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