Interactive whiteboard
In almost every lesson on GPP I used the interactive whiteboard. The main program I used to present information was Smart Notebook. This is a collaborative learning software designed to be used with IWB. It took time for me to get used to using Smart Notebook because I was very use to the format of Microsoft programs. Through trial and error, playing around on it and watching videos I was soon able to use it confidently. However, editing can be quite time consuming and I found it took me much longer to use than Microsoft Powerpoint. Therefore, occasionally I would revert back to Powerpoint.
|
Tips from the video:
|
Examples of IWB use on GPP
Every lesson to share learning objectives and success criteria. (WALT and WILF).
Creating a slide with the L.O. on prompted and reminded me to share it with the class. It also meant that it was clear for everyone to see. Each child knew what they were learning and what the aim of the lesson was. They knew what was expected of them. I also had some fun and edited my slides during Christmas week and added a Santa hat!
To display questions
I also used the Smart Notebook to display questions that I wanted to pose to the class. Often I would use the cooperative learning strategy, think, pair, share. This enabled talk, collaboration, and children were more actively engaged in their thinking. Having the question up on the board helped children keep it mind and focused the discussion. Elicitation questions were also posed and mindmaps and post-it note displays were formed from the answers children gave.
Timers
Smartbook also has a timer tool which I included in a lot of my question slides and other task slides. This helped the children and myself know how long they had left to continue their discussion or complete a task. A buzzer also sounded once the time ran out which was helpful in bringing the class back together. Again, this allowed clear and consistent expectations to be set. Children knew how long they had, which kept them focused, and when the timer finish they knew they had to stop.
Clear Instructions and what to do next.
Using Smartbook slides I was able to display what children needed to do within a lesson or task. Having clear and explicit instructions up on the whiteboard prevented children continually asking what they needed to do next, this allowed me to focus on AfL and working with children. Having a challenge up on the IWB also meant that children knew immediately what to do next and no time was wasted asking me. These small things really help a lesson run smoothly and efficiently. It is essential to try and minimise wasted lesson time and maximise learning.
Displaying tips or steps to guide children was also effective.
Having key words or vocabulary up on the IWB also aided children in their writing.
|
Revealing vocabulary or success criteria to enhance engagement and discussion. |
To model tasks or for whole class activity and discussion. |
|
|
Self-Assessment |
To stimulate imagination and ideas. |
|
Hundred Square
The hundred square was a valuable visual tool that I used in many maths lessons to demonstrate place value, patterns in numbers and to aid calculations. It was ideal having a large interactive hundred square to model and use for discussion with the children. The children could also come out and answer questions using it.
Interactive Teaching Programs (ITPs) and Resources
During GPP one of my targets was to use more ITPs within lessons. There are many interactive resources on Smart Notebook which I have discovered and would like to try to utilise on FPP with Y6. I purposely looked for and explored tools that were related to the Y6 curriculum.
Apart from the great interactive tools available on Smart Notebook, I found some useful websites with more interactive teaching programs and resources, which I hope to incorporate during my FPP practice.
- The National Numeracy Strategy ITPs
http://www.taw.org.uk/lic/itp/data_hand.html http://www.pgce.soton.ac.uk/ict/NewPGCE/IWB/PNS/content/downloads/teaching_resources/mathematics/itps/num_itptutorials_v03.1.pdf
- Topicbox
I also know that micro-organisms, according to the school website, is a topic Y6 class will be learning.
http://topicbox.net/science/life_micro-organisms/5421/
However, some of the links on this TopicBox are old and the sites are no longer active.
- Active Maths
- The National STEM Centre
http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/
- TES iboard
Other useful resources can be found on:
- http://interactivesites.weebly.com/ This site is very easy to orientate and has lots of great interactive resources.
PenPals
I used and observed the PenPals computer program to teach handwriting. It had a clear lesson structure and helped with modelling. Children first started with a motor skills warm up exercise which was a series of videos available on the program. They were then taught a letter join. This was shown by the software. The teacher models how to sky write and the children copy. I added an audio aspect when I modelled to help children say it aloud when they were writing. The teacher then models the join on the IWB in the place the program provides. At my GPP school children had handwriting books, but Penpals also has books linked to the program available. Children practice the joins in their books. The join is then modelled as part of a word and the children practice it. Overall, I found the Penpals software to be very useful and an engaging way to teach handwriting. However, due to the IWB not functioning properly it was difficult to model correctly on the board. Also some children were sat with their backs to the board.
I used and observed the PenPals computer program to teach handwriting. It had a clear lesson structure and helped with modelling. Children first started with a motor skills warm up exercise which was a series of videos available on the program. They were then taught a letter join. This was shown by the software. The teacher models how to sky write and the children copy. I added an audio aspect when I modelled to help children say it aloud when they were writing. The teacher then models the join on the IWB in the place the program provides. At my GPP school children had handwriting books, but Penpals also has books linked to the program available. Children practice the joins in their books. The join is then modelled as part of a word and the children practice it. Overall, I found the Penpals software to be very useful and an engaging way to teach handwriting. However, due to the IWB not functioning properly it was difficult to model correctly on the board. Also some children were sat with their backs to the board.
My Thoughts on Interactive Whiteboards
I have found the use of presentational software such as Smart Notebook to be very effective and efficient during lessons and during the lesson planning process. I would create slides for most lessons and these not only guided the children's learning, but also acted as cues and reminders for me. Preparation before the lesson also meant that I did not waste time, with my back to the class, writing information on the board. This meant I could keep the pace of the lesson and focus on feedback and reciprocal interaction.
However, preparing slides for lessons can be time consuming. A useful strategy I observed in KS3, was that teachers used templates for each lesson which they built information into. They also used consistent symbols and pictures (e.g. for think, pair, share) for specific tasks. Having prepared slides also meant I could adapt them easily for a follow up lesson.
I also used the IWB for modelling writing and tasks. This was very handy since we did not have regular access to a visualiser.
Unfortunately, the IWB in my FPP classroom did not function very well and was unreliable. The bottom half of the board was damaged. This meant it could not be orientated. It was also difficult for children to reach the upper half of the board. When children did try to reach, they used one hand to lean on the board, which 'confused' the board. Therefore, I tended not to include interactive activities in my lessons. I would tend to use the computer controls instead. I was effectively using the interactive whiteboard purely as a projector. Occasionally, I would write in answers using the pen. For my handwriting lesson I had to adapt to the poor calibration of the board in order to model.
Furthermore, the way my GPP classroom was laid out meant that some children had their backs to IWB. This is something I will need to consider when I hopefully have my own classroom.
My GPP classroom had rows of windows on both sides, each with its own roller blind. This caused issues when using the IWB. Often turning the light off wasn't enough to enable the board to be seen and time was wasted pulling down multiple blinds. This also meant that children were sitting in a dark room. The maintenance of projectors and interactive whiteboards is also very costly. I think this may have been a reason for the interactive whiteboard in my GPP classroom not being as bright as it could have been. Bulbs fade overtime and are expensive to replace.
On my EYFS placement I saw the use of interactive televisions. These don't require a projector and act more like a touch screen device. It can be used the same way as a IWB. The television is has a back lit screen so lights can remain on! The maintenance costs are lower. Also it doesn't need to be calibrated.
An example of an interactive TV.
Active, hands-on practical learning can be better and more effective at times. This must not be forgotten. A science experiment in real life is far more engaging and exciting than an interactive simulation.
Despite the cons, an IWB is a valuable asset to any classroom. They are an extremely useful and engaging teaching tool. Enabling lessons to be interactive and vibrant. They provide visual cues and structure to lessons. The pedagogical uses are endless. It also allows the whole class, including the teacher, to work collaboratively.
An article exploring the value of IWBs for enhancing collaborative learning. The IWB acts as a useful resource to enable the teacher to support and scaffold collective learning.