Interactive whiteboards have come of age, and for the busy teacher that actually poses a problem. There is so much you can do with them, thanks to some pretty impressive software, and so many ideas and resources available, that there is almost too much to take in. This situation is compounded by the fact that the different whiteboard manufacturers seem to be constantly leap-frogging each other in terms of features. So where can teachers turn to for useful tips on how to get the most from this innovative learning technology?
Two recently launched books - You can use an interactive whiteboard for ages 4-7 and You can use an interactive whiteboard for ages 7-11 by Julie Coghill - can certainly help primary teachers.
Both follow a similar format. There are 50 activities, each of which takes up an A4 page. Each page follows a similar format too: after a brief introduction, there is a series of bullet points under the heading "Tips, ideas and activities", and a box containing other ideas under the heading "Thinking points".
You will not be surprised to learn that the chapter headings are the same in each case, too, with sections on effective teaching, literacy, numeracy, science, foundation subjects and photocopiables (such as a whiteboard resources record).
Interestingly enough, many of the activities are not really about whiteboards at all, with ideas and instructions on how to do things with generic software such as Microsoft Word or Excel. Sometimes specific whiteboards are mentioned, such as the advice that both SMART Boards and Promethean come with large image banks, but for the most part the ideas are fairly generic.
This is both a strength and a weakness of the books. A strength, because you won't feel hard done by if you happen to have a whiteboard from a company other than the "big three" (Smart Board, Promethean and RM), and a weakness because once an idea fires you up you will still need to work out how to put it into practice.
Having said that, these are not whiteboard instruction manuals as such, but books of ideas for the creative use of whiteboards. They're for dipping into; there are not really enough topics covered in each area to enable the books to serve as definitive resources for, say, science. But quite a lot is packed into each page, and there is certainly enough to inspire and suggest activities for the parts of the curriculum that are not covered.
There is a constant worry that the presence of an interactive whiteboard in a classroom will either convince teachers that they no longer have the (technical) skills with which to do their job or, at the other end of the scale, will have no effect on teaching whatsoever. One of the strengths of these books is that in the introductory section of each chapter the reader is told how the whiteboard could be used in ways which would be impossible, or at least very difficult, with big books or chalkboards. For example, text can be manipulated, highlighted, screens saved and so on.
The books manage to strike an acceptable balance between teaching on the one hand, and practical instructions on the other. They're a bit like recipe books: they won't teach you how to be a great cook, but they'll certainly give you a few ideas for your next meal!
Terry Freedman is an independent ICT consultant, and publishes the ICT in Education website at www.ictineducation.org
Book details
You can use an interactive whiteboard for ages 4-7
ISBN 0-439-96539-X
You can use an interactive whiteboard for ages 7-11
ISBN 0-439-96540-3
By Julie Coghill
Scholastic
Price: £15 each or £28 for the set
