Electronic whiteboards – the future or latest fad?
March 16, 2010 by Jake SimmsPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Tech Trends
Interactive whiteboards are sweeping the nation’s classrooms – but do they really live up to all the hype?
Before taking the plunge, you may want to hear what your peers think.
We recently polled EducationTechNews readers about e-whiteboards (also known as smart boards). Turns out most folks either love or hate them:
- 50% say whiteboards are “great tools, well worth the money”
- 30% disagree, saying “at $5,000 per classroom, they’re a waste of money”
- 13% think whiteboards “are useful for some, not so much for me”
- 7% “don’t know enough about them.”
If you don’t have experience with whiteboards, consider sitting in on a class with a teacher who uses one so you can see how it works. For testimonials and more info, click here.
Tags: e-whiteboards, smart boards, teaching tools, whiteboards
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March 19th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
This is a waste of money.
Especially considering how often students AND teachers ‘accidentally’ use pernament markers on the white boards currently used in classrooms. Just imagine getting a new $5K electronic board and having it marked up by someone who thought that everything would erase off (that’s what several have claimed with the current white boards).
March 19th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
We purchased Mimio’s that transform the current traditional whiteboard into an interactive whiteboard. The Mimio does not require any installation. We are in our second year of using this device. Our teachers use this tool on a daily basis and have noticed that students are more engaged in the lessons being taught when technology tools are being used to deliver the curriculum. We were able to outfit every classroom K-5 with a projector and mimio for less than $2000 per classroom. We put 65″ LCD TV’s in every high school classroom and our teachers use the wireless slates. We have had great success with this setup as well.
March 19th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
I love my smart board. It is so nice to not deal with an overhead anymore. I can stand at the back of the room and work, and see what students are engaged. It is still a bit of a learning curve, but I appreciate the technology.
March 19th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
I have been using my Smart board for five years now, and you’d have to shoot me to take it away. For teaching computer applications (I teach CAD and Multimedia) it’s the greatest classroom tool since the chalk board, and a whole lot less messy.
March 19th, 2010 at 7:13 pm
Smart boards are not a new technology, and if they are used appropriately they can be an effective tool. I know this may seem obvious, but it is true about any device one can use in the classroom.
I find them more trouble than they are worth, but this may speak more about my classroom management style than the effectiveness of the tool.
On a side note, if someone marks on a whiteboard with a permanent marker, try Windex(TM).
March 20th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
They are a complete waste of money. Much better are regular white boards (or chalkboards!), screen, video projector and Sympodium.