IWB

What three key concepts or ideas did you learn?
I found this article interesting. I thought there were many good points raised in this article.
1. The IWB does not naturally encourage an increase in learner autonomy: I agree with this statement. I think the IWB is a great tool, however it allows for only a few students to be using it at once. I also think that in the beginning, the first time kids see it, a teacher will have maximum attention of students. However, once the novelty has worn off you are back to kids zoning off etc. It's different if each student has a laptop or is working with a partner with a laptop. It's more engaging. With the whiteboard you can only have a certain amount of students involved at once. I have a traditional white erase board in my room and find it easier to have many students up at once with different color markers.
2. The use of presentational software such as PowerPoint is common in the early stages of IWB: I don't think there is anything wrong with that. My opinion is that the IWB is just a different method of presenting information. Also allowing for many other presentation tools to be incorporated. As with the idea of researching things on the Internet being so quick and easy, you can't forget about the traditional way of research which comes from reading through books and journals. I think the same thing goes for presenting information. There are so many ways to present, it's just a matter of finding the best method to get across to your students.
3. A bright, colorful, dynamic device at the focus of the classroom provides opportunities for greater attention levels and more sustained engagement: As I mentioned earlier, I think once the novelty has worn off you lose a little bit of that excitement. I'm sure people were excited once the erasable white boards came into existence. Now they're old news. The IWB is just the first model of more to come. And things in the future will be bigger and better. That's just the way things go in society.

Do interactive communication tools lead to interactive learning? Why or why not?
I think they obviously help with interactive learning. However, I don't think they are the only way to engage your students in a lesson. I can think of numerous hands-on activities that I do in my health class that do not incorporate technology at all. Whether it be them moving around the room to different posters, or coloring and making posters. I sometimes find that with activities that don't incorporate technology I have better participation. I have had many instances where my kids are using the laptops and they aren't doing the assignment, they're searching the Internet, wanting to download music, asking if they can listen to their ipods, etc. It's like the laptops aren't enough for them, they want that and more. I do however believe that it can lead to interactive learning if there is enough to go around for all students. Obviously it's impossible to have a white board for every student. But there are other methods out there to incorporate more students at one time.

How can educators be sure to use interactive communication tools to their best potential? List and describe 3 ways.
1. Taking graduate classes such as this one to further their education on the new tools that are available.
2. Teacher Inservice: Schools should provide inservice days dedicated solely on integrating tools into the classroom. My school does this sporadically through the year. We get a new laptop every 3 years, so we have a technology training when we get the new ones. They show us the basics at first and then throughout the year there are trainings for different programs such as garage band, making videos, i movies, etc.
3. Collaborating with colleagues: I think discussing ideas with colleagues is a great way of transferring information and ideas. You can also put together sample lesson plan ideas and run through them with each other in order to get comfortable with the methods.