Update: So you're getting interactive whiteboard! Now what?

(photo from http://www.nextwindow.com/)

If you hadn't noticed, there is an increase in the number of classrooms that have interactive whiteboards or displays. My school will have two whiteboards soon. To prepare for the transition, teachers are searching for information beyond what is provided by SmartTechnologies or Promethean, two industry leaders.

I've mentioned in previous posts that I tried out a variety of interactive whiteboards and large touch-screen displays when I worked on a project for a Human-Computer Interaction class I took in 2007. My favorite was the NextWindow Human Touch display, which contains WiFi and BlueTooth enabled computer. The display stays well calibrated, has a high resolution, and has excellent touch response. It does not require a projector, so shadows aren't cast when people are at the screen, which is formally known as the "problem of occlusion".

Fortunately, there are resources on the web to help teachers learn more about the various ways they can harness the power of interactive technology to support innovative, effective teaching and learning.

I came across this link, posted in Langwitches recent blog entry, Interactive Whiteboards: Which? How? What? that is suitable for beginners:

Thirty-Two Interesting Ways (and tips) to Use Your Interactive Whiteboard

Another good source , from the Georgia Department of Education's Educational Technology Training Center, is the Interactive Whiteboard Links

Here are some of my posts and links regarding interactive whiteboards and displays:

Nobelprize.org's Educational Outreach: Multimedia Games, Experiments, and Simulated Environments

Interactive Whiteboards Increase Student Attention, Engagement, and Test Scores!

Edusim: 3D Collaborative Application for Interactive Displays and Whiteboards

Explore Learning, Interactive Displays, Revisited

Virtual Reality Field Trips, Created by Psychologists

eSchool News Online: Microscope Imaging Station from the Exploratorium

Interactive Information Visualization: Digg Labs Website

Gigapan: Good for interactive whiteboards and large touch screen displays

Visual Simulations for K-12 Education: Great for interactive displays and white boards

Examples of interactive touch screen displays, on the Future-Making Serious Games blog:
http://elianealhadeff.blogspot.com/2007/09/ten-fingers-software-for-serious-gaming.html

For the technically inclined:
Johnny Lee's Wii Hacks
Video: Low Cost Multi-Point Interactive Whiteboard with the Wiimote




Scratch: A new programming language for kids that supports stories, animations, games, music, art, websharing, from MIT


RELATED:

Resource and Research List, "Interactive Whiteboards", from the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF)

Education World article "Speaking of Electronic Whiteboards?"

Large Display Research Overview from Microsoft Research (PDF)

Quotes about visual and multimedia literacy, Part I

Quotes about visual and multimedia literacy, Part II


If you'd like to explore and discuss new technologies, join Classroom 2.0. There is a section about interactive whiteboards in the Classroom 2.0 Resources Wiki.