Will interactive whiteboards transform the education system?

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 | IWBs, education

Nearly a hundred years ago Thomas Edison reportedly said that the motion picture was destined to revolutionize the educational system.  He believed that it would replace textbooks as the main medium of instruction in schools.

Did Edison’s prediction come true?  We know it didn’t – movies did not change the face of the entire education system. But this does not mean that he was altogether wrong.

Some teachers used the motion picture – and its modern equivalent in the form of video – to great effect in their classrooms.  Yes, individual teachers integrated moving images into their lessons, using this medium to transform their teaching.

The same thing happened to other technologies as they appeared on the scene, such as radio, television and the personal computer.  All of these were viewed at one time as a panacea to cure an ailing education system.  These technologies proved to be powerful tools in the hands of individual teachers, but did not have a global effect on education practices.

What is the point?  Technology holds great promise for transformation, but the teaching world could as yet not succeed in tapping into its potential universally.

The interactive whiteboard must be seen in the same light.  Of course, it has the advantage of being not too much different from the familiar blackboard.  This means that its adoption should be easier and quicker.

Some teachers have already revolutionized their classrooms through the use of interactive whiteboards.  Some schools have put these boards in each one of their classrooms and revolutionized teaching in entire schools.  This proves the potential – if all the schools in Africa were to do this, education will be revolutionized on the continent!

Whether this will happen or not depends on the political will to bring about a better education system – it could go either way.

But you don’t have to wait for the system to change – you can use an interactive whiteboard to transform your own classroom into an interactive one right now.

Click here for more information about interactive whiteboards.

Tags: education, IWBs

5 Comments to Will interactive whiteboards transform the education system?

Albie
Thursday, 11 February, 2010

I would like to add about EIAWB and its transformation effects: it will enhances the classroom atmosphere to the “better” for education and learners and in particular the “presentation” mode by educators.

The perceptive skills (there are software programs with the main aim to develop PERCEPTUAL skills), is the best example of the “positive educational effects” of the EIAWB allowing these perceptual components to be displayed, moved, changed in shape + size + colour + effect and so on. The EIAWB is ideal for these activities.

As soon as the PERCEPTUAL skills are “opened” in that part of the brain where it was “dormant” with th e blackboard, the better the LITNUM will be in general.

I must agree that the EIAWB will not replace this (e.g. textbooks) or that (e.g. educators), but will contribute to a more conducive and co-operative learning experience.

Albie the Transformer and Revolusionist

Kathy
Thursday, 11 February, 2010

The biggest transformation that is needed in the education system is hearts and minds and attitudes.
All of this wonderful equipment only becomes transformative when teachers are motivated to teach and principals are motivated to lead.

Dereck Marnewick
Thursday, 11 February, 2010

Kathy, you have hit the nail on the head. We can supply and give everything under the sun, but it’s the heart and mind of the teacher that will determine the success or use thereof.

Mark C
Thursday, 11 February, 2010

I concur with Kathy and Dereck. The biggest battle ground is the mind of people. Our attitudes toward how technology is used should change dramatically. We must help the learner to take charge of their own learning. Using technology is but one way. The target of research these days deal with how people communicate and collaborate. Why is it that Facebook, twitter and the like are appealing to people? It is because they are communicating and collaborating with other people. The IAWB can be a conduit for connecting people (as Nokia would say).

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