How can an interactive whiteboard help learners with special needs?

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 | IWBs | 1 Comment

When working with learners with special needs, an interactive whiteboard is a powerful tool in the hands of a teacher.  Special needs exist when learners have physical problems, but special needs can also present themselves as learning challenges.  Interactive whiteboards are useful in both areas.

Deaf learners need to visualize the content you are teaching them.

Without an interactive whiteboard you’ll spend endless hours copying pictures, enlarging them and then physically cutting and pasting them to create the required content.  An interactive whiteboard enables you to do all of this with the greatest of ease.  Any picture imaginable is available to you on the internet and you can manipulate an image until it suits your needs.

You no longer need to be a prisoner of your innovative ideas – with technology at your fingertips you can create teaching and learning resources with ease.

Many sign language videos are available too – these can be integrated into your lessons.

Learners who have problems with motor skills will benefit much from an interactive whiteboard.  The drag-and-drop function can be harnessed to develop eye motor skills, as well as space orientation.  The motor skills of some learners are so poor that they can’t manipulate a mouse or a keyboard.  The large surface of the board, as well as the simple ways of touching and interacting with the board, makes it easier for these learners to develop the required skills.

Visual skills can be expanded when the board is used to develop object identification, visual interpretation and space perception.

Many resources and ideas are available on the internet – add to that your own imagination and you’ll find your interactive whiteboard an invaluable tool in a special needs environment.

Click here for more information about interactive whiteboards.

Tags: IWBs, special needs