Smartboard Lesson

I’ve found interactive whiteboards to be an extremely useful tool in the classroom setting, however I feel that their importance should be limited to that of one of the myriad tools available to a teacher. Having taught a lesson using an interactive whiteboard, I can say that it is equally as advantageous as it is disadvantageous. I say that because an interactive whiteboard has the potential to be distracting to a teacher, which can be detrimental in terms of classroom management.

However, I would like to have one in a classroom because of the advantages, such as the ability to easily show video to an entire class; the ability to use color, graphics, and sound in a lesson all from one piece of equipment; the various games that can be employed; etc.

But, while this can be a boon, it must never be forgotten that the single most important tool in teaching a classroom of students is the teacher. An interactive whiteboard can help engage students, however it cannot do all of the work. It can be nothing more than supplemental to the teacher.

While it is best for a teacher to make use of all the tools available to teach students, it can be detrimental to the educational process for a teacher to rely too heavily on one tool alone to get the job done.