Electronic Whiteboards: Another Tool in a Teacher

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Electronic Whiteboards Another Tool in a
Teachers Toolbox

• Presented by
• Kristen Kelly
• Rachel Fortner
• Josh Jessee
• Kristy Adkins

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What is an Electronic Whiteboard?

• Features and functions can be diverse, but
  certain functions are constant among all
  products
• Capture hand-written annotations and drawings
• Store this info for future use
• Print out
• Floppy disk or hard drive
• HTML document for web posting

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Common In-Demand Features

• Whiteboards ability to interface with computer
  and/or projector
• This enables traditional software applications to
  be demonstrated or taught in a new and more
  effective way

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Where have you seen this before?

• Remember John Maddens commentary on NFL games?
• The Telestrator he used was a conducive film
  overlay on a television monitor, an early form of
  an electronic whiteboard.
• It is also on display and open to public use at
  Walt Disneys EPCOT Center.

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History and Evolution of Electronic Whiteboards

• Leonard Reiffel, an electronics prodigy, is
  credited with its invention
• Reiffel revised the Telestator he created into
  the Discon teleconferencing system, which he
  introduced to the business world in 1981
• As businesses adopted the Discon and its
  variations by competitors, educators began to
  imagine its use in academia

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History and Evolution of Electronic Whiteboards

• In 1998, Georgia Tech adopted and initiated a
  project created by part if its College of
  Computing and Graphics, Visualization and
  Usability Center
• This Classroom 2000 project had a primary goal of
  providing electronic whiteboards in all campus
  classrooms

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Growing Popularity of Electronic Whiteboards

• In October 2003, the Thomaston-Upson County
  School District in rural Georgia became the first
  reported public school system to install
  electronic whiteboards in every district K-12
  classroom

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An Example
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Various Products Overview

• 1. Small receivers attach to a traditional
  whiteboard with suction cups. Receivers detect
  and transfer annotations on whiteboard to a
  connected computer, saved to disk, or printed
  immediately after completion.
• Some do not require computer connection but can
  store info internally for later download through
  a USB port

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• 2. Plasma overlay, fitted on computer screen, use
  infared sensors to detect writing from digital
  ink, or on-screen finger taps

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• Simple graphic tablets can be connected to a
  computer to allow teacher to make annotations on
  computer presentation
• Example, circling important points of a
  PowerPoint presentation

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• One of the newest products use cameras mounted in
  the corners of a traditional whiteboard to
  determine exact location of a finger or marker on
  the board.
• Does not require special markers for detection,
  which can make it an attractive product for
  schools

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• All of these variations can be connected to
  projectors mounted in the front, rear or ceiling
  of classroom to make presentation visible to
  moderate and large audiences

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What does it Cost?

• Costs vary widely depending upon the product, its
  functions, and the manufacturer
• Examples
• Graphics tablets can be as little as 100
• SmartBoard, one of the most inclusive of
  functions useful in academic settings, sells a
  basic unit for 1600
• Several mid-range products and accessories range
  form 600 to over 2000

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Applications in Classrooms

• Demonstrations
• Helpful in computer classes by enabling teacher
  to mark on computer screen exactly what student
  should look at or click on

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• One Computer Classrooms
• For schools that can only afford one computer per
  room, a whiteboard is less expensive than more
  computers and can allow entire class to be
  actively involved in computer activities
• Distance Learning
• Lecture notes placed on web can enhance distance
  learning students educational experience

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• Save to disk, save to web, print features
• Accurate record of class lecture and discussion
  for student
• Students can focus more on discussion rather than
  taking notes
• Accurate record for teachers
• Teacher may think of important point during one
  lecture that he may not think of in future
  lectures
• Useful in creating tests

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A long way from John Maddens chalkboard

• The Thomaston-Upson County school district
  installed the ACTIVboard system
• Includes an accessory that allows teachers and
  students to control the whiteboard from anywhere
  in room
• Also, a wireless student peripheral allows
  teacher to gain instant feedback

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Picture of Use in Classroom
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• This district, as well as other individual
  schools and colleges reported use of electronic
  whiteboards have enhanced both the teaching and
  learning environments

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Advantages in Classrooms

• Accommodate different learning styles
• Tactile learners
• Audio learners
• Visual learners
• Large format aids students with disabilities or
  limited motor skills

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• Color capabilities
• Students tend to respond better to color
  presentations
• Group Interaction
• Students tend to want to participate in
  discussion because use of electronic whiteboard
  is an attractive novelty to them
• Interactivity means students learn better

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• Whiteboards ability to interface with document
  and video cameras
• Teacher and student have an accurate record of
  class lecture and discussion for future reference

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Disadvantages in Classrooms

• Depending on exact model, screen size can be
  small and restrictive
• 62 inch diagonal area is small when viewed by 20,
  40, even 60 students
• Use can be complicated and require training,
  which can be intimidating and prevent teachers
  from using it in class

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• Computers driving the whiteboard need to be
  upgraded every few years expensive as compared
  to traditional chalkboards that can last 15 to 20
  years
• High price tag can prevent schools from even
  seriously discussing purchase, regardless of its
  benefits

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