21st Century Instructional Tool for Enhanced Teaching and Learning

   In this information age, instructional toolsapplication by touching the board with a finger,
which are motivating, interactive and interestingand can mark with tools such as a stylus,
are required to assist students in learning a widedry-erase marker, or finger.
range of subjects. Hands-on, interactive activities   This board has the "smart" qualities because it
are particularly valuable for students who areinteracts by interface with a computer and in the
struggling learners. Furthermore, successfulmanner in which it allows interactivity between the
teachers recognize the fact that a variety of 21stcomputer, the board, and users at both locations.
century tools should be used to enhanceThey offer multiple benefits for both teaching and
students’ academic performance. One of suchlearning. They can be used in so many different
instructional tool, the interactive whiteboard, hasways making it a tool that can easily be
become an essential part of the educationalintegrated into any subject area. This technology
curriculum globally. These boards promote activeaddresses all the learning styles applied in
student engagement in the learning process andclassrooms. For example, many students tend to
have been described as being one of the mostbe very visual learners and this board is a perfect
revolutionary and powerful techniques of teachingmatch for their learning style. When using the
and learning.board, students maneuver through exercises
   The interactive whiteboard is a touchusing their fingers, not a mouse, which is very
sensitive board, which is displayed on a walldevelopmentally appropriate for primary age
(looking similar to the old school whiteboards). Youstudents and also appeals to students who are
connect a computer or laptop to the smart boardtactile learners.
and whatever is on your computer screen will be   The visibility of the interactive whiteboard is
projected onto the whiteboard. You can then usenot only engaging for young learners but it also
it simply as a large display or you can use itfacilitates whole-group instruction that is more
interactively. This instructional tool can becollaborative and active in comparison to traditional
connected to speakers and other devices. Thewhole-group lessons that tend to be more passive
interactive whiteboard software offers a range ofand oriented toward direct instruction. This novel
resources that can be used with the board suchboard opens up new prospects for presentation,
as a spinner, interactive dice, a timer, a clock, andre-presentation and communication. Information
hundreds of other resources specific to variouscan be presented in exciting and engaging ways,
curriculum areas.creating more motivating outcomes. It provides
   This 21st century instructional tool has madecollective engagement with learning problems at
its’ way into almost every sphere of humangreater depth. They encourage creative and
endeavor; business, education, entertainment,seamless use of materials including: websites,
government etc. Consequently, teachers havevideo and audio clips, internet and email exchange,
identified the significance of this astounding newinteractive teaching programs, interactive and
device and the impact it could have on students.electronic texts as well as interactive software
There are numerous ways the interactivesuch as digital flipcharts.
whiteboard could be used in a school setting, such   This 21st century instructional tool enables the
as, instructional purposes, student collaboration andteacher to promptly change and reconfigure
professional development. They are used in manyinformation, providing opportunities to engage with
schools as replacements for traditionalpupils at a higher and/or deeper level. In order to
whiteboards or flipcharts.take full advantage of benefits of this technology,
   Interactive whiteboards provide ways tothe teacher needs to combine knowledge of the
show students any thing which can be presentedsubject, an understanding of how students learn a
on a computer's desktop (educational software,range of teaching strategies, along with adept
web sites, and others). This device is gainingmanipulation of the technology. Pupils are
popularity as a visual presenter and interactiveencouraged to deepen their level of enquiry and
teaching aid for use in science subjects. They aregenerate their own questions and hypotheses,
effective tools for transforming learning andwhich they can then easily test and confirm.
teaching in schools. They make it possible forTeaching and learning in primary, secondary and
teachers to write notes in digital ink and savetertiary schools can be upgraded through the use
work to share later. The interactive quality of theof interactive whiteboards.
board can lend itself to a degree of student   Effective use of this novel board incorporates
participation not offered by other presentationa variety of teaching techniques that support a
methods such as the chalkboard or overheadrange of preferred learning styles. In addition,
projector and screen.interactive whiteboards allow teachers to record
   The interactive whiteboard can be used totheir instruction and post the material for review
involve groups in lessons displayed on the board.by students at a later time. This can be a very
Because students actively participate in theseeffective instructional strategy for students who
lessons, the board can serve as a valuable tool inbenefit from repetition, who need to see the
an interactive learning environment. The boardmaterial presented again, for students who are
itself is touch-sensitive, so that students canabsent from school, for struggling learners, and
manipulate applications at the board as if it were afor review for examinations. They can also
giant touch pad. They can also add notes to anysupport visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning.
display, make annotations, or compose originalThe use of this 21st century instructional tool in
documents which can be saved, printed andeducational institutions can undoubtedly enhance
distributed, or sent electronically to recipients inlearning and teaching opportunities.
other locations. The user can control any