| My school has been running a trial with Smart | | | | Put simply, yes. |
| interactive whiteboards. We are a forward-thinking | | | | Just having these devices in the classroom makes |
| language school in Jakarta with a desire to push | | | | the room a more fun, exciting place to be. |
| the boundaries and a willingness to embrace | | | | Students' attention is drawn toward the board, |
| classroom technology if , and only if, it's proven | | | | even before it has been switched on. |
| to be genuinely useful. | | | | Once running, students and teachers can enjoy |
| With the cost of these devices falling steadily and | | | | interacting with the board in ways not possible |
| the range of functions increasing, many schools | | | | with conventional boards. Pictures, movies, |
| around the world are turning towards | | | | interactive exercises and text can be produces |
| touch-screen interactive white boards and similar | | | | and manipulated very simply by anyone. The |
| educational technology. Not wanting to be 'left | | | | Smartboard has added a great deal of richness to |
| behind' but also not wanting to waste money, we | | | | the learning experience at my school, and access |
| decided to run a 4-month trial with a Smartboard, | | | | to the Internet on the board has been invaluable. |
| which has now come to an end. As a school | | | | I'm not sure how we ever coped with tricky |
| manager I had 3 main questions in mind: | | | | vocabulary before we were able to use 'Google |
| 1.Can teachers quickly and easily adapt, and can | | | | Images' to flash up a picture within seconds. We |
| they learn to utilise the full potential of the | | | | also regularly use news websites to add real |
| equipment? | | | | current affairs texts to many of our classes. |
| 2.Do interactive whiteboards improve the quality | | | | In terms of improving educational quality, the |
| and effectiveness of the teaching happening in | | | | Smartboards have been an overwhelming |
| my class rooms? | | | | success. |
| 3.As the only language school (so far) to use the | | | | 3.As the only language school (so far) to use |
| Smart board in Indonesia, will their usage attract | | | | Smartboards in Indonesia, will their usage attract |
| more word-of-mouth marketing and therefore be | | | | more word-of-mouth marketing and therefore be |
| a cost-effective long-term investment? | | | | a cost-effective long-term investment? |
| 1.Can teachers quickly and easily adapt, and can | | | | This has been hard to prove. The boards are not |
| they learn to utilize the full potential of the | | | | cheap, and must be accompanied by a computer |
| equipment? | | | | and LCD projector, so this is a question i'll continue |
| I am deeply interested in technology and | | | | looking into. We have had the Smartboards in |
| computers (and their role in education), so I was | | | | place since the beginning in some classrooms and |
| an easy sell for the Smart representative in | | | | conventional whiteboards in others. Almost all |
| Jakarta. However I knew that not all of my | | | | students (96%) stated they preferred the |
| teachers would be so quick to throw away their | | | | interactive white board to the conventional board. |
| white board markers. I should have had more | | | | The same students also stated, though, that the |
| faith, though, because after a few short training | | | | most important factor affecting their level of |
| sessions and a few trial lessons, even my most | | | | satisfaction was the quality of the teacher and |
| technophobic teachers were navigating the board | | | | the teaching itself. Interestingly, there was no |
| with ease. As the most basic function, all teachers | | | | particular demographic (young/old/male/female) |
| are instantly able to use the new white board as | | | | which preferred learning with the interactive white |
| they would have used a traditional board. Within | | | | boards more than others. |
| hours, teachers are incorporating photos, sounds, | | | | Among students we have a very high level of |
| Internet browsers and interactive activities into | | | | satisfaction with our teaching staff, and a very |
| their white board work. Success. | | | | high re-enrollment rate. The school, Aim for English |
| One complaint from teachers was that the | | | | , is thriving and word-of-mouth marketing is |
| 'Smartboard's recognition of their pen' was too | | | | flourishing, but it's impossible to say that this has |
| slow, resulting in messy handwriting. This wasn't a | | | | been due to the Smartboards alone. For us, the |
| Smartboard problem, it was a computer program. | | | | trial has been an overwhelming success and we |
| After a clean up, defragmentation and slight | | | | plan to invest in Smartboards for all classrooms |
| hardware upgrade, the computer controlling the | | | | during 2007/2008. |
| Smartboard was running lightening-fast and I | | | | If you're thinking about investing in these devices, |
| received no more complaints. | | | | don't think that it will be the answer to your |
| I am now confident that teachers can learn to | | | | school's problems. However, if used in conjunction |
| use these devices quickly, although some | | | | with great teachers, touch-screen interactive |
| teachers obviously make the transition more | | | | whiteboards can be a powerful marketing tool |
| smoothly than others. | | | | and, more importantly, can greatly improve the |
| 2.Do interactive whiteboards improve the quality | | | | quality and effectiveness of education at your |
| and effectiveness of the teaching happening in | | | | school. |
| my class rooms? | | | | |