We've Done Well
Though I am still not officially back at work, my Principal and I went up to a School Leader's seminar this week conducted by IWBnet at Penleigh and Essendon Gramar School in Melbourne. It was interesting to note that the numbers attending were so in excess of the anticipated audience that all the places available were taken.
As part of the day we got to check out some other whiteboard manufacturers as well as some of the software associated with IWB's. We also got to have a look around the school and hear of their experiences. As with us, they were most enthusiastic users of the technology and the teachers involved were excellent ambassadors, not only for the school but also for the technology. They did have some cautionary experiences that they were able to share with the audience. P&EGS have also installed SMART Boards. They however paid for contractors to install their IWB's including associated hardware such as Jet controllers to control the projector and sound systems. Having used the IWB's they now considered this to be largely redundant expenditure and will not be going to such extremes in future installations.
They had also decided in two rooms to go cold turkey and have only the IWB as the sole board space for the classroom. The teachers suggested that this was not such a good idea as they would have liked a small space at least on which to record notes/messages that would be there as a reminder for the whole of the day. Overall for us it was really heartening to find out that we were at least up with the leaders in the adoption of IWB's and that we had made some good decisions in our choice of board and the manner in which we are proceeding with there installation.
One interesting reminder to come out of our discussions during the day was the importance of the digital camera, not only to record events but also to be used to capture student work to throw up on the IWB. Often such work is larger in size than a scanner however with today's higher resolution cameras capturing such work is much easier. Of course once you have the work on display it is very easy to use it to make teaching points and also save in digital portfolios.
As part of the day we got to check out some other whiteboard manufacturers as well as some of the software associated with IWB's. We also got to have a look around the school and hear of their experiences. As with us, they were most enthusiastic users of the technology and the teachers involved were excellent ambassadors, not only for the school but also for the technology. They did have some cautionary experiences that they were able to share with the audience. P&EGS have also installed SMART Boards. They however paid for contractors to install their IWB's including associated hardware such as Jet controllers to control the projector and sound systems. Having used the IWB's they now considered this to be largely redundant expenditure and will not be going to such extremes in future installations.
They had also decided in two rooms to go cold turkey and have only the IWB as the sole board space for the classroom. The teachers suggested that this was not such a good idea as they would have liked a small space at least on which to record notes/messages that would be there as a reminder for the whole of the day. Overall for us it was really heartening to find out that we were at least up with the leaders in the adoption of IWB's and that we had made some good decisions in our choice of board and the manner in which we are proceeding with there installation.
One interesting reminder to come out of our discussions during the day was the importance of the digital camera, not only to record events but also to be used to capture student work to throw up on the IWB. Often such work is larger in size than a scanner however with today's higher resolution cameras capturing such work is much easier. Of course once you have the work on display it is very easy to use it to make teaching points and also save in digital portfolios.
posted by mrpbps | 6:25 PM
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