Technology Reflection: Use of Interactive White Boards in a Classroom

Description/Experience

            The technology that was presented at the last lesson (November 11^th, 2011) was how interactive white boards could be useful in classroom instruction. Interactive white boards are large interactive displays that connect to a computer or laptop and use a stylus, finger, or pen to interact with the screen. So far, I have had little experience with the IWB. There was one of these in the computer science classroom at my high school but no one but the teacher was allowed to touch or use it except for presentations and so there was little use for it. However, I do like the idea of this technology better than the iPad because it is more cost effective and has more uses due to the fact that the teacher can hook it up to a laptop and be able to project movies and media with it.

Application

Before I do can give a scenario of how I would use this technology in my PDS placement, I need to provide some details regarding my students. The students in my PDS classroom are all special needs students, some with autism, learning disabilities, and behavior disabilities which makes it difficult sometimes in incorporating technology because it can be distracting to them. I work with high school students ranging from freshman to seniors split fifty-fifty between males and females. This activity will aim to reach their age group using this technology. The activity that will be performed would be to review a book by presenting a Venn diagram of the characters in the book that they have been reading recently to the students using the interactive white board and then split them up into groups. Each group would work on finding the differences between a set of characters and fill out one side of the Venn diagram as the other group works on the other set. Students from each group will present their side of the diagram and fill in the Venn diagram on the IWB for everyone to see. Lastly, the teacher will discuss the similarities between the characters and fill in the middle of the diagram and review what everyone learned. At the end of the lesson, students should be able to distinguish which characters helped the main character and which ones hindered her progress. The review at the end of the activity would allow the teacher to know which students understood the content and which ones need more help. If all of the students are active in the review, then the teacher can assume that the students have understood the learning outcomes.

Reflection

            There are several types of knowledge that would be utilized when doing this activity. The first, pedagogical knowledge would be used in the way that the lesson is set up. Assigning the class into two groups and having them do each side of the Venn diagram and then present them to the class using the interactive white board is an example of group investigation and is very useful. I have observed in my PDS how this is more effective than having the students learn from direct instruction, which causes the loss of attention among the students.

            Also, by separating the students into groups, students begin to recognize themselves as a team and begin to take group responsibility for each of their learning. This method is known as student team-achievement divisions (STAD) and gives the students more control over their learning. I have seen this take place more and more in my PDS in that the students are starting to help and correct each other’s reading when we are in groups.

            The second type of knowledge that would be utilized in the activity is technological/pedagogical knowledge. This would occur when the students are presenting their side of the Venn diagram in that they would be interacting with the IWB as they were working with their groups. Also, the interactive white board would help foster discussion about what they learned in their groups.

            The last type of knowledge is a combination of technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and content knowledge. This type of knowledge is exemplified in this activity because the students are learning the content (character analysis of the book) as well as how to interact with and use the technology to further their understanding of the book in question.  They are also subconsciously learning from their peers in their groups which is the pedagogical side to this type of knowledge.