Part II: Teaching with your Interactive Glass Whiteboard
Teaching on an Interactive Whiteboard can be a very new experience for many teachers, but like anything else in life and in teaching, there are some simple do’s and don’ts to follow:
Do – Encourage audience participation
The whole point of an interactive glass whiteboard is to get your classroom engaged in the learning process. There are plenty of ways to get your class involved beyond just standing up and writing on the board. Interactive whiteboards are a great tool that you can combine with various learning websites and software; for math teachers you have virtual calculators, for language teachers, you can download fun talking dictionaries and for science teachers there are plenty of animal and adventure programs. You can even use the board to help teach your kids how to draw, by tracing projector images onto the board.
Don’t – Worry about staining or streaking
This is why you should opt for the interactive glassboard over the interactive whiteboard; glass is incredibly durable and won’t ever stain or streak the way a regular whiteboard will. A magnetic glass interactive board is also the better choice because they last for the life of the wall, and won’t need to be replaced every five to ten years, the way some regular whiteboards need.
Do – Mix it up
Mix up your lessons, this is another big reason why you probably want to be teaching on an interactive whiteboard; because you have hundreds of options for lesson plans. While an interactive whiteboard can basically teach an entire lesson for you, it should be considered a tool, and incorporated into your regular lessons accordingly. Teachers who let the tool do all of the teaching may lose the very important student-teacher bond and may find it more difficult to command the respect they deserve as a teacher. Keep in mind that children need to be constantly engaged to be learning, and that they enjoy being given direction and structure from an authoritative source.
Don’t – Look at the audience the whole time
One of the only problems with interactive whiteboards, is that you can tire your eyes quite easily if you keep your face to the audience. You will need to find a balance between not keeping your back to your classroom, while also not putting too much strain on your eyes by staring at the projector. It may be a good idea to keep the lights on in your classroom for most interactive instructions, since the projector light will be less bright on your eyes.
About Clarus Glassboards: Clarus is the leading manufacturer and innovator of glass whiteboards and glass visual display products. For more information about clear dry erase boards and our other glass architectural systems, please call 888-813-7414 or visit www.clarusglassboards.com.
