INTERACTIVE+WHITEBOARDS+PT+2

Costs?
There are very few drawbacks or hurdles to implementation in more schools and classrooms. The major hurdle is a monetary one. IWB can still be rather expensive, and in schools where budgets are tight, getting them in classrooms can be a struggle. Most IWB cost in the $1000 range, which includes the software needed for the computer. Costs range according to the size of the board as well as by the company selling it, some boards can run up to $4000. SMART Technologies started the IWB trend, and their name has virtually become synonymous with the technology. Other common brands/companies are Promethean, Hitachi and Panasonic, though there are more companies out there. SMART has recently come up with an IWB that they are marketing as costing 30% less, but you must contact the company to find out what dollar amount that comes to.

It would be simple if the board itself was the only piece of equipment needed, but computers, projectors and hardware also must be calculated to the cost. While most districts don't worry about the cost of the computer, many still have to purchase the projector needed to get the image from the computer screen to the IWB. While the projectors themselves are typically under $1000, there is still the issue of other needed materials, such as hardware for mounting the projector and/or the board, as well as cables to connect everything. Some cables alone can run $100 each. One IWB unit can end up costing a district almost $3500. Many small schools may find the cost prohibitive, and certainly most schools can only afford to buy a few at a time. Once they are purchased, replacement costs need to be considered, bulbs for the projectors can run around $400, though if properly cared for should last at least 2-3 years.

When purchasing an IWB, districts must also know what kind of technical support is offered by the company. The costs of training educators to use this technology must also be taken into account. While the boards themselves are fairly easy and straight-forward to use, the software that accompanies them can be the more difficult aspect to deal with. If the purchase of IWBs is done in a "rolling" manner- gradually implementing them in a few classrooms at a time, then training can be done in the same manner. Educators who are trained at a later date have the advantage of possibly having another teacher who was previously trained act as a sort of "mentor" to them. Many companies have materials available so that training can be done in-house by a district employee, as opposed to paying a company rep to inservice the teachers. SMART even offers free online orientation sessions for those who purchase their products, as well as information that can be download from their website. While to monetary cost may not be too great, the TIME must be found to properly train educators.

Current Implementation in LASD
The Littlestown Area School District currently has 10 IWB. These are Promethean Boards and are all located in the high school. One IWB is at least 6 years old and is basically not operable, one is used mainly by the art department, and the other 8 were purchased and used for "Classrooms for the Future" (CFF). More boards may be purchased, depending on the future of the CFF grant. The CFF teachers have been trained and continue to be trained by our CFF coach. One class has already performed an animal "disection" as a class, using their room's IWB. (Certainly smells better than a typical disection!) The district is currently still working on providing classrooms in all schools with LCD projectors. In the elementary building they are being provided slowly, typically 1-2 per grade level each year. Teachers who have expressed interest in this technology and have come comfort in working with technology have been the first to get the projectors. Those would be the teachers most likely to be the first to get an IWB should they become available.

My plans at the elementary level: Financially, this has been a struggle in our district. The tech budget is spread thin as it is, and the grade levels do not have money in their budgets to pay for them. Personally, I would like to see at least one IWB in each grade level,grades 1-3, plus the library, to start. Teachers who embrace techology can become familiar with the use of IWB and later help train, support and encourage their colleagues as well. The use of IWB ties in very well with the math curriculum, which currently relies heavily on daily use of a regular overhead projector. With an IWB, the work done "in class" can then be saved digitally and made available for students to access at home for more review/support.

They would also greatly enhance our "Culture Week" studies, especially if combined with applications such as Google Earth. Teachers can show students multiple viewpoints of the country they are studying and create interactive virtual field trips that would not have otherwise been possible.

But not all activities have to students answering questions and playing interactive games. Taking a previously used PowerPoint presentation or website and simply adding students tapping the IWB to move the presentation,select a hyperlink, or even highlight or make notes on the presentation can help students become more involved and consequently, more motivated in their education.

Promethean also has an "ActivSlate" that can turn any screen into a pseudo-IWB. It comes with the same software as their ActivBoards (IWB) but instead of touching the large screen, there is a portable "slate" you can use to control the computer. You can still use the "flipchart" mode to write/circle/highlight on websites, presentations, etc. but it is not directly touching the screen. The students would not as easily interact with the presentation directly, you would have to hand the slate over instead of having them go directly to the board. While the slates take some getting used to, you use the pen on the slate to manipulate the computer, but you must be looking at the large screen while you do so- the slate itself remains blank, at $400 it is a much more affordable option. Since many of our classrooms already have projectors, the slate would be a quick, easy, and lower-cost addition. (On a personal note, I could use the same slate in both my library computer lab and in the actual library for instruction- saving the cost of 2 whiteboards.)



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