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My children brought home this magazine, ‘Click, a technology guide for parents’ that I found very useful and interesting. This article in particular, explains what the interactive whiteboards are, how and why they are rapidly becoming the new tool of the teaching trade. I agree with Mr Taylor’s statement that “sometimes the teacher becomes a student as well and it is because of that role-changing that there’s a great deal of respect between students and teachers”. The following is a recount on my personal experience within the classroom that involves role-changing and the use of interactive whiteboard.

During my practicum and after having finished a topic about the Olympic Games I had a fantastic teaching experience using a CD ROM; it was a digital audiovisual tour of Ancient Olympia that allowed students to step back to 200BC Olympia. Initially only a small group of students attempted the activity and the rest of them joined in soon after seeing my reaction when I realised that we were actually using an interactive whiteboard. They later remarked that my enthusiasm and limited technological knowledge gave them the courage and drive to want to participate, overcoming their fears they might say something wrong in the target language. I would guide and help them to correctly interpret the written and oral instructions (by ‘eliciting’ the correct answer of course, and not just giving it to them) and they would occasionally let me ‘tap’ the screen as well.That particular lesson was greatly enjoyed by my students and me!!!

Attribution: Classroom photo by DaviDMuir