Interactive Whiteboards in the EFL-Classroom
Small Blackboard Made of Schist
with Eraser
When students of our parent's generation started school, they used to
write on small boards made of schist (engl. for "Schiefer"). There was
no possibility for the students to keep what they wrote because they
needed to erase their writing in order to have space for the next topic.
A little later, students used textbooks made of paper. This was a great advantage because their work was retained in written form.
Teachers always used to write on black boards, which hang in front of the classroom. But the problem remains the same: every text, every drawing and every calculation needs to be erased at the end of the lesson.
Since these days, there hasn't been a lot of change in German classrooms. Students still use to write in textbooks and every class is equipped with a blackboard.
A little later, students used textbooks made of paper. This was a great advantage because their work was retained in written form.
Teachers always used to write on black boards, which hang in front of the classroom. But the problem remains the same: every text, every drawing and every calculation needs to be erased at the end of the lesson.
Since these days, there hasn't been a lot of change in German classrooms. Students still use to write in textbooks and every class is equipped with a blackboard.
An Interactive Whiteboard in Use
Recently, conditions change in German classrooms. A new technology
is introduced, which modernizes learning processes: Interactive
Whiteboards. These gadgets replace the conventional blackboard in
classrooms and offer a lot of new teaching methods. Interactive
whiteboards have a touchscreen which is connected to a computer. You can
use IWBs like a blackboard, show digital data on them and, above all,
can store information. Thus, you can save what is developed in class:
texts, worksheets, diagrams, calculations and so on - this is a great
advantage!
Besides, there are many other aspects of IWBs, which lead to changes in German classrooms. In the table below, I opposed advantages and disadvantages of the usage of IWBs in the classroom.
Besides, there are many other aspects of IWBs, which lead to changes in German classrooms. In the table below, I opposed advantages and disadvantages of the usage of IWBs in the classroom.
Advantages
|
Disadvantages
|
At our visit at the Martin-Luther-Schule Marburg we got to know that the classrooms for teaching sience are equipped with IWBs primarily until now. According to the FAZ, five percent of German classrooms are equippped with IWBs - in Great Britain the percentage lies at 60 (FAZ.net 05-10-2010). I'm wondering if IWBs are just a "temporary fashion" in Germany or if this technology will be established by the time.
From all I know about interactive whiteboards I'm convinced that this new technology has the potential to improve teaching sequences. Of course, a precondition for that is that teachers are able to use them as helpful support and not for the sake of using it. I hope that German schools can catch up with British school's equipment one day.