“Me, me! My turn!”, say some of the children inside the classroom. Some others, cover their mouths with one hand and raise the other. They already know that they won´t get their turn by shouting. Form 1 students of the elementary school Montevideo College are using the interactive boards since April and they already know how to use most of the basic functions.
The overhead projector hangs from the roof and points directly to the teacher, who is standing behind the board. This structure, that seems a regular and traditional whiteboard, is operated with a little pen that serves as a sort of mouse. Touching the board with the pen is like clicking the mouse.
The projected image is the same as the one appearing in the teacher`s computer. Children call it “the ghost”, since the screen comes to life while they work on the board.
What It This Board Used For?
These educational devices can be used with different purposes. Writing, as in a chalkboard or a whiteboard, is their main function. You can write using the pen or a small keyboard. Those students who are in more advanced levels may also use a compass, gridded screen and even make calculations. The overhead projector can also project images and videos.
However, two of the qualities that make this board a useful educational tool are the scree captures that can be taken from the work being done, and which allow the students to take homework and to work in teams, and also enables writing on every projected image and saving the record. In this case, students applied this resource with the human body: first they brainstormed and completed the picture and then they compared it with a real one.
“There are many resources to be used. Sharing the activities and showing them to other teachers, groups, parents and students is one of the main advantages,” explains Mariana Stasi, the teacher. Learning how to use the board was a huge challenge, and changed several aspects of the dynamics of the classroom.
The enthusiasm of these 6 and 7 year old children for using the board is overwhelming. They know what tool they should use for each function, and if someone forgets, there is always some other whispering some aid. And if children don´t know how to do it, the teacher is always there to help them.
More and More Present
Jorge Biatturi, Commercial Director of VisionDirect, the company that has been selling interactive boards to Uruguay and Latin America for more than 10 years, explains that sales have been increasing throughout these years. He says the company has sold around 335 boards to national educational institutes such as Saint Georg´s, Elbio Fernández and Arnold Gesell, apart from other public schools. The boards are also used in companies to train staff or in conference rooms.
Patricia Caravelli, Science Coordinator of Saint George´s School explains that reading books with audio is one of the activities they enjoy the most. Students are able to see how the pages are turned virtually and they hear the narration at the same time.
“This is a very useful tool, it provides variety, it allows us to have a different approach to content and at the same time provides children with technological skills”, says Caravelli. “It is their language”.
Team Work
The board is an ideal tool to foster teamwork and, as it is a new device that enables us to do activities adapted to the children technological needs, it is highly motivating.
“The board enables the interaction of several persons at the same time, it can be used with one, two, three and even four pens at the same time.
