Saturday, January 26, 2013

Interactive Whiteboards in the Classroom

Interactive Whiteboards

I am currently teaching 5th grade in an elementary school fortunate enough to have received funds to install mimios. These machines are easy to use, and incredibly useful to teachers because they project web documents, textbook pages, PowerPoints, and games up onto any regular whiteboard. Then a special digital marker is used to write on, or select information within the projected material. This function is what makes the whiteboard interactive. You can also use dry erase markers to underline or circle key information, however, once the projected image changes, your markings will still be on the board. Whereas when you use the digital marker, you markings will be erased when a new image is brought up. This saves time on clearing the whiteboard, and allows you to go back to previous images to view notes. What an amazing feature!



My students absolutely love using the mimio. They know how to turn the machine on and off, and they can access vocabulary quizzes, Brain Pop lessons, Go Math worksheet pages, and powerpoint presentations. This interactive whiteboard in my classroom is used daily and it makes my teaching easier. Students are able to follow along better during math and science lessons, and enrichment games can be played with the whole class on the mimio as well.


Because this mimio machine is connected to the classroom computer, I can pull up websites, articles, photos, and videos from the internet to project onto my whiteboard for my students to view. To me, this is why the mimio is so useful to all teachers. Teachers don't need to create their own PowerPoints, or buy software and games to display over the mimio. The World Wide Web is full of useful information that can be used to teach any particular subject. In other words, if you have a mimio projector in you classroom, whatever you can look up on the internet can be displayed onto your whiteboard. Then your whiteboard can be used almost like a gigantic ipad, or other touch screen tablet to browse through links. It's an incredible addition to my classroom; it brings my teaching up-to-date in this digital age. I would recommend this piece of technology to every teacher, no matter their age or grade taught. Even kindergarden can use this machine to teach reading and math.


Above is a video demonstration of a mimio interactive whiteboard.





Image references:
http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-3521398200

http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-3586287989











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8 comments:

  1. cindyrblackburnJanuary 29, 2013 at 9:30 AM

    Hi Lisa!
    I love your post on the use of SMART Boards in the classroom. Kids absolutely love the interactive technology, and teachers can truly use them to enhance learning. Plus, the ability to access and share resources improves professionalism and collegiality. I love the resources you provided. At the school I interned in, they had a site where teachers could share their PowerPoints and lessons with each other. It made group planning SO convenient. What an amazing tool :)
    Great post!
    -Cindy

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    1. UnknownJanuary 29, 2013 at 12:57 PM

      Hi Cindy, Thanks for your post! I'm glad you've had the opportunity to work with a SmartBoard in the past. The mimio machines are even better in my opinion because you don't have the large portable board in your classroom. I've worked with both, and the SmartBoard got in the way of traffic quite a bit. I think team planning works out so well when each teacher has the same technology to use. This way all teachers can share PowerPoints with one another.
      -Lisa

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  2. AnonymousJanuary 29, 2013 at 9:31 AM

    Lisa,

    I was able to work with smart boards in my class last semester. That was the first time I ever heard of them, let alone used them. I can see how they can be very useful in the classroom. Throughout our activities, I found it very easy to switch from one subject to the next.

    While listening to my fellow classmates, many of them said that their students also know how to work the smartboard. Many of them had that as one of their stations.

    During our activity, we did have some technical difficulties with the boards. I'm not sure if it was because there were several of them on the same network, but I hope that teachers don't have the same issues in their classrooms. Granted, it didn't take long to reboot, but it is inconvenient.

    Nice post!
    Kia

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    1. UnknownJanuary 29, 2013 at 1:06 PM

      Thanks for your post Kia! I agree with you that the SmartBoard makes transitions between lessons easy. I also felt it helped me stay organized. Right now i'm in 5th, but last year when i was in 3rd grade my students were still learning how to work the machine. My 5th graders can set it up, and they know how to use it as well.
      I know that with technology comes technological issues, and frustration. Even still, they make my teaching a lot easier and also get my students excited.
      -Lisa

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  3. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2013 at 2:21 AM

    Lisa,

    From your description and the video you provided in your post, I cannot believe how easy it is to use this piece of technology called Mimio. I have certainly heard about smartboards, but did not have the chance to work with them. Unfortunately, they cost a fortune, so not all schools can afford them and I also heard that they are not very user-friendly and crash and freeze often. Whereas, from what I understood, mimios are cost effective, practical, and do not require an extensive amount of effort and time to set up.

    Like you suggested in your post, “… this mimio machine is connected to the classroom computer, I can pull up websites, articles, photos, and videos from the internet to project onto my whiteboard for my students to view”, I can see that teachers can use it in numerous ways to teach, plan, and deliver their lessons. In addition, using mimios in the classroom will keep students motivated, engaged and interested in the content.

    Lisa, I congratulate you on using a mimio in your classroom; your students are lucky!

    Thanks for sharing this incredible tool with us. I enjoyed reading you post :)

    Regards;

    Hasnaa

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    1. UnknownJanuary 30, 2013 at 12:10 PM

      Thanks for you post, Hasnaa. I'm glad you found it enjoyable and useful. My students love the mimio we have, and I do wish that more schools would be so lucky to have them installed. They're truly wonderful for all grade levels. With all the information and resources available on the internet, we can do almost anything in our classrooms with a mimio.
      -Lisa

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  4. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2013 at 3:48 PM

    Lisa,

    It was great reading your post and learning more about the features of the mimio. I think it's great that your students are so comfortable using it and that it is used in so many different ways throughout your day of teaching. I don’t have a mimio, but I do have another type of interactive white board. After using it for the past couple of years I don’t know what I would do without it! It allows you to incorporate so many different things into your lessons and allows you to model problems and strategies in a more effective way. I also frequently look on the web for Power Points and videos to help enrich my lessons. The students always enjoy them and it keeps them really engaged.

    I found the video you shared to be very informational for people who are unfamiliar with what mimios are and how they work. It even gave me some different ideas of how I can use my image gallery to enhance my teaching.

    Thank you for sharing!

    Melissa Asmus

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  5. UnknownJanuary 31, 2013 at 7:02 PM

    Thanks for your post, Melissa! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I thought it was a nice way to help readers visualize using a mimio in their classrooms. I don't know what i'd do without mine either! I hope i never have to lose this piece of technology. It makes my teaching much more engaging and organized. I love it!
    -Lisa

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