In todays world of technology and discoveries of new learning methods, things are changing every day. Teachers must learn to be able to change their curriculums and methods of teaching. Everything must be up today all the time. Back in the day teaching was always pretty much the same old thing and never really changed that much until a couple years ago when the 21st century and technology took over. Everything started changing and the way of teaching changed drastically. Teachers had to relearn the way they taught before all the new types of inventions.
For students to unlearn the way they started to learn they must go through 3 concepts of knowledge.
- The first is knowledge for practice which is basic guidelines and research to improve practice.
- The second is knowledge in practice which is actually applying that knowledge to see if it works. This stage is based on inquiry and reflection.
- The third stage is knowledge of practice which is the systematic, critical, and collaborative inquiry in teaching and learning. This stage allows teachers and even students to figure out new ways of learning and improving knowledge.
Interactive whiteboards or IWB are now almost in every classroom in high schools in the United States. Interactive whiteboards are electronic smart boards that allow teachers and students to interact and draw on the board or giant computer screen and learn lessons on the large white board. IWB's can be a lot of fun and help out students learning. Students can play fun games on the touch screen and learn all different subjects, math, english, history, and science.
I believe that IWB's can be a large help, but from what I have seen in my own experience most teacher don't know how to use them the way they can be. In my History class my 10th grade teacher knew how to use it and it was a lot of fun. We played study games on it and learned lessons, but my English teacher didn't know how to use it at all and it just sat up in the front of the room collecting dust. If a teacher doesn't know how to use it, then it is no more useful then a chalkboard or a dry-erase board.
I've also seen kids just get bored of it and not really be interested at all, to them its interesting for three weeks and then its the same thing as a chalkboard. It is a lot of money too, schools should be using that money they are getting to buy more books or writing supplies, since most schools don't have enough for every student. I believe that technology just grows and it really is all the same, it makes small changes in students learning abilities and how much they learn. I would like to see school spend more money on supplies or make sure all teachers know how to use the IWB's effectively as discussed in The Journal.
IWB's can definitely make a difference in Differentiation. Different lessons can be taught or taught in different ways. It can also have lessons and activities for all different learning types and levels.
