|
With interactive whiteboards costing anywhere between $1300 and several thousand dollars, is it possible for public schools to integrate this exciting teaching technology, especially when they also must often purchase a project to complete the package?
Johnny Chung Lee, a computer science Ph.D. student at Carnegie Melon University, has an alternative to the commercial whiteboard. It's an idea that a teacher, with just a little tech savvy and a small budget, could capitalize upon using free computer programs, a LED pen, a Bluetooth-capable computer, and a Nintendo Wii remote control. But first, let me provide a bit of background.
What is an Interactive Whiteboard?
According to Wikipedia, "an interactive whiteboard is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector … A computer's desktop is projected onto the board's surface, where users control the computer using a pen, finger or other device. The board is typically mounted to a wall or on a floor stand . . . They are used in a variety of settings, such as in classrooms…in corporate boardrooms… or in training rooms for professional sports coaching, broadcasting studios and more."
Now grab your wallet. According to Wiki, "The interactive-whiteboard industry is expected to reach sales of $1 billion worldwide by 2008; one of every seven classrooms in the world will feature an interactive whiteboard by 2011 according to market research." That is, of course, if funding is available. Most likely, affluent schools will have them and the rest will have no idea what they are.
Classroom Applications
So what's the big deal with whiteboards, anyhow? Current trends in education suggest that the days are gone when a teacher could lecture from a podium for 60 - 90 minutes and be effective. Now, it's all about interactive education that gets students thinking and moving, and which also teaches interpersonal and computer skills, goal setting, and teamwork.
An interactive whiteboard allows students to use a large screen as a giant PC desktop, which they can manipulate by waving an led light in front of to make revisions on a piece of writing, add commentary to pictures, or even conjugate verbs. So, while wheel-heeled school districts may opt for commercially-available $1300 (and up) models, the rest of us may want to look to Johnny Chung Lee.
Useful? Wii'll find out! Why? Because in this multi-part series, I am going to take on technology and see if an English teacher can actually build one...on his own.
Resource:
https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/
| 
Re: Wii Want Whiteboards! Well, Wii’ll See (Part 1)
