Hating interactive whiteboards
I’ve read a lot about how interactive whiteboards are powerful new tools that allow teachers to create fabulous lessons for their kids. But sixth grade teacher Bill Ferriter can't stand them, and in this lively piece, explains why.
Ferriter, who teaches in Wake County Public Schools in North Carolina, explains his feelings in a piece for Teacher Magazine called “Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards.” Ferriter blogs as “The Tempered Radical.”
Ferriter said he was able to create a couple cool lessons but found his whiteboard to be "basically useless--even if his students “thought it was nifty.” He goes on to lambaste school systems who buy them as making an "irresponsible purchase."
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By
Valerie Strauss
| January 28, 2010; 3:23 PM ET
Categories:
Teachers, Technology
| Tags:
technology, white boards
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Posted by: phillipmarlowe | January 28, 2010 3:52 PM | Report abuse
I totally agree. Our district has smartboards in all elementary classrooms. The boards tend to encourage whole-class instruction, with the teacher at the front working the whiteboard, and an occassional student allowed to go up and do something for the whole class. There is very little opportunity for differentiation in instruction.
Posted by: bkmny | January 28, 2010 5:15 PM | Report abuse
I'll admit that I am not a huge fan of IWBs as well (and use a lot of technology in my classroom) but I don't get this vile hatred towards whiteboards. Of all the purchases we make that are wasteful (and there are so many things that schools buy that are a farce at best), it seems like IWBs are on the lower end of offensive...
Posted by: JasonN | January 28, 2010 5:51 PM | Report abuse
Lest anyone think my friend Bill is a technophobe, he has another interesting article in this month's Educational Leadership magazine titled "Why Teachers Should Try Twitter."
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb10/vol67/num05/Why_Teachers_Should_Try_Twitter.aspx
Posted by: JohnN1 | January 29, 2010 12:06 PM | Report abuse
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Don't forget how just a few months ago, Loundon County had a excess of Stimulus Money For SPecial ED so they spent it on whiteboards.
http://www.leesburg2day.com/articles/2009/12/02/schools/9461whiteboard120109.txt