In a traditional classroom setting the one basic piece of equipment you expect to see is a chalkboard or dry erase board. With the amazing technology of today, a new board has been created unlike anything from the past. It’s called an interactive whiteboard. This board is highly effective in collaborative learning for students.
Similar in both size and appearance to the dry erase board, it has the ability to combine not only a dry erase board but also computer technology. Teachers as well as students may use the pens that come with these boards to “write” on the surface of the board, but anything soft can be used as a writing tool.
Using the software provided with the board children are able to interact with other students as well as the teacher by seeing their lessons on interactive whiteboards. Students can manipulate images on the board and move them wherever they want them to go. Multiple students can manipulate the interactive whiteboard at any given time. This ability enhances collaborative learning for children and the kids will tend to be more engaged in the lesson because it is similar to a gaming experience. Each child is also able to see the different ways other students get the same answer.
These interactive whiteboards can be used with all subjects throughout every grade. Teachers can save work done by the class for future reference, repetition, or for students who were not in class that day. This allows all children in class to participate in the collaborative learning experience, even if they were not in school that day.