“Do Whiteboard Benefits Justify Their Cost?”

In the article named above, critics question whether the benefits of whiteboards justify their cost. Although I’m not privilege to have a smartboard, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in smartboard trainings and believe the benefits can be immeasurable for students. The sessions I participated in were very engaging and included both individual tasks and cooperative learning exercises. I’m all about making learning fun and engaging for my students so I know it wouldn’t be a wasted investment in my class :). I have however heard former coworkers comment on the fact they know teachers who have smartboards but don’t use them or are not comfortable using them. In cases such as this, it’s no wonder critics would question their effectiveness. A few things must happen however for their effectiveness to take place: (1) Teachers must be adequately trained so they are somewhat comfortable and knowledgeable of their use. (2) Teachers should allow students to frequently interact with the smartboards as a means for learning rather than being the primary operators. While I must admit, often times I learn from my students. So giving the students an opportunity to experiment with the smartboards can prove successful for both the students and the teacher. (3) As the old cliché goes, “If you don’t use it you will lose it.” So the use of smartboards can’t be an every now and then ordeal. Plus, practice makes perfect and much can be learned from trial and error. It works for me at least when I am working with a new program or piece of equipment. 

Article link: http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/are-white-boards-worth-the-money.shtml