Interactive White Boards

What three key concepts or ideas did you learn?
I think the article made some good points. First stating that the difficulty has been integrating ICT within traditional approaches that are often largely teacher centered. This is a good point because anything new is looked at as scary or bad. So if you are a teacher who is traditional it may be hard to think about incorporating technology into your classroom. But you have to start somewhere.
I also found it interesting when it stated that when getting used to the whiteboards, teachers keep them mainly to their use. I agree with some of this statement. I think it depends on the teacher. Some teachers may feel they themselves need to be 100% comfortable with it before handing it over to the students. Then there are people like myself who would have no problem learning it alongside the students. I don't mean the students teaching me and taking over, but us learning it together. Not being afraid to make mistakes because we are all in it together.
Lastly I found the point of having a bright and colorful device in the front of the classroom leads to greater attention levels important. I felt the same way when I first saw the board used for the first time in class. I am also excited to see each time someone uses it, what they are going to do, or what else can that machine do. It's very appealing to me. To be honest I am not 100% comfortable in using it, but it does spark my attention.

Do interactive communication tools lead to interactive learning? Why or why not?
I believe they do. I think they provide a great hands-on learning experience for students. The whiteboard gives the students the opportunity to write ideas so everyone can see or help the teacher during the class. It provides an excellent visual for students. Kids will see this big white board with these pens and colors, they are going to be anxious to see what they can do with it. I think the whiteboard will lessen the amount of note taking as well. It provides students with so many other ways of learning information as we saw some examples in class today. I also think it would lower stress levels for kids who have anxiety when it comes to learning something new. I think they would be more excited to learn than be stressed about it. I also think they would be learning and may not actually realize they are learning because they will have fun with it.

How can educators be sure to use interactive communication tools to their best potential? List and describe three ideas.
1. I think teachers would need to go through extensive trainings. Whether it be teacher inservice days or seminars on their own time. I also think at inservices or seminars it would be good to hear what other school districts are doing, how they're doing it, and what is working.
2. I also think teachers should utilize the tools as often as possible. Practice makes perfect. They should try and incorporate the tools into their lesson plans as many times as they can. There are so many methods of technology for the classroom, they should look at the areas they are teaching and see where the tools can be utilized to maximize student success. I think certain tools would work better depending on what is being taught.
3. I also think teachers should work closely with their tech people in their buildings. They are the experts in the field and I am sure they wouldn't mind helping teachers out with ideas.