SMARTboards continued: philosophy

This post has been informed by discussions with several master teachers at KCKCC. SMARTboards are a type of Interactive White Board (IWB) technology. It's more accurate and useful in research to use the term IWB, like it can be more useful to say "cola" instead of Coke, though in practice...

The more I read/ watch/discuss and learn about Interactive White Board (IWB) technology, I notice several tacit assumptions that long confused me . Educause, an online scholarly journal, notes that administration and faculty come from different cultures and the assumptions of one culture can lead to miscommunication with representative from others.

When discussing IWB's we must consider how we conceptualize both the technology and the nature of instruction.

• Are we talking about it as software or hardware?
• Are we thinking in the context of a) online/hybrid (web-assisted) classes or b) on-ground (without an Angel class or “shell” created)?
• Is it a tool to produce lessons, to illustrate specific concepts, or to record them for distribution?

All of the above possibilities are valid, BUT, generally speaking, instructors focus their use based on their personal teaching style, the demands of their subject matter, and the needs of their students.

We all think of content, and content delivery, differently. “Concrete” disciplines (math, sciences, nursing) rely more on pre-planning and may rely on the use of Powerpoint or the related “Notebook” software. Social Sciences and the Humanities, where the subject matter is more abstract, tend to use the technology on the run – to augment the experience in the classroom. In fact, one can still get graduate degrees in several fields without seeing a Powerpoint presentation – so equating Powerpoint with instruction draws blank stares from some faculty, just as instruction without Powerpoint mystifies others.

Susie Meyers also notes the need to tease IWB's apart from "Online" instruction. These are distinct and specific issues, but they are not mutually exclusive. Dr. Hasan Naima thinks of SMARTboards not as web-enhancement, but as communication enhancement. This tool facilitates instruction.

Advantages of IWB's (SMARTboards)

1. Save notes – share via online / email.
2. Clear instantly – saves time over erasing boards
3. No chalk dust.
4. Notebook software offers many possibilities not available through Powerpoint.
5. SMARTboards facilitate collaboration.

Questions voiced separately that need exploration – known issues

1. If we visualize SMART tech as a way to prepare lesson, and if these teachers prepare lessons from their home computers, can/ should they have the software on laptops or their home computers to create lessons?
   
2. Adjuncts have problems logging into tech enhanced classrooms.

3)

I’ve recently collected new instructional videos for IWB's or SMARTboards at http://del.icio.us/gdixon/smartboard