What can I say? I love to draw.
It has taken me a while to get used to using a Promethean board, as I am used to using SMART Boards, but now I have gotten the hang of it, it isn't too bad. I still prefer the SMART boards, for their functionality, responsiveness, the ability to use a finger rather than a pen, and the software itself, but each type has its own merits.
Just having an IWB saved a significant amount of time setting up before whole class teaching, and offers the best parts of a flip chart, whiteboard, and projector all in one. Plus Year 1 loved being allowed to come up to write or click to answer questions during whole class teaching. Of course, some of the smaller children needed a bit of help reaching icons near the top of the screen, but that's one of the many benefits of an IWB, being able to easily rearrange objects on screen.
For me though, as little as it is, being able to add some personal flair to lessons with drawing (see below) and interactivity to help engage the children made a big difference. The WALT and WILF below were changed to aliens this week (we normally have ClipArt hedgehogs) and the children loved them. I found they referred back to the board rather than sitting waiting for instructions a lot more, and even spotted a few of them mimicking the orange alien and his magnifying glass to remind each other to check their work! Having been pushing them to work more independently for weeks, a few children making this tiny step made a big difference.
It really is no wonder that every school I visit seems to have invested in one. I only have the three pictures below, but hopefully I'll have more on my next placement!
It has taken me a while to get used to using a Promethean board, as I am used to using SMART Boards, but now I have gotten the hang of it, it isn't too bad. I still prefer the SMART boards, for their functionality, responsiveness, the ability to use a finger rather than a pen, and the software itself, but each type has its own merits.
Just having an IWB saved a significant amount of time setting up before whole class teaching, and offers the best parts of a flip chart, whiteboard, and projector all in one. Plus Year 1 loved being allowed to come up to write or click to answer questions during whole class teaching. Of course, some of the smaller children needed a bit of help reaching icons near the top of the screen, but that's one of the many benefits of an IWB, being able to easily rearrange objects on screen.
For me though, as little as it is, being able to add some personal flair to lessons with drawing (see below) and interactivity to help engage the children made a big difference. The WALT and WILF below were changed to aliens this week (we normally have ClipArt hedgehogs) and the children loved them. I found they referred back to the board rather than sitting waiting for instructions a lot more, and even spotted a few of them mimicking the orange alien and his magnifying glass to remind each other to check their work! Having been pushing them to work more independently for weeks, a few children making this tiny step made a big difference.
It really is no wonder that every school I visit seems to have invested in one. I only have the three pictures below, but hopefully I'll have more on my next placement!
 A lesson WALT from our week on the book Aliens Love Panta Claus... |  ... and the accompanying WILF for the lesson. |  A little treat I left during a free choice session, after the children had done some fantastic work based on the book Little Rabbit Foo Foo |
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