Many have them installed in classrooms throughout, and teachers and pupils nationwide have been inspired and engaged by bringing colour, sound, moving images from around the globe and much, much more into the classroom. For many, the technology has brought learning alive.
For some, however, the implementation of these transformative technologies focused too heavily on investment in hardware, leaving something of a vacuum in training. The result is that some teachers still feel wary of their board, unsure how to unlock the possibilities the software offers, or where to turn for help.
Interactive whiteboard manufacturers are now stepping up to offer affordable solutions for those teachers – both in terms of time and money. Promethean recently launched its virtual learning environment, a website which offers online professional user accreditation courses for Activprimary and Activstudio users. Each course is designed to develop interactive whiteboard skills, lesson planning and preparation, and the ability to train and share best practice with other users. There are ten fully interactive tutorials in each course, each involving a short assessment. There are no time constraints, so teachers can work at their own pace, and complete the course in their own time – something which will reassure teachers under pressure. The introductory courses, including one on how to get started with voting, are completely free, and each teacher taking the course is assigned an online tutor - an expert in education as well as technology - to help answer any questions. On completion of the most advanced course in the series, teachers are qualified to train other teachers in developing truly interactive content.
Companies are also recognising that many teachers feel most comfortable learning from peers. For this reason, Promethean set up Promethean Planet, a global, user-driven online community, offering teachers an extended network of colleagues throughout the world. Solely educational, the site allows teachers to share tips, resources such as flipcharts, games, weblinks, images and more, and best practice on how to incorporate those into an engaging interactive lesson. Crucially, it also helps teachers solve problems. Since its launch at the beginning of this school year, over 30,000 teachers have registered, finding that collaboration saves them preparation time - and confusion, and most importantly, inspires them to create great lesson content.
