The Big Three – Promethean Boards
Lisa Weaver
University of West Georgia
Issues in Instructional Technology – MEDT 8463
Dr. Leslie Moller
July 14, 2011
The Big
Three – Promethean Boards
Many schools today are looking for the newest,
greatest form of technology to place in classrooms. Schools are looking at laptops, iPads, Smart
Boards, and many other tools that students are now becoming more and more
familiar with every day. One tool that
many people are now focusing on is the Promethean Board. The Promethean Board is an interactive
whiteboard that teachers can use as a writing board, watch videos, and much
more (Delaney, 2009).
What does the Promethean Board really do when used
in the classroom? The ActivBoard allows
teachers to connect to their classroom PC.
Whatever is being done on the PC is projected to the ActivBoard. More specifically, “Promethean interactive
whiteboards engage students with vivid images, video and audio.” (Promethean
world, 2007). There are many tools that
can be purchased along with the ActivBoard to make them even more
interactive. There is the ActivSlate
that allows the teacher to write on the board from anywhere in the
classroom. There is also the ActiVotes
that allow students to respond to questions using a learner response system or
“clicker”. The goal of a Promethean
Board is to make the classroom more interactive and open the classroom to the
informational highway known as the Internet and all it has to offer.
Students today are brought up in homes that are full
of technology. They have gaming systems,
computers, cell phones, and much more.
With students starting the technology use at such an early age, teachers
have to find ways to keep students interested in what they are teaching. Promethean Boards help teachers solve this
problem. Teachers now use their boards
to stream in videos, make learning more interactive with virtual manipulatives,
and play interactive educational games.
Another issue facing education is budget. Many times classrooms are unable to go on
field trips due to the cost. Promethean Boards
are a solution to this issue as well.
Virtual field trips allow teachers to take their students around the
world and see things that they would not be able to see on a regular field
trip. “Virtual trips eliminate the need
for bus, driver and permission slips, while opening up spots of natural beauty
and museums to the students (Primary grade teachers, 2010).” Promethean Boards also allow students to
become more involved in the learning process.
Students want to get out of their seats and interact with what they are
learning and teachers are now allowing that to happen. Students no longer sit and listen to the
teacher lecture. They are able to be an
active participant in the everyday learning in the classroom.
Some skeptics may say that there is an easier or
cheaper way to integrate technology into the classroom other than Promethean
Boards. Computers for every student
would be a great way to integrate technology, however where are you going to
put all those computers? If you had the
space in every classroom to place 30 computers, desktop or laptop, every
student would be working alone. With a
Promethean Board, teachers are able to link technology and collaborative
learning. Also, people may say, “We have
textbooks and paper for all that. We don’t
need the glorified dry erase board.”
This may be true, but think about the cost and efficiency of textbooks
vs. a Promethean Board. Textbooks have
to be renewed every three years and could cost one school thousands of dollars
each renewal. Textbooks also become out
of date quite quickly in today’s society.
With the use of a Promethean Board, you pay for the hardware once. The software has free updates online so that
you will always have the latest and the greatest. Also, by using the Promethean Board, teachers
have access to everything! The material
found online is constantly updated and would prove more beneficial than a text
book. Many textbooks now offer online
versions and supplemental materials that could also be used with the Promethean
Board.
Many teachers are
overwhelmed with all the new Web 2.0 and School 2.0 tools that are being
implemented into schools. Promethean
Boards are not a piece of technology to be intimidated by. They are a valuable piece of equipment that
teachers will learn quickly and use more often.
This will allow teachers to be the guide as students learn. Teachers and students will both play an
active part in the learning process with the use of Promethean Boards. Students will be engaged in learning and performance
will improve in all areas.
References
Delaney, L. (2009, October 9). Technology product reviews: pc magazine. Retrieved from http://www.pcmag.com
Primary grade teachers see role for technology.
(2010). Electronic Education Report, 17(16), Retrieved from
http://content.ebscohost.com.wf2dnvr17.webfeat.org/pdf25_26/pdf/2010/10D/09Aug10/59760951.pdf?T=P&P=AN&K=59760951&S=R&D=a9h&EbscoContent=dGJyMMTo50Sep7M4yOvqOLCmr0mep7BSsae4Sq6WxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPXd4Um549%2BB7LHjgfLt8QAA
Promethean world. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.prometheanworld.com