[ Much of the interactivity of whiteboards ]Resources
is in the software and the way the Geometer’s Sketchpad: www.dynamicgeometry.
teacher uses it. com
Google Earth: http://earth.google.com
Google Sketchup: http://sketchup.google.com
Pintar VirtuaLab series: http://www.pintar
O ne thing that should not influ- whiteboard, set it up in a room, and
media.com
ence the decision is bells and whistles. bring every class to it for lessons. If Poly: www.peda.com/poly
Much of the interactivity of white- a teacher is going to use it regularly,
Skrbl: www.skrbl.com
boards is in the software and the way it needs to be at his or her fingertips.
the teacher uses it. The best software When money is tight, perhaps it is
demonstrated on whiteboards was better to set up more affordable inter-
around long before the boards them- active brightboards in every classroom
selves were, and its effectiveness has than to spring for fewer whiteboards
always come down to teacher ability Need more ideas for what to spend
rather than whether it’s displayed the leftover funds on? How about
on a board, run on 30 computers, good software, computers, and pro-
or projected onto the side of a barn. jector and amplifier systems? And
Whether a school decides to go instead of sending teachers to inter-the whiteboard route or to try the active whiteboard conferences, send
brightboard approach, it must provide them to conferences about how to
complete training and technical sup- teach English, history, or geography,
port, and the technology needs to be or about how to use other technology
fully accessible. Don’t think you can in innovative ways to engage learners
blow the budget on one interactive and extend learning.
Keith Vallis works with teachers and students to integrate
technology into classrooms at
Barker College, an independent school in Sydney, Australia, for grades 3–12. He has
taught K– 12 in public and
private schools in Australia and internationally.
Peter Williamson has spent a
considerable number of years
exploring the blind alleys and
cul-de-sacs of computers in
education. He is currently the
architect, driving force, and
dogsbody for implementing
technology at one of Sydney’s leading independent schools.
ISTE is …
Making IT Happen
Technology & Innovation in Education Maryland Instructional Computer
South Dakota (TIES-SD) Coordinators Association (MICCA)
John Hohn, Jeff Glandt Kalani Smith
Eastern Suffolk BOCES Kentucky Society for Technology
Celebration of Technology in Education in Education (KYSTE)
Julia Johnson Pat Stewart, Elaine Harrison
Congratulations to these
Ed Tech Leaders,
awarded jackets by the following organizations—
Arizona Technology
in Education Alliance (Az TEA)
Peggy George,
Christopher Johnson,
Kim Thomas
Thank You to the Making IT Happen Sponsors!
www.iste.org
www.pearsoned.com
www.ciconline.org
www.iste.org/makingithappen
