Interactive White Board Use and Its impact on Student Achievement in Dissertation

Interactive White Board Use and Its impact on Student Achievement in Middle School Mathematics - Dissertation Example Some of the advantages of this learning are that it creates a way for students to have positive social learning, has an impact on children’s behavior, and they are able â€Å"to perform miracles† (Northcote et al., 2010, p. 496). IWBs have been accepted for use in a variety of settings and in particular the elementary school. This literature review will discuss the implications of its use around various areas including mathematics and other subjects. Overview of Interactive Whiteboards The interactive whiteboard is a piece of hardware that looks like the regular whiteboards. The difference is that they can be connected to a computer and to a projector so that the teacher can have a more powerful tool to use in the classroom. The whiteboard is unique because the teacher can point to objects on the whiteboard(or use a special pen) instead of using a mouse to control what she is teaching (Pearson Longman, 2011). Anything that is on the computer can also be accessed and dis played on the whiteboard. Software comes with the IWB that can be used to interact with images and text, which means it can be rearranged or the size and color can be changed. There is a volume of literature on the benefits of using these IWBs in the classroom. ... In addition, the IWB also provides a way for teachers to use a flexible process of teaching that can reach all learning styles, provides additional teaching time because using the computer is faster than other methods of teaching, they provide focus for the children and they encourage student participation in the classroom (Koenraad, 2008). According to Hall and Higgins (2005) IWBs represent â€Å"a conglomeration of all previous educational technologies, replacing traditional chalk or whiteboards, televisions, videos, overhead projectors, and personal computers† (p. ) Hall and Higgins also state that IWBs can be sued in the classroom to display video clips, create flip charts, provide handwriting practice and each process can be edited. Beeland (2002) states that â€Å"the touch sensitive board allows users to interact directly with applications without having to be physically at the computer which is projecting the image onto the board† (p. ). These researchers state the advantages of using IWBs and how important they are to the classroom. Levels and States of IWB Use: Pedagogical Issues Technology continues to be a challenge for some teachers because and there is no exception to this in the use if IWBs. Sherry and Gibson (2002) suggest that there are several stages to technology development in a school: Infusion, integration and transformation. In the infusion stage, everyone is excited about these tools and what they can bring to the classroom. The integration stage will gain momentum when teachers actually begin to use the IWB as a learning tool and realize that it is not an isolated piece of software, but that it can be used with the computer and a projector to make their work easier. The