It is undeniable that the technologies we have access to in the classroom today are amazing. Compared to the classrooms we grew up with, today’s students have access to such a wider range of educational technology. The technology that we have today is great; however, it is tempting for teachers to use this technology as a substitute for effective pedagogical techniques.
Chris Campbell’s presentation entitled “pedagogy before technology: making educational sense of interactive whiteboard’s”, highlights the positive effects that IWB use can have in education. These positives such as promotion of higher order thinking are attainable through techniques such as sorting, ordering and labelling activities.
Clearly, the use of IWB’s can have a positive effect as detailed above, however the educator needs to understand the specific pedagogical basis and activities that will lead to this higher order learning. Without this basis, IWB’s are at risk of simply becoming an expensive toy. They are at risk of becoming ineffective time wasting replacements for quality teaching.