Teaching made easy with the interactive whiteboard

Like almost all schools in Quebec now, Otapi high school in Lanaudière is equipped with interactive whiteboards. Teachers explain the many benefits they see in it.

Asked about the subject, they cite several concrete examples. First, functions like duplicating elements or recognizing text and objects save them precious time. For example, for a vocabulary exercise, the teacher can invite his students to create as many words as possible from an initial word (root). The infinite duplication option makes everything very dynamic. For his part, the music teacher uses it to quickly and faithfully reproduce the notes on a staff rather than writing them by hand.

Text and object recognition tools are also very popular with teachers. They allow them to integrate handwritten elements directly into the IWB in digital format. Very practical for those who say "write badly"!

Some specific tools of the IWB support software help highlight concepts. Examples of this are the possibilities of zooming or framing areas on the screen. This makes it easier for students to see important things (of a region of the globe) in more detail and it is easier to focus their attention.

Teachers say they appreciate the interaction it allows between students, teacher and subject (on this subject, see also the video " TBI: beyond techno… pedago! "). Using simple methods, they can vary traditional activities. Some examples: "drag and drop" in a geography lesson allows the student to correctly associate the name of each continent, different countries, oceans or others; in mathematics, the teacher prepares a problem to be solved and hides the answer under a box that can be moved to reveal the answer, once the process is completed. Although simplistic, these activities still arouse the interest of students since their learning is stimulated by play.

In conclusion, teachers at Otapi High School recognize that their teaching becomes more effective and that students are more attentive and able to integrate the material when using the IWB. Everyone believes that the tool is an interesting technology because its avenues are almost inexhaustible.