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Promethean whiteboards offer interactive options for Wellsville
WELLSVILLE, Dec 19, 2009 (The Ottawa Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
They are more than just computer projectors, Shannon Hassler says.
Hassler, who teaches middle school and high school Spanish in the Wellsville School District, says the districts new Promethean interactive whiteboards can be used to manipulate items on the computer. To edit documents. To highlight material on a Web site. To take still pictures of a screen.
"It's so universal and flexible to your needs," Hassler said.
The district installed 10 of the boards, at a cost of about $4,000 apiece, in early November as part of the district's technology plan.
Ryan Dalton, technology director for the district, said the boards are interactive, immersive learning tools.
"They work with the teacher's PC and allow teachers and students to annotate just like on a regular whiteboard," Dalton said. "However, their capabilities go far beyond simple annotation. They are used for inactively quizzing students, presenting interactive flip charts similar to PowerPoint presentations, interacting with Web content, etc."
In his classroom, John Dowling, uses the boards to display videos, demonstrate examples and show off student work.
Dowling, who teaches math, physics and computer programing at Wellsville High School, said the boards expose students to technology they will use in college or at work.
"The boards allow me to prepare lessons that use current technology," he said. "Also, they allow me to save these lessons for students who might have missed class. I can allow them to view these lessons later when they return."
Hassler uses the boards in her classroom to view presentations, show video, play vocabulary and matching games and view Web sites.
"The students love the boards," she said. "They enjoy watching it. They like that they can save their work. They like the student response system that comes with it."
In addition, Hassler said students enjoy being able to move items around and manipulate them on the screen.
"It makes learning more exciting for the kids," she said. "It keeps kids engaged and uses a medium that they enjoy."
Hassler said typically her students are used to using computer screens and TVs, so the board is more appealing than an old projector.
"It's hard to describe the ways I use it because it is used in so many different ways," she said.
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