Interactive whiteboards and secondary maths
Interactive whiteboards have an advantage over traditional whiteboards and textbooks, in that they can present not only static images but moving images as well. In the maths classroom, interactive whiteboards can be used particularly effectively to demonstrate dynamic processes that can otherwise be difficult for pupils to grasp, and many teachers find that pupils derive unique benefits from working directly onto the screen of an interactive whiteboard with a pen or finger.
Cirencester Deer Park School is a co-educational, foundation comprehensive for pupils aged 11 to 16 years in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. An example of its use of interactive whiteboards comes from a Year 8 lower ability maths group.
The teacher used an interactive whiteboard with a maths software package to demonstrate the different angles of lines. The software allowed the pupils to visualise 'geometry in motion' - to move a point on a line and show the angle increasing or decreasing.
The children also looked at parallel lines, and were able to visually drag the lines on the screen to test if they were parallel. This was something that the whole class could participate in, and helped to reinforce the topic.
The animations could be repeated as many times as necessary in order to make sure that students understood the topic.
By having all the resources ready to access at the click of a button, the teacher could move through the lesson very quickly, without wasting time drawing things on the board, and she could also select an activity from a previously constructed lesson plan in order to consolidate a point.
The pupils reacted positively to the use of the interactive resources. All the students were extremely keen to get up and take part, which they were able to do by using the computer that was situated at the front of the classroom. The animations kept their attention, as they were simple, easy to understand and made good use of colour.
After teaching the main topic with the use of ICT, the teacher set the students individual work from textbooks or worksheets. By using a combination of ICT and traditional methods within the same lesson, the teacher was able to allow for differentiation and to produce a physical piece of work that could be assessed in the future.
As a reward, the students were allowed to play a simple game on the interactive whiteboard at the end of the lesson. This involved guessing the angle that a space buggy should follow to get along a twisty path to a rocket. This task had to be completed during a set amount of time and involved perhaps a dozen different steps. The game itself made excellent use of graphics and really motivated the students, while reinforcing the topic effectively.
At the Madras College, a secondary school in St Andrews, Fife, Head of Maths, Dr Robin Waterston, used software with an interactive whiteboard to show dynamic changes as they happen as the parameters are adjusted.
This means it was easy to see when, for instance, two lines moved step by step until the curves overlapped exactly. Points could be plotted and joined with lines that could be differentiated by colour and thickness.
The same principles used to be presented on a conventional board, with lots of rubbing out and re-plotting. Students could now control the process with their fingers, watching the effects of changes and stepping through equations in a way that immediately made the mathematical processes clear.
A further advantage of this technology is that lesson materials can be prepared in advance, with the software providing the ability to create further models and practice 'on the fly' as the lesson develops.
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