IWBs in teacheng Ebglish

New technology has been developed that many people in the past have never
dreamt of. Day after day, year after year, something new appears and we think
that this must be the end. How far can people go and where are the boundaries?
Thank to the experts from all over the world and their cooperation our lives have
become more comfortable, easier and definitely more interesting. Schools are the
environments where new leaders of evolutional teams start to be formed and
technology used at schools has so much to say. However, teachers are those who
have to stay current with the new technology and to be able to pass the knowledge
on to their students.

IWB’s learning objects as well as all the good coursebooks should be aware of
the basic principles which have to be fulfilled in order to receive the expected
results which in this case means not only a high-quality learning objects and/or
coursebooks but also and primarily pupils enjoying the learning process and
benefiting most of it. The Hausner’s publication called “Interaktivní tabuli!”
mentions the following principles:
1. Motivation – with a help of IWB we can achieve pupils’ motivation easily not
just because if the equipment but the range of activities it offers. It is easier for
teachers to work with pupils who are highly motivated rather than those who
are bored and cannot wait for a lesson to end.
2. Enough visuals – it means that learning becomes more effective if learners
may use their senses. To see from different point of view, different angles,
films, videos, to hear e.g. sounds of animals, musical instruments, to touch and move objects increase the effectiveness and help pupils experience subject
matters.
3. Feedback – we mean the way of discovering whether pupils know the subject
matters and we can take a step further on. It is advised to use some kind of
worksheets to receive the feedback and of course another way is testing which
is certainly not a pleasant way.
4. Activity – IWB offers, as mentioned previously, a range of activities which
will not definitely leave pupils passive. Almost everybody is interested in
what is happening on the screen and they want to participate and become part
of it.
5. Self-activity – this feature presents the idea of subsiding pupils and letting
them work individually, reinforcing the acquired knowledge.
6. Elements of fun – some activities prepared by teachers should contain at least
some of these elements. Learning becomes more interesting and enjoyable.

7. Suitability – it means that it is important to consider what age group we teach,
their level of language, the environment and other aspects which may affect
the learning process.

Teachers who want to use IWB also need a lot of support and training not only in
technology but also in methodology. Many teachers are afraid of necessity of
changing their teaching methods and styles but it is very important to let them
know that they may remain faithful to their older methods and principles only
with a great help of new technology. Sara Walker, the British Council’s teacher
also advises to experiment as much as possible. The most important message the
trainer teachers give to the teachers of English is to remember that: “pedagogy
comes first, Curriculum comes second and technology third. If this is in the right
order then technology can amplify what we do”.