Teachers are singing the praises of whiteboards as a way to engage students in active learning and quickly assess how they are doing. They appreciate the practicality and low-tech nature of whiteboards; they work all the time without failure or fuss. Although they’re white, they’re also “green” – whiteboards greatly reduce the need for paper, saving the environment and saving schools money. Here are some success stories to share with your customers.
Waterford High School in California received a pair of “1” rankings, on a scale of 1 to 10, when the state released its Academic Performance Index rankings in 2003. Rather than point out why their students might not be doing as well as those from more affluent areas, the faculty decided to experiment with teaching aids and methodologies to improve students’ test scores.
One solution involved implementing a low-tech teaching aid school-wide. Handheld whiteboards were put to use in every classroom, so teachers could assess students’ understanding immediately. For instance, after introducing the process for adding polynomials, an algebra teacher would have students solve practice problems on their whiteboards and hold them up for a quick accuracy check. Employing a common educational standard for mastery, the teacher moved on if at least 80 percent of the class gave correct answers to several problems. With this method, teachers were able to note which students were struggling with a concept and plan appropriate assistance. If fewer than 80 percent of the students gave correct answers, the teacher re-taught the lesson.
In three years, Waterford High School’s scores on the Academic Performance Index rose to 10. Though multiple factors influenced the terrific increase in scores, use of handheld whiteboards undoubtedly contributed. During an interview with Modesto Bee reporter Eve Hightower, students attested to the effectiveness of the whiteboards. “It keeps us more awake in class knowing we have to answer questions,” said high school senior Leti Dominguez. The technique helped Krista Montgomery, who had difficulty with algebra. “I knew I was struggling, but I’m not the type to ask for help,” she said. “This way, teachers immediately know when I’m having trouble.”
Across the country, teachers are discovering the power of handheld whiteboards. “I’ve never been able to assess my students so quickly,” reports Elissa Racioppo, a fourth-grade teacher in Elmont, New York. “And I’ve even seen a rise in their test scores.”
Across the curriculum
Handheld whiteboads offer a variety of instructional possibilities in developing curriculum and implementing it across grade levels. “We use our whiteboards on a daily basis,” says Molly Sweet, a teacher at Whited Elementary School in Santa Rosa, California. Sweet’s students practice letter formation, and she is able to quickly see if each student’s letters are facing in the correct direction. Other elementary teachers report that kids enjoy using whiteboards for spelling practice, and find it particularly fun to erase and make corrections. “My students cheer when I tell them it is ‘paddle time,’” says one teacher, referring to the two-sided, paddle-style whiteboards she uses. “I don’t think they realize they are learning when they use them.”
The instructional possibilities range from assessment to practice and drill. Primary teachers report using individual handheld whiteboards in reading instruction for making predictions, quick comprehension checks, reader responses and phonics lessons. Middle-school instructors say they have integrated whiteboard use into grammar and vocabulary development. Foreign language instructors use the boards to practice verb conjugation, spelling and vocabulary.
In addition, Whited’s kindergarten team reported saving $1,000 on paper the first year they used the boards.
Whiteboards improve literacy simply by having students write more often. Ginger Snyder, a charter school instructor in California, challenges her fourth- through eighth-grade students by asking them to write sentences that employ three structures: an –ly word, one of the weekly vocabulary words and a who/which clause. When the students hold up their boards displaying their sentences, she awards points to the students who use the most imagination in integrating all three structures. The result is a friendly competition and increasingly sophisticated sentences.
Whiteboards with different-colored handles allow teachers to easily group their students. For instance, all the kids with green handles can be vowels in a phonics exercise, while those with blue handles can be consonants. Or, a teacher can use color-coding to identify students without them knowing it to better effect instruction. For example, she might give yellow-handled paddles to kids that need extra help, and red to students who need more challenging questions.
Rules of engagement
As long ago as 1987, Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson described research supporting the need for students to do more than sit and listen in the classroom. Handheld whiteboards, which are interactive and fun, keep students actively involved in learning. Not only do they increase participation, they prevent quiet students from getting lazy when their more outspoken classmates shout out answers. Writing a response gives each student the opportunity to show what he knows. One teacher says that her students love being “heard,” even if they aren’t the specific student called upon.
Special-education teachers report that many kids need structure to be successful. Marna, a tutor, discovered an engaging technique using whiteboards with Evan, a young boy who had trouble focusing. Evan’s father told Marna that each morning he wrote Evan’s chores on a whiteboard: get dressed, clean teeth, make bed, etc. Evan took the board with him and erased each chore after he completed it. Marna copied the approach during tutoring. She wrote step-by-step directions for activities on a whiteboard. Evan stayed on task by completing each step and erasing it as he went along. The whiteboard provided essential structure and helped this distractible learner stay engaged and on task.
The paddle’s place in the classroom
For quick and easy sales, post this practical list of classroom uses, developed by teachers, close to the whiteboard display in your store. (Hint: You could write the list on a whiteboard!) Ask your customers to add their own suggestions.
•
Create student-generated quizzes on any subject by having each student write a question on the front and the answer on the back of a double-sided board and pass it to another student to test knowledge.
•
Have students write a three- or four-digit number on their board. Pick two students randomly to stand before the class, and instruct the rest of the class to add, subtract, multiply or divide the two numbers.
• Have students write a vowel on one side of their board and a consonant on the other. Call a group to the front of the room with their boards, and have the rest of the class determine what words can be made from the jumbled letters.
•
Use a two-sided board to answer true/false questions.
• Proclaim a silent hour. The only communications allowed are those written on a whiteboard.
• A whiteboard makes a good hall pass.
• Use the handheld whiteboards with different-colored handles during fire drills or as a class organizer during field trips.
•
Use handheld whiteboards for classroom management.
Julia Rhodes, president of KleenSlate Concepts, has built a thriving company with a growing line of award-winning dry-erase products. A former schoolteacher, Rhodes develops products that serve as creative approaches to education.
|
