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How could a P-12 teacher include the technology in lesson plans or within the classroom?

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How could a P-12 teacher include the technology in lesson plans or within the classroom?

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A P-12 teacher could include this technology in lessons plans or within the classroom in many different ways. These digital whiteboards are a great way to boost student engagement when teaching. To incorporate these into lesson plans or within the classroom, teachers would just display any material on the digital whiteboard. Teacher can include videos based on the topic the students are learning at the time. For example, if I were teaching about Georgia regions, I could play videos about the different regions of Georgia. Also, I could plan a virtual field trip into my lesson and then have my students "attend" the virtual field trip through the use of the digital whiteboard.

https://www.dme.us.com/2018/06/12/the-growing-use-of-interactive-white-boards-in-schools/

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Education is at crossroads in the United States. Teachers are struggling to connect with students using old, outdated technology. Students grew up in a smart, connected world. They have access anywhere and anytime to knowledge and digital services. Yet schools and teachers are still trying to engage them with a chalkboard.

Static chalkboards and paper-based lessons don't connect with students in the digital age. Teachers forced to rely on chalk to reach students are doomed to fail. Forcing lessons into lectures or on chalkboards in the classroom will lead students to tune out before the class starts.

Interactive smart boards invite students to engage with the lessons. Teachers aren't limited in what they can present to students. Movies, PowerPoint presentations, and graphics can be used in addition to standard text-based lessons. In this blog, we'll take a look at smartboard technology in the classroom and how teachers can better engage with students.

The Definition of Interactive Smart Boards

An interactive smart board, also known as an electronic whiteboard, is a classroom tool that allows images from a computer screen to be displayed onto a classroom board using a digital projector. The teacher or a student can "interact" with the images directly on the screen using a tool or even a finger.

With the computer connected to the internet or a local network, teachers can access information around the world. They can do a quick search and find a lesson they used previously. Suddenly, a wealth of resources is at the teacher's fingertips.

For teachers and students, the interactive white board is a powerful benefit to the classroom. It opens up the students to collaboration and closer interaction to the lessons. Multimedia content can be shared and used in lectures, keeping students engaged.

Interactive White Boards in the Classroom

According to a recent article from Yale University, interactive lessons presented on a smart board or white board increased student engagement. The technology encourages active learning in students. Students asked more questions and took more notes, enabling more effective group activities like brainstorming and problem-solving.

More and more teachers are using smartboard technology in the classroom. Here are five ways teachers are engaging with students using this technology:

1. Presenting Additional Content on the Whiteboard

The whiteboard shouldn't replace teaching or lecture time in the classroom. Instead, it should enhance the lesson and provide opportunities for students to better engage with the information. The teacher has to prepare additional materials that can be used with the smart technology before class starts - such as short videos, infographics, or problems the students can work on using the whiteboard.

2. Highlight Important Information from the Lesson

Smart technology can be used to highlight essential information as you work through a lesson. Before the lesson begins, you can outline the sections to be covered in class. As each section begins, you can break down the key topics, definitions, and critical data for students on the whiteboard. This can also include graphics and videos in addition to text. This will help students not only with note taking, but also to review future topics you will be covering.

3. Engage Students in Group Problem Solving

Center the class around problem solving. Present the class with a problem, then pass over the interactive whiteboard to the students to let them solve it. With the smartboard technology as the center of the lesson, students can better collaborate in the classroom. The digital technology unlocks the internet as they work, allowing students to connect the lesson to technology they use every day.

4. Answer Student Questions

Engage the students using the interactive whiteboard and questions from the class. Look up additional information or data using the smart technology. Write the question on the whiteboard and then work through the answer with the students. Let them see how you answer the question or pull in additional or data. When you are finished, you can save the results of the question and send it to the student in an email for later reference.

Smartboard Technology in the Classroom

For schools struggling to connect students to classroom lessons, or keep students engaged, smart technology like interactive whiteboards is an ideal solution. An interactive whiteboard in the classroom provides students with the technology they know and understand. It enhances collaboration and invites interaction with the lesson. Afterwards, students can see how the technology they use connects to the lessons they learn in school.
Want to learn more about smartboard technology in the classroom? Contact Donnellon McCarthy to discover how technology can unlock lessons at your school.

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The Growing Use of Interactive White Boards in Schools

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Education is at crossroads in the United States. Teachers are struggling to connect with students using old, outdated technology. Students grew up in a smart, connected world. They have access anywhere and anytime to knowledge and digital services. Yet schools and teachers are still trying to engage them with a chalkboard.

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What subject(s) could you use the technology in?

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What subject(s) could you use the technology in?

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Digital whiteboards can be used in all subjects and all grade levels. The possibilities are endless when it comes to using digital whiteboards as a type of assistive technology for students with disabilities.

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How can a P-12 teacher use the technology to support students with disabilities?

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How can a P-12 teacher use the technology to support students with disabilities?

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Teachers can use a digital whiteboard to support students in many different ways. From something as simple as enlarging the text to creating differentiated materials on the digital whiteboard. This piece of technology is versatile when it comes to supporting students with disabilities. Another way that this piece of technology can help students with disabilities is that the speakers allow for text-to-speech that can help announce material aloud. This specific type of technology would be useful for all teachers, P-12.

https://www.viewsonic.com/library/education/6-cases-of-interactive-digital-whiteboards-as-an-assistive-technology-in-special-education/

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Learning disabilities in the classroom present a challenge to students and educators. An interactive whiteboard (IWB) is easily adapted to be an assistive technology that creates a more inclusive learning environment. And we've put together a list of easy strategies to best reach students of all abilities, both with and without an interactive whiteboard.

Learn strategies below for overcoming learning disabilities in the classroom of all kinds.
Assistive technology in special education can bring much-needed help to teachers who have students with disabilities or who provide special education services. Implementing assistive technology cannot fix all the issues students may have, but it can help students cope with their impairments and aid teachers in providing the best learning experience they can for all students.

The National Center for Education Statistics found that 6.7 million students between 3 to 21 years of age are receiving special education services. This makes up 13% of all public school students. Of this 34% of the 6.7 million students receiving special education services had specific learning disabilities.

20% had speech or language impairments

14% had other health impairments (including limited strength, vitality, or alertness)

5% - 9% of students have autism, intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, or emotional disturbances

Special education students are supported under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which specify that schools must provide students with disabilities the appropriate services and accommodation for their educational needs. Assistive technologies like interactive digital whiteboards (IDW) fall under educational accommodations.

Understanding Special Education and Assistive Technology

According to Understood.org, "special education today is still focused on helping children with disabilities learn." This is not only a special classroom for certain students but accommodating special needs and providing additional services to students so they can learn alongside non-disabled peers.

From the perspective of a teacher, looking for technologies to assist students with disabilities would require them to find assistive technology that would be used for:

1. Only students with disabilities: For example, a vision-impaired student may have a special device to read out text for them.

2. All students including students with disabilities and non-disabled: For example, all students would have a personal device that has the capability of text-to-speech among other functionality.

The role of assistive technology in special education for both cases is to support students who have special needs with tools that have the most impact on their learning outcomes.

4 Strategies to Help Students Overcome or Assist Students with Their Disabilities

There are four major categories to help students overcome or assist them with their disability in special or general education settings. These would include variations and combinations of the below:

1. General assistive technology: Providing tools and technologies to help students with disabilities

2. Additional accommodations: Allowing students extra or special options, services, or help, such as additional time or special assistance

3. Adjustment: Changing the regular lesson plans specifically for the students with disabilities such as different grading scales

4. Additional paraprofessionals: Offering help from teachers' aides, teaching assistants, or caretakers on various tasks

6 Uses of Interactive Digital Whiteboards to Assist Students with Physical Disabilities and Impairments

IDW could work with all the strategies explained above. Below are some examples of impairments and to how IDWs can be used as assistive technology:

◆ Visual impairment: Visual impairment can include blindness, dyslexia, or other visual impairment that impedes the ability to see or read. IDW can be used in different ways to help students with sight impairment for example:

Zooming or enlarging text and images to make it larger or easier to see

IDW built-in speakers in combination with text-to-speech (TTS) software can help broadcast materials aloud

◆ Audio impairment: Audio impairment affects students who are deaf or hard of hearing. IDW can be used as assistive listening systems for example:

IDW in combination with microphones and built-in speakers to enhance the speaking volume

IDW in combination with recording software enables recording of presentations for students to review if the teachers speaking speed is too fast or the learning environment is too noisy

IDW in combination with speech-to-text software and microphones can help transform the presenter's voice into readable text on the screen for students

◆ Extremity impairment: Extremity function impairments include the limited motor performance of the upper and lower body. IDW can be connected to other hardware or devices that would allow students to input information such as special keyboards, touch panels, writing instruments, and pointing tools.

◆ Mobility impairment: Mobility impairment includes any limits to lower body motor performance. IDW has several functionalities that may help limited mobility students including:

Casting & Throw: allows students to send information from their device to the IDW

Adjustable stand mounts: Adjustable stands can also be used with IDW to lower or maneuver the screen to best fit the students' needs

◆ Speech impairment: Speech impairment could range from mild such as mispronouncing or lack of volume, to severe as not being able to produce any speech sounds. IDW can help speech impairment on different levels:

From using microphones and built-in speakers to allow students to increase a student's speaking volume

Using Text-to-Speech (TTS) software to vocalize student typed messages

◆ Attention impairment: Attention impairments are any disorder of cognitive functions including attention deficit and hyperactivity. IDW can help teachers deal with attention impairments by:

Allowing teachers to integrate multimedia into lessons and presentations to give students more aspects to focus on such as visuals, videos, and animations

Allowing teachers to eliminate distractions by using only one screen to display materials

Allowing teachers to save presentations, notes and annotations for students who need to review, alternate, or divide their attention

Allowing teachers and students to actively participate in their lesson with live annotation

Customize and Tailor Assistive Technology

Although interactive digital whiteboards were not designed specifically as an assistive technology in special education, many features already used by teachers now can be applied and adapted to use in special education. IDW can help teachers provide better services to their students by offering them tools to enhance the learning experiences of both their special needs and non-disabled students. Being a flexible technology many IDW can be customized with special software and hardware to match the needs of many special education requirements.

Identifying Your Need for Assistive Technology in Your Special Education Classroom

After identifying technologies that may work for your student's situation evaluate the assistive technology on 4 levels:

1. Integration: How can you use this technology in your current lessons? Will there be a need for much adaptation of current lesson plans to integrate the use of this technology?

2. Training: To be able to use the technology successfully how much training will be needed for both teachers and students to understand the functionality of the technology? Who will conduct the training?

3. Student adoption: Will students accept the use of technology in the classroom? Will the technology interfere or be beneficial to other students both non-disabled and impaired in the classroom?

4. Classroom access: How much access will students have to the technology? Will the technology go with the student or stay in certain classrooms?

These 4 levels will help you think about assistive technology when it is in use. If the technology only offers a limited benefit or too many restrictions, it may be better to look for different options. Great assistive technology for special education should solve a specific need very well and easily integrated into how your classroom currently functions.

Learn more about tailored educational solutions for your school at ViewSonic.com/Education.

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6 Cases of Interactive Digital Whiteboards as an Assistive Technology in Special Education | ViewSonic Library

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Learning disabilities in the classroom present a challenge to students and educators. An interactive whiteboard (IWB) is easily adapted to be an assistive technology that creates a more inclusive learning environment. And we've put together a list of easy strategies to best reach students of all abilities, both with and without an interactive whiteboard.

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Digital whiteboards range in price depending on the brand, etc. Most of the digital whiteboards range from $1000-$3000.

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Digital whiteboards are a type of education technology that can be used when teaching all types of students. They can be found at office supply stores. Most often, digital whiteboards are provided for teachers through the school system.

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Digital whiteboards are an important type of education technology in the classroom. These whiteboards allow teachers to access anything that a computer can access and display it large for students to see. For example, this type of technology would be helpful for students with visual impairments. A digital whiteboard is like a computer on wheels.