Interactive whiteboards at the school.
All pupils have BSL as their first language. BSL is a visuo-spatial language so their thinking and learning processes are wired differently from ours. We need to take account of that in the way we organise the classroom and their learning experience. We need to find ways of presenting and exchanging information in a way that supports their way of thinking. We believe the interactive whiteboard is one tool- of many - that can do this. The purchase of a Smartboard 560 and data projector marked the beginning of the adventure! Little did I know how much thought needs to go into merely acquiring the right equipment! I could have written a case study on the acquisition and introduction of interactive whiteboards into a school! However, good advice seems to be becoming increasingly available on the subject and my brief was slightly different.

A note of caution to people beginning this journey - read up before deciding which system is the best, ask lots of questions of colleagues who are already using them. Issues such as placement of equipment, which data projector to buy, how to mount it, have you got black out blinds etc. are crucial factors if the full potential of the whiteboard is going to be realised. Support and training - both technical and personal - are yet more factors to be considered. Once you have succeeded in buying the equipment it will need installing and staff training then becomes an issue. Interactive whiteboards are still in their infancy within primary schools. Training and support seems scarce and in our experience it involves trial and error and self help! However, the use of email enables me to keep in frequent contact with the few people I knew could help me.

The teething problems, of which there were many, could not dampen my belief that interactive whiteboards are a positive resource within the classroom and will undoubtedly become commonplace over the next few years.