Interactive Whiteboards in the Secondary Classroom

This blog forms part of a piece of research towards an MA Ed (Res) at Newcastle University, UK. Please feel free to comment and share any information or tips you have regarding using an IWB or indeed offer tips that have worked for you.

How much school collaboration?

Learning new technology is a terrifying thing especially when senior colleagues in the school rate the technology highly and have used large sums of money to install it in the classroom.
Do you have a network of colleagues in the school who share ideas and do you provide or is time provided for you to learn how to be comfortable with the IWB before using it in the classroom?
Is there a State/District/Area wide network of users where you can go for help?
Do you share resources you have made with other colleagues?
Do you work with other members of the department to create resources?
Do you do the best you can and use the board "sparingly"?
Is the board merely a distraction for you in your teaching?
Do you just use the board when people are observing?

Finding out about the IWB

How do you get time to find out about the different applications of the IWB?
1. Do the management of the school allocate specific training time.
2. Is it done after school?
3. Do you find these things out whilst in class?
4. DO you rely on the students for help?

Training

Many people think IWB's are great and getting them installed in the classroom is the end of it.
1. Have you had any training prior to the board being installed?
2. If you have had training was it by
a) the firm who installed it
b) a training company
c) A colleague in the school who "knows about technology"
d) Self taught
I would really like your comments on this.