| My school has been running a trial with
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| | Put simply, yes.
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| Smart interactive whiteboards. We are a
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| | Just having these devices in the
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| forward-thinking language school in
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| | classroom makes the room a more fun,
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| Jakarta with a desire to push the
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| | exciting place to be. Students' attention
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| boundaries and a willingness to embrace
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| | is drawn toward the board, even before it
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| classroom technology if , and only if,
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| | has been switched on.
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| it's proven to be genuinely useful.
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| | Once running, students and teachers can
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| With the cost of these devices falling
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| | enjoy interacting with the board in ways
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| steadily and the range of functions
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| | not possible with conventional boards.
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| increasing, many schools around the world
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| | Pictures, movies, interactive exercises
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| are turning towards touch-screen
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| | and text can be produces and manipulated
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| interactive white boards and similar
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| | very simply by anyone. The Smartboard has
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| educational technology. Not wanting to be
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| | added a great deal of richness to the
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| 'left behind' but also not wanting to
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| | learning experience at my school, and
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| waste money, we decided to run a 4-month
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| | access to the Internet on the board has
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| trial with a Smartboard, which has now
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| | been invaluable. I'm not sure how we ever
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| come to an end. As a school manager I had
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| | coped with tricky vocabulary before we
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| 3 main questions in mind:
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| | were able to use 'Google Images' to flash
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| 1.Can teachers quickly and easily adapt,
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| | up a picture within seconds. We also
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| and can they learn to utilise the full
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| | regularly use news websites to add real
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| potential of the equipment?
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| | current affairs texts to many of our
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| 2.Do interactive whiteboards improve the
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| | classes.
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| quality and effectiveness of the teaching
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| | In terms of improving educational
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| happening in my class rooms?
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| | quality, the Smartboards have been an
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| 3.As the only language school (so far) to
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| | overwhelming success.
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| use the Smart board in Indonesia, will
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| | 3.As the only language school (so far) to
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| their usage attract more word-of-mouth
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| | use Smartboards in Indonesia, will their
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| marketing and therefore be a
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| | usage attract more word-of-mouth
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| cost-effective long-term investment?
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| | marketing and therefore be a
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| 1.Can teachers quickly and easily adapt,
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| | cost-effective long-term investment?
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| and can they learn to utilize the full
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| | This has been hard to prove. The boards
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| potential of the equipment?
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| | are not cheap, and must be accompanied by
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| I am deeply interested in technology and
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| | a computer and LCD projector, so this is
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| computers (and their role in education),
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| | a question i'll continue looking into. We
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| so I was an easy sell for the Smart
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| | have had the Smartboards in place since
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| representative in Jakarta. However I knew
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| | the beginning in some classrooms and
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| that not all of my teachers would be so
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| | conventional whiteboards in others.
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| quick to throw away their white board
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| | Almost all students (96%) stated they
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| markers. I should have had more faith,
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| | preferred the interactive white board to
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| though, because after a few short
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| | the conventional board. The same students
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| training sessions and a few trial
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| | also stated, though, that the most
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| lessons, even my most technophobic
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| | important factor affecting their level of
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| teachers were navigating the board with
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| | satisfaction was the quality of the
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| ease. As the most basic function, all
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| | teacher and the teaching itself.
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| teachers are instantly able to use the
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| | Interestingly, there was no particular
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| new white board as they would have used a
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| | demographic (young/old/male/female) which
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| traditional board. Within hours, teachers
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| | preferred learning with the interactive
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| are incorporating photos, sounds,
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| | white boards more than others.
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| Internet browsers and interactive
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| | Among students we have a very high level
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| activities into their white board work.
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| | of satisfaction with our teaching staff,
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| Success.
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| | and a very high re-enrollment rate. The
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| One complaint from teachers was that the
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| | school, Aim for English , is thriving
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| 'Smartboard's recognition of their pen'
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| | and word-of-mouth marketing is
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| was too slow, resulting in messy
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| | flourishing, but it's impossible to say
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| handwriting. This wasn't a Smartboard
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| | that this has been due to the Smartboards
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| problem, it was a computer program. After
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| | alone. For us, the trial has been an
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| a clean up, defragmentation and slight
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| | overwhelming success and we plan to
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| hardware upgrade, the computer
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| | invest in Smartboards for all classrooms
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| controlling the Smartboard was running
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| | during 2007/2008.
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| lightening-fast and I received no more
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| | If you're thinking about investing in
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| complaints.
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| | these devices, don't think that it will
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| I am now confident that teachers can
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| | be the answer to your school's problems.
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| learn to use these devices quickly,
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| | However, if used in conjunction with
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| although some teachers obviously make the
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| | great teachers, touch-screen interactive
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| transition more smoothly than others.
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| | whiteboards can be a powerful marketing
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| 2.Do interactive whiteboards improve the
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| | tool and, more importantly, can greatly
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| quality and effectiveness of the teaching
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| | improve the quality and effectiveness of
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| happening in my class rooms?
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| | education at your school.
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