Believe it or not, not all students love interactive whiteboards. Case in point - a high school student in the UK blogs about how the new technology has actually slowed down classes because it takes time to set up and run correctly. She longs for the simple functionality of traditional whiteboards, where all you have to do is write and erase. A few of the comments on the post agree with what she says, and one commenter brings up the interesting point that interactive whiteboards can actually be inefficient when they use outdated software and when teachers don’t know how to use them.

We actually covered this back in July in our post on quick tips for using interactive whiteboards in class, and it makes a lot of sense. As soon as they learn that they’re getting one, teachers should set aside some time to gain proficiency in using their interactive whiteboard so as not to waste time in class. Of course, some teachers may simply procrastinate, or decide that they can fall back on regular whiteboards if the digital one doesn’t work out. But schools that get an interactive whiteboard either through a grant or a sizable chunk of the budget may disapprove of an educator wasting a high-tech resource. So here’s my humble advice: if you’re competent enough to be entrusted to educate the youth of America or anyplace else, you can learn to use a powerful tool specifically made to make your job a lot easier. Make the best of what you have and teach yourself about interactive whiteboards before you teach your students.