Classrooms are now filled with technology, but one thing that can actually help teachers and students bring new life to the tedious text book lessons is the use of interactive boards in the classroom. A whiteboard offers a number of advantages to both the teacher and the pupils, as they have the ability to enhance the curriculum and allow learning activities that were impossible to imagine in a traditional classroom environment.

Here’s how you can integrate interactive boards in the classroom and create better teaching methods:

Involve Students

Many people argue that interactive boards are teacher-centric devices and only aid the teacher to lecture in front of a classroom. But if used properly, it is the students and not teachers that should be working on the interactive boards.

Studies have shown that students who are physically active are more likely to absorb information than those students who sit at their desks all day. Interactive boards in classrooms present a great opportunity for teachers to get the students out their chairs, and work at the interactive boards using the input tools provided. Many interactive boards allow multiple users to simultaneously access the board. This also gives the teacher a great opportunity to have the students work together on projects and lessons.

Use it to Multitask

One of the major advantages of using interactive boards in the classroom is that it allows you to multitask. For example, a teacher can play a video clip on one half of the board, while have questions regarding the video on the other half of the board. The teachers can also take screenshots of important moments from the video while it plays. Interactive boards in classroom can make even a simple activity of watching a video interesting and interactive.

Take your Class on a Virtual Tour

Many important places of cultural heritage and academic value offer virtual tour through their websites. These can be easily accessed using the interactive boards in the classroom and shown to students. A few of these virtual tours are also interactive, helping keep the students interested and engaged. Virtual tours are also a great idea, if you have just visited the real location or are about too, as a summary or introduction to the trip, respectively.

It’s a Teacher’s Tool Too

Although interactive boards should encourage students’ participation in lessons, there are times when it is necessary to gather the class and focus on something for a demonstration or a lecture. Interactive boards can enhance lectures if used properly. For example, they can be used to check students’ understanding of the lesson by creating a follow-up slide to a recently concluded lesson, to check the comprehension.

Keep in mind that it will take time for you to fully utilize interactive boards in the classroom. To effectively use interactive boards, you will need to start using interactive boards every day, even if it is for only few minutes of class. In time, the board and its software will become a part of all your lessons.