IWB in language learning

The interactive whiteboard (IWB) is an interactive display that has been introduced as a useful tool for teaching. In recent years a great number of schools in Spain have been equipped with IWBs and at Luyfe we are proud to have them in all our classrooms. 

IWBs have been introduced in classrooms as a complement for the traditional blackboard. The board is connected to a computer with a projector. This could be used, for example, for working with electronic versions of textbooks and other internet-based resources for language learning.

Interactive whiteboards in the classroom can be used by educators to improve the presentation of content. Using interactive whiteboards in the classroom is encouraged because there are many flash files available on the internet that can be used by teachers and lecturers to deliver effective lessons. The use of such resources is beneficial in education as it functions to save both effort and time while enhancing learning outcomes.

This visual support is used to support the explanations and make them more understandable.

One of the main characteristics is that they promote interactivity, being able not only to write or draw, but also to listen to an audio, watch a video, play, as well as design active learning activities, promoting the innovative spirit of the teacher, as well as the creativity of the students.

It perfectly fulfills the need to create environments in which students have a more active role in their learning process. With it, the classes are more dynamic and attractive for students, which directly influence their motivation.

The reasons for its success are the following: 

•    It allows an integrated use of information and communication technology in teaching and different teaching methods;
•    It helps teachers to structure and plan their lessons in advance; 
•    It is easy to use.
•    Access to information is immediate.
•    It is a ¨clean¨ technology which does not cause problems. 
•    It enables classes to be more dynamic and audiovisual, enhancing the teacher’s explanations. 
•    The students are more attentive, motivated and interested in the subject.
•    Students have a more active role in class activities.
•    In class, students can see material that they can look at online when they are at home. 
•    Students from distant countries can better explain their traditions and their cultural heritage. 
•    Students with visual difficulties can benefit from the possibility of increasing the size of texts and images.
•    Students with hearing difficulties benefit thanks to visual presentations that use sign language.
•    Students with other types of educational needs, such as attention and behaviour problems, may benefit.

In YLE we take advantage of the IWB on a very regular basis. Some of the activities we do on the IWB include playing spelling, vocabulary or grammar games, singing English songs with the lyrics on the screen, watching educational videos and learning about English culture. There are plenty of websites we can use at home or school to work with our students to motivate them to practice their English.
Here are some of the websites we use in YLE classes at school:

https://es.lyricstraining.com/   (great for practising song lyrics in English)
https://www.eslgamesplus.com/  (better for younger kids)
https://www.youtube.com/ (A great resource for informative and interesting videos of all kinds, but of course we have to be careful as there is a lot of adult content on the site. You can search for ¨science videos for kids¨, or ¨cartoons in English¨)
https://www.eslgamesworld.com/members/games/index.html (another good website for games)
https://www.esleschool.com/ (this site has Cambridge exam exercises with autocorrect)
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/es/ (a site filled with games, stories, videos and writing exercises)

In language teaching, technology should not be included in order to play a predominant role, but with an instrumental function, that help pupils with their education. In this way, different technologies, such as the interactive whiteboard (IWB), become a valuable tool to promote teaching as individualized as possible giving teachers the opportunity to diversify their classes, enabling students to learn in different ways.