Hands off, Vanna! Giving Students Control of Interactive Whiteboard Learning

Resources

Intro • Tips and Strategies • Working with words • Working with images
Create/improve/decide • Teacher Sharing • Resources

There are wonderful, free resources for IWBs from teachers, ed tech trainers, even IWB manufacturers. As you explore them, keep in mind the criteria of having the activities be student-centered, collaborative, even creative. Here is a sampling of IWB resources, including some things that are great for extra challenges or unique ways to learn/practice and some articles and posts related to the current IWB cost-benefit debate. (Form your own informed opinion about whether your IWB is worth the money.) In addition to the list below, see separate IWB-friendly tool lists on pages for working with words, images, and collaboration.

If you would like to suggest another, please contact us, putting "IWB resource" in the subject line. Only FREE resources (or those with a significant free area) are reviewed and listed by TeachersFirst. We do not review sites that are selling things.

Title/Link	Description	TeachersFirst review with details and ideas for using it (where applicable)
Easy Prompter	Make an IWB reading fluency center for small groups or choral reading using the web-based or downloaded version of this software that converts pasted text into a teleprompter!	Easy Prompter review
Eyeplorer	a visual tool for looking at a term and its related topics	Eyeplorer review
Interactive Whiteboard Redemption	Post by Patrick Ledesma on ideas for IWB beginners (and technophobes)
IWBs are no Silver Bullet	Chris Betcher’s post on the IWB debate and what really matters about IWB use
Longwood Central SD SMARTboard lessons	An extensive list by curriculum topic. Again, watch out for Vanna!	Longwood Central review
oneword	Sidebar writing activity prompt	oneword review
Six Word Stories	a great sidebar collaborative challenge for writing and creativity	Six Word Stories review
SMART Exchange collection	SMART tech's own collection of SMART notebook activities. Note that you can use SMART Notebook express, an online site, to view a SMART notebook on any IWB.
SMART Notebook Express	Online site where you can load any Notebook file and view/use it on any brand of IWB	SMART Notebook Express review
SMART notebook software	Free download of 30 day trial. Have students create their own activities (no IWB needed to create things). Click on the version of SMART notebook appropriate for you. Check with your tech folks to find out whether the current license for SMART Notebook as purchased with your school IWBs permits installation of SMART Notebook on all computers for students to prepare activities. SMART revises its licenses frequently, and your school's license may vary.
Teachers Love SMARTboards	Blog full of SMARTboard ideas and resources
TeachersFirst Edge, collaboration tools	a collection of scores of collaborative tools, all reviewed by experienced teachers with practical tips and ideas
TeachersFirst SMART Notebook resources	Several of the above and more. Remember to use SMART Notebook Express if you have a different brand of IWB. All resources are reviewed by experienced teachers
Video Tutorial	How to use "floating mouse" so mouseovers work on a SMART brand IWB (You must agree to the Site Usage policy to see the video).
The Whiteboard blog	Another great source of IWB ideas and activities. Just watch out for Vanna!
Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards	Bill Ferriter’s post that opened the floodgates to IWB cost/benefit debate

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