From Blackboards To Whiteboards And Now Interactive Whiteboards!
There was a time when learning meant listening to long lectures from teachers accompanied
by diagrams and scribbling on a blackboard, sometimes taking notes in a workbook and occasionally chanting the three times table. Teaching methods have progressed an awful lot towards the end of the 20th Century and early 21st Century and classrooms are a far cry from what they were even just a couple of decades ago.
As someone born in the mid-1980s I like to consider myself young (ish), yet I still remember that my primary school had just one computer for everyone to share and it certainly wasnt a Mac or a PC! I also remember how blackboards were slowly phased out and replaced with whiteboards and when projects and assignments could be word processed instead of painstakingly hand-written. By the time I reached high school I saw my first interactive whiteboard and the technology seemed so futuristic. Its amazing to think that such changes could have taken place over a timescale of just over ten years.
With the development of the Internet came a whole new wealth of information available at the click of a button (and maybe a five minute wait while your modem dials a connection). Teachers were often initially sceptical of using the Internet as a learning resource but nowadays well-established websites are so well reviewed you can see exactly where your information has come from. For example, many believe Wikipedia to now be a more accurate factual source than a hard copy encyclopaedia because the information is so regularly reviewed, checked and updated.
Following increasing popularity in using the Internet for educational purposes there are now a vast range of online teaching resources available, which can be utilised by teachers, pupils and parents alike. Services include lesson plans, worksheets, practice tests and even online games designed for learning. These resources are a great way to engage students and create a varied and exciting learning environment for everyone. Less popular subjects like science and maths can be brought to life and into the classroom via interactive whiteboards with visual aids and animation.
Whether you are a parent, teacher or student you can take advantage of these online services today. Many teaching websites are free to join with a number of free resources and low cost subscriptions. You will find almost any subject and an academic age range that is suitable for you so can stay ahead.