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=Interactive Whiteboard Technology (IWB)=


 * Ron Hickey**


 * Overview:**

I am interested in looking at the integration of interactive whiteboard/smart-board technology into classrooms. Are IWBs just really giant screens that allow teachers to display teaching materials by connecting a computer to a projector, or can they be truly transformational tools that if used effectively can lead to improved student achievement? Well, I want to know. Specifically, I am interested in how to effectively integrate this technology at Lakeview Fort Oglethorpe High. I want to know how we can best use our new //Mimio// interactive devices in classrooms at my school. I believe that IWBs can become an essential component of teachers' instructional practices and in turn can increase student learning. My goal is to review literature related to the implementation of IWBs in school settings, and focus on the practices of those who have done so with the greatest degree of success as I formulate my research topic which I hope will focus on the issue in my local setting.

Based on my cursory review of articles, I suspect much of my eventual research exploration will fall under the qualitative category and involve open-ended interviews. In addition, I anticipate taking an "action" approach because I intend to focus on a specific need or problem that my colleagues and I face, and I hope to ultimately produce a "road map" of sorts to guide us through our implementation process of IWBs.

What are my thoughts at this point? IWBs can provide teachers an additional tool to add to their pedagogical arsenals as they attempt to increase student achievement. These tools can allow teachers to "enliven" their lessons as they give students a greater sensory experience by including music, animation, images, video, graphs, charts, and virtually anything that can be done on a computer. Maybe giant screens are just what we need to best alter the educational landscape.

How do I categorize or classify my intended direction? Johnson and Christensen (2008) state, "... action research is focused more on local practice and local solutions, it is more participatory, and it is conducted by teachers, administrators, counselors, coaches, and other education professionals trying to solve their very specific problems" (p. 12). In addition, they define qualitative researchers as those who "explore educational issues using qualitative data such as open-ended interviews that provide data based on the participants' perspectives and their actual words" (p. 19). So I suppose my research project will be qualitative action research. Moreover, Huff (2009) advises researches that the direction of the "conversation" meet the following criteria: "Be interesting from your point of view; fit your past training; be compatible with current or desired future employment; provide outlets for presentation and publications that meet your aspirations to communicate with a larger audience" (p. 11). My overall project should fit nicely into my plans to become an administrator involved with career technical education.

References  Huff, A. (2009). //Designing research for publication//. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2007). //Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches// (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.