Nursery Pressure

[Alison]

We're getting a nursery at our school but, as yet, there is no IWB being put in. (Getting 21 other whiteboards and paying for the cabling of the new school pretty much wiped me out, budget wise!) I'm hoping to get one as soon as I get more money, but the staff moving to the nursery are putting a lot of pressure on me for us to get a smart board, as they like the idea of the children using their fingers.

I've reeled off every argument I have for using Promethean, but I was wondering if anyone else has a good reason I can use? Please help ???? They're main arguments are that the children will think that they can use any pen on the boards, thus ruining them, and that they have more control with their fingers.

[daverosthorn]

We're getting a nursery at our school but, as yet, there is no IWB being put in. (Getting 21 other whiteboards and paying for the cabling of the new school pretty much wiped me out, budget wise!) I'm hoping to get one as soon as I get more money, but the staff moving to the nursery are putting a lot of pressure on me for us to get a smart board, as they like the idea of the children using their fingers.

I've reeled off every argument I have for using Promethean, but I was wondering if anyone else has a good reason I can use? Please help ???? They're main arguments are that the children will think that they can use any pen on the boards, thus ruining them, and that they have more control with their fingers.

Here's my advice:

http://www.wdisneyw.com/forums/images/smilies2004/slap.gif

Haha.

I'd ask them if they want to be able to create real interactive activities. I rather wouldn't give my full opinion on SMART boards.

[daverosthorn]

http://forums.guru3d.com/images/smilies/slap.gif

[Laura OHalloran]

Hi Alison

How about the fact that with finger availability it will mean that a group of children clustered around the board will all be able to make things work. However, a group of children clustered around a Promethean board only the one with the pen can make it work - they will be learning the concept of sharing.

The writing with anything argument doesn't really stand up becaue SMART boards come with 'pens' too. So if they see them being used it's much the same I would say BUT far more damaging to a SMARTboard surface than a Promethean one.

Any help?

Laura +wave+

[LisaD]

I've also found that children tend to place their "non-writing" hand on the board for balance or put their wrist on the board for better pen precision. I can't imagine trying to write on a piece of paper when I could not touch the paper EXCEPT for the end of the pen. That's just not natural. This can be cumbersome on a resistive board as each time you touch it, it move the "cursor" to that other place. But an electromagnetic board only responds to the pen which I think it quite nice because sometimes kids just want to touch things just to be able to touch them and accidentally activate them or move them when they are just trying to point things out.

In fact, when I want to double click with the pen, I normally put the "heel" of my hand down so that the pen doesn't move around and do 2 separate clicks instead of one double-click.

I think with Smart you can set something to make the double click not be as precise to avoid that 2 click problem, But I still think a pen is better for writing than a finger!

Lisa

[Margaret Allen]

http://www.prometheanworld.com/uk/html/press_centre/publish/article_448.shtml

This is a quote from the above link:

During her presentation, Catherine acknowledged the positive effect Promethean technology had on her class:“I chose a Promethean Activboard because I wanted my children to hold a pen correctly and learn to write using the Activboard. In a recent Inspection my class was commended for the way in which children’s writing attempts reflected good pencil grip and secure understanding of what was expected of them. I also wanted them to be clear about negotiation and sharing, a friend of mine has a SMARTboard and it is very hard for her children to control their learning space when others can physically intervene, by merely touching the board!”

This teacher from a Nursery in Scotland said it all at an event I was present at.

Watch the video clip and at the end the little boy puts his left hand on the board to steady himself, before using the pen in his right hand to activate the Monster Music program. He does it twice actually, but lets not be picky!! :O)

I was presenting at an event this week, and one teacher said "you are moving things around the board with much more ease that I can with my finger, it almost seems to get stuck"

[Dug]

If it was the same event my colleague attended, she came back full of enthusiasm and good ideas. You obviously did a good job!

[Margaret Allen]

Hi Dug,

Actually it wasn't the same event, nice to know we can run two in one year that have some reasonable success!!!! :D

[clap]

[Alison]

Thanks for the ammunition so far. :p I think I'm starting to wear them down. Heh heh heh. Any more good suggestions?

I don't suppose there are any nurseries with AP anywhere near me who would let me come and visit them to see how they do things? I'm in the North West London area. I'll be very good I promise! +wave+

[Dug]

Why don't you take a long weekend in Holmfirth (Last of the Summer Wine Country) where we are. We've got boards and voting from YN - Y6. You or anyone else welcome.