I would like to recommend CleverBoard and Lynx 4 for you in my Blog post. CleverBoard is an interactive whiteboard and Lynx is the software that follows. Many schools have got this already or are going to. In my school we have those in all our classrooms and we have been using them for a couple of years now. With CleverBoard and Lynx you can create lessons by using resources from the internet or from your computer and mix it with “traditional teaching”.
What you need to make it work
First of all you need a computer, PC with at least Windows 2000 or a Mac with Linux. Then you need a CleverBoard. The CleverBoard can be installed instead of a whiteboard, you can use it like that as well. Or you can have the CleverBoard somewhere else in the classroom. The CleverBoard is connected with the computer. You navigate the computer with a pen by clicking on the CleverBoard. The pen has the same function as a computer-mouse. A scanner can also be useful to have, if you for example want to use a page in a textbook or something like that.
How to be used by teachers
Lynx is an “empty” program, e g it is you as a user who creates lessons or presentations in the program.
You can for example do notes on the whiteboard with the pen or by using the computer- keyboard and then save them on the computer. Next time you can continue with the notes or print them out or send them as an e-mail. If you want to put in pictures you can use the clip-art gallery or use own pictures. You can also use music-, film- or sound-files in your lesson or presentation.
You have a remote control which helps you to manage the computer and in the same time use the tools in Lynx. If you are watching film with your class, you can save parts of it in Lynx. After the film is finished you can put the scenes on the CleverBoard and work with them, the same with websites. If you have a scanned page in a textbook or a storybook saved on the computer, you can do a lot of things with it by using the tools in Lynx.
How to be used by students
The students can interact in the lesson by using the pen and moving things on the whiteboard. They can also do exercises from websites on the internet together or write answers with the pen. Often the students learn to work with Lynx faster than the teachers and they also find and explore the functions easier.
Other considerations
The CleverBoard and Lynx is a really good resource in your teaching. You need though use it often in otherwise it is easy to forget how to work with it, because it takes some time to learn how to use the tools. Time is not a thing we have lot of in school, at least not time to plan lessons, so you have to decide yourself to give priority to this.
Sometimes the technique doesn´t work, someone has pulled out a cable or it has been a power outage. It is frustrating when the CleverBoard doesn´t start and your lesson plans go up in smoke. If this happens I bet you hope that another classroom is available, so you can be there instead.
You can read more on these pages:
http://www.saharaplc.com, about CleverBoard and Lynx
http://wiki.iwbsupport.com, about Lynx
Camilla Sunesson
2010-11-25
I agree that more and more schools have some kind of interactive board. We have it not yet, but the school will buy two SmartBoards at the beginning of next year. So it was interesting to read your blog. I understand that it takes some time to learn how to use it in teaching and requires some time in front of the computer. I have noticed that more and more ready-made lessons for inter-active boards are posted on www.lektion.se. It can be a great help to all teachers to share their lessons. Do you know if everything works out for both CleverBoard and SmartBoard – is it the same thing? The program to the SmartBoard is called Notebook and not Lynx. Is it compatible?
ReplyDeleteI use the computer a lot through a conventional projector. Many times I have lacked not being able to write on the board while I show the text or pictures on the computer, but those you can do on the interactive whiteboard. A big advantage is that you can save what you do in class. That you could save a piece of a movie seems great. I did not know. Also to scan an image from a textbook and then write in it together on the board makes things much easier when you have lesson, where some students often sit and ask what and where to write. Now, they see precisely what is in their own book. Great tips!
I think that the students become more interested and focused when they have something to watch at the board. When the pupils themselves may be involved in writing and moving images makes them more active and motivated to learn, I think. Trouble with the technique is something we have to deal with. The computer hopefully connect with the school´s network and then you have a great lesson, otherwise you have to be prepared with something else and the lesson was not as it was meant to be.
I haven’t worked with CleverBoards myself, but recently I visited a friend of mine who uses it a lot in her education and I must say that I noticed some really positive parts. The first thing that struck me was the enthusiasm of her pupils and how delighted they seemed to be. This certainly is a way to start from their interests.
ReplyDeleteAnother positive part of using CleverBoards is that you’re able to reach all pupils at all levels. What I mean is that some pupils learn visually and some learn tactilely and using interactive whiteboards is a way to approach both learning styles. The fact that you’re able to save written notes will also address pupils with learning disabilities.
I also like the fact that you are able to navigate the computer by clicking the pen instead of a mouse, because it allows you to keep eye contact with your pupils.
I’d also like to say that using interactive whiteboards won’t necessarily have to mean that you’ll have to abandon traditional education completely, but using the CleverBoard as an element in your education is an excellent complement!
I think your blog post about CleverBoard and Lynx 4 was very interesting to read and I agree with you that this is a great tool to work with in the classroom. During my teacher training period I worked a lot with the CleverBoard. I think this is a great ICT tool with many possibilities. I think it is very good and helpful to save notes and to be able to show them again or continue to finish what you have started. It is also good to have the possibility to print out and e-mail notes to the pupils so they can read it again on their own. The notes can also be given to pupils who missed the lesson.
ReplyDeleteDuring my different teacher training periods I have seen teachers with both negative and positive attitudes to CleverBoards. Just like you brought up some teachers do not take the time to learn how to work with it in the classroom. As you mentioned the teachers need to prioritize the CleverBoard if they want to use it in their daily lessons. Even if it takes time, I think the CleverBoard will save time when you have learnt how to use it.
The CleverBoard can be used in many different ways. For example, on my latest teacher training period we used a program called Seterra. This is a geography program where the pupils can practice for example continents, countries, flags and big cities together with their peers.
I believe CleverBoard and Lynx 4 will be the new whiteboard in every Swedish classroom. It is an unlimited resource to work with.