IWB's in the Early Years

[Jennyb]

Hi,
We are looking to put boards into our Nursery Classes ( we have 5 Nursery classes in our 8 form entry school!) Has anybody already gone through this and can offer any advice? We would like them to be as low as possible and I have also heard that having a slant on the board is ergonomically good for little ones. Anyone got any ideas that have worked, or not worked??
Thanks
Jen

[Dug]

We have just the one nursery along with a reception class alongside as a 'unit' and we have an IWB in each. The boards are positioned as low as Promethean could put them (although not slanted) and we have a bench in front of the board. Both are used in a 'continuous provision' way and children are always using them and are encouraged to progress their learning: Can you find a picture of a cat? Can you change its size/shape? Can you copy it? Can you make a picture with a friend of...? etc. They are also used for interactive phonics teaching, basic numeracy/literacy etc.
I know that some of the tradtional tales that come with the software have been a hit in Nursery (eg 3 bears: Open- Shared Flipcharts- Keystage 1- Literacy -Three Bears. We compared it with the text version). I am actually a KS2 teacher but 'float' for half the week which includes an hour in nursery (including story time which I try to do with the IWB). As we also have a voting set in nursery I'm currently thinking around using voting along with an interactive story - Who's feeling upset A-Baby bear, B-Mummy bear C-Daddy bear etc.

One tip- Give the kids a serious pep talk about how precious the pens are. I've lost count of how many we've had to replace in the foundation stage - mainly through over aggressive clicking.
You will not regret putting boards in the Foundation stage.

[Margaret Allen]

These links might be helpful...


http://www.prometheanworld.com/common/html/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=1737

http://www.prometheanworld.com/common/html/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=1635

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

+wave+

[Phil Simpson]

The reason that boards mounted very low down are sometime at a slant is to prevent keystoning of the image. In case you don't know, this is where the image becomes trapezoid instead of rectangular. However with modern XGA projectors such as the ones that Promethean sell, this is no longer an issue. As to whether the slant has aided Nursery age children, that's for somebody else to comment on as I haven't even had the experience of a Nursery education, letalone that of a teaching in one!

One thing I will add though is to be aware of the myth of, "smaller board for smaller children". Several schools do this with their Foundation classes and some even put 48" boards in their Nursery classes. When you have board very small children and grown adults using the board, it is good to have an IWB that is as deep as possible so that the children do not have to stretch up and the teachers do not have to crouch down so for the very slight premium in price, I would go for the 78" board.

[Jennyb]

Thanks all for your responses so far.

I did think the slant would make it more ergonomic for the children. In that they could lean in on the board and use their hand to support themselves. So many of our Reception Children already do this on boards that are flush with the wall. We also have steps in Reception, Y1, 2 and 3. I wondered if anyone had already mounted theirs like this.

As to the board size, I totally agree- the bigger the better has to be the way forward!! I would love to put the widescreen board that was shown in the futures room at the BETT show into each of our Nursery babses. {} My vision is that one way we can use the boards is as a back drop to role play so they are completely interactive with the children leading their play. Just facilitating this vision is proving tricky! :rolleyes:

Margaret- the video of the children using their board so expertly is great. I was interested in how the school had set up their board etc. Is there anyway I can contact this school??

Love this forum- it is so helpful![clap] [clap]

Jen
clwn

[Margaret Allen]

Hi Jen,

This Nursery is actually using a very small portable board as it was given to them and so in many ways this makes what they are doing even more exciting....

Where are you in the country... maybe it would be worth a visit to see you?

Give me a ring if you like

07971919510

+wave+

[Jennyb]

Hi Margaret,

We are in Singapore! Our school is Tanglin Trust School. You are welcome to come if Promethean will foot the bill!! We have 71 boards in school so there is lots to see!

Jen
clwn

[Margaret Allen]

errrrrmmmmm right.....:eek:

I think it is unlikely! :D

Is there anything specifically you would like more info on? If I can help I will, but it will have to be done remotely :(

[dupreehelen]

Hello

Has anyone got experience of attaching the pens to the board. I have an old numonics board in the suite and the pen plugs in to charge so it is less likely to get lost. A school I heard of drilled holes in the end of the pen and tied them to the board but that was secondary and I wonder about the H&S aspect of doing this in a nursery / reception class.
We lose about 10 pens a year in reception and this will only get worse when our nursery start using after easter.
Helen

[Margaret Allen]

Hi Helen,

In the interim let us send you some lanyards! These are invaluable and it would be good for children to have these attached to the pen as they are bright orange - hard to lose - and you could introduce a new rule when you hand the pen back it has to be attached to a lanyard.

Where are you in the country email me margaret.allen@prometheanworld.com

As far as drilling holes this would be dodgy I think! The lanyard would be good. As for your old board could we swap that out? +wave+

[sdreyer]

One of our teahers in the 4 year old class attached 1 piece of velcro to her pens and the other piece to the wall. She can see at a glance if the pen has been put back up.

Our boards are mounted about 1 foot from the floor in our 3 and 4 year old classrooms. Teachers like to get down to the child's level when working on the board, and we find this is the perfect height for this age group. Safety concerns prohibit us from adding a step.

[Margaret Allen]

Suzanne,

Are your Kindergarten teachers/children using Primary?

+wave+

[sdreyer]

Hi Margaret,

Our PreK, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade teachers are using ACTIVprimary. This is their first year of implementation, and I can honestly say the students were instrumental in "teaching" our teachers!

Next year we are hoping to have a challenge lab. Students who have mastered the classroom activities and lesson objectives will be permitted to attend on a daily basis. If we do, there will be plently of opportunities for students to begin making their own flipcharts. It keeps geting better and better. Everyone involved is eager to learn and do more with our boards! {}

[brianksee]

As far as loosing the pen, I have a simple trick that I use with my pencils, and automatically did with my activslate. Use a string and some tape. If you have two pens, put one holder up high enough so only an adult can reach with no string. As far as the other one, attach a string and tie it to the other pen holder. If you want to be very safe and feel the students might actually not stop and pull off the pen holder, attach it with some cheap velcro at the pen holder. This should solve the problem.

PS. On a side not if the the person from Singapore ever reads this, I was in your country about 8-9 years ago. I was working on the automated subway type cars (although they are above ground) and I was wondering if they are still in use, and if they have been a use good use of alternative transportation.