An Interactive Whiteboard

Schools across Britain, with the financial help of the Government, are installing data projectors and interactive whiteboards (IWBs). The technology is a powerful teaching tool, fantastic for demonstration and modelling, with appeal to visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning styles.

With the data projector you can project the contents of the host PC screen onto a standard whiteboard or wall, so the whole class can see it. 

IWBs use a data projector and a touch-sensitive screen that lets you and the children control the host PC. There are different brands, but all come with software that allows you to capture and manipulate images, and create pages of content.

Templates also exist for this content, and tools such as highlighters and pens let you write on the screen. IWBs are more expensive than just a data projector, but if used creatively they encourage greater interaction with the children.

An interactive whiteboard is a touch-sensitive whiteboard that allows teachers and pupils to participate interactively in activities projected onto it from a data projector connected to a computer.

A sound system may also be incorporated.
The computer is connected to the data projector and the projector is connected to the whiteboard. The projector displays the computer screen onto the board. The computer can then be controlled from the board using a stylus or your finger (depending on board type), the action is transmitted to the computer in place of a mouse.