Classroom Buyer's Guide - Interactive Whiteboards

An Interactive Whiteboard, no matter which type or manufactured brand, is four presentation tools in one. It can be used as a traditional whiteboard, a projector screen, an electronic copy board, or an interactive whiteboard when connected to your computer and projector.

It’s only when used as an interactive whiteboard that its true potential is displayed. A projector projects the computer’s desktop onto the whiteboard allowing an instructor to control an application program using a pen, finger or similar device instead of typing on a keyboard or clicking a mouse. Information displayed on the whiteboard can be captured and saved for later use.

The board is typically mounted to a wall or on a floor stand. The screen can be used to display not only computer software to a class, but with the proper connections, web pages and videos, whether on DVD, VHS or CD-ROM. Potentially, this setup could replace the standard classroom overhead projector, video recorder and television.