Introduction

Introduction

Wake up. Turn off alarm on iPhone. Turn on Radio. Open iPad. Check e-mail then Facebook. Go to class, text best friend about next week’s job fair posted on the TV advertisements. Open laptop, attempt to take notes, send out a tweet about the weekend, and then surf the web and shop for the perfect fall outfit. Technology is everywhere and has seeped into every aspect of the modern life. Technology is found in the social aspects of life, through texting and social networks, but has also become a critical piece in educational development. Today, starting at a young age students are exposed to technology within the classroom at the elementary, middle and high school level. This may have begun by establishing computer labs in school but today there is the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) that brings the classroom to life using technology. The question posed in this research is, do IWBs make technology dependent classrooms and do the costs of this technology out way the benefits. This research aims to explore the answer to these questions by examining the social, ethical, legal and security outcomes of such a technology.

Background

The interactive whiteboard is not only found in classrooms but is also prevalent in the workforce. IWBs at work tend to be used for conference presentations as well as to share data among colleagues. The IWB found in the educational setting is a bit more complex. IWB compress several classroom technologies into one. It serves as a projector, computer screen, and a standard whiteboard. The inner workings of the IWB are intuitive and are comprised of what is already found within a typical classroom. There are four parts to this technology, the computer, the software, the projector, and the display screen. (Interactive whiteboards in education)

Given the IWBs initial high cost of $3,000, United States school systems have slowly implemented them into their classrooms since 2004. However, by the end of 2004 every classroom in other countries, such as Mexico, had an interactive whiteboard. There is mixed support for the interactive whiteboards although overall there seems to be a strong consensus that the possibilities are endless for such a technology as long as the teacher is willing to be creative. (Dash, 2004)