The document summarizes two related projects involving the use of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) to support learner-centered language teaching. The first project involved developing a model for IWB training for language teachers in Germany based on case studies of teacher competencies and needs. Key findings included the need for teachers to adapt materials and integrate multimedia resources. The second project created an online community of practice called IWB4MFL to share materials and practices for using IWBs in language teaching. The goal was to contribute to teacher education and professional development.

1. Using Interactive Whiteboards to
Support Learner-Centred Approaches
to Language Teaching and Learning
Euline Cutrim Schmid & Ton Koenraad
reporting on 2 related projects:
• Professional development (Heidelberg, Germany)
• Sharing Materials &
Practices (Utrecht, NL)

2. Hogeschool Utrecht University of Applied Sciences / Fac. Education
E-Learning consultant & teacher educator
(MFL pedagogy / CALL)

3. Pedagogical benefits of
Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs)
Helps integration of new media in the regular
language classroom
Enhances scope of interactivity & learner
engagement
Supports development “electronic literacies”
Helps to address diversity in learning styles
(aural, visual and kinaesthetic)
Can contribute to student attainment
IF…

4. Shared concerns & rationales
Important factors for successful
introduction of IWBs:
- Teacher is KEY: pedagogical views, knowledge
and media literacy
NEEDed: (Cutrim Schmid, 2008; Gray et al. 2005; Koenraad, 2008)
- Quality training
- Materials & inspiring
practices for modern
MFL Pedagogy
- Support for p2p learning

5. Research project (2009 – 2011):
Towards a Model of Interactive
Whiteboard Training for Language
Teachers
Euline Cutrim Schmid
University of Education
Heidelberg, Germany

6. Project information (1)
Characteristics of CPD-Model :
- “bottom up” approach to teacher professional
development in CALL
- a pedagogical framework based on a socio-
cognitive view of communicative language
teaching.
Research Team:
- Junior Prof. + student teachers
- nine practitioners

7. Project information (2)
Key Questions:
- What teacher competencies are needed to use IWBs
towards a socio-cognitive view of communicative language
teaching?
- What kind of technical and pedagogical support is mostly
needed by teachers in this process?
Research Methods:
- in-depth longitudinal case studies
- ethnographic research instruments: classroom observations &
field notes, video recordings, in-depth interviews and video-triggered
reflective dialogues with the teachers

8. Interim Results (1)
Teacher competences:
- adapt / design interactive IWB materials
- manage IWB-based activities to activate ALL
learners
- coherently integrate various multimedia
resources (pace, cognitive load and active processing of content)
- enhance IWB functionality using peripherals
- finding and evaluating ready-made, usable
materials

9. Migration needed for NEW, IWB-
related Competencies
FROM a print-based approach and related
black/whiteboard activities such as:
- annotate grammar rules,
- grammar exercises
- vocabulary items
- worksheets (scanned documents or MS Word files): fill-in-the-
gaps vocabulary & grammar exercises)
TOWARDS use of multimodal resources
provided, such as annotation tools (e.g. shapes,
lines), variety of colour, fonts, images &
integrating internet resources

10. Characteristics of Training
Replacement of “top-down” technological one-day
workshops with “bottom-up” training that:
supports refinement of pedagogical practice
stimulates collaboration with experienced teacher trainers
or colleagues
has a sound theoretical basis and a clear pedagogical
framework
focuses on teachers’ immediate pedagogical needs &
contextualized examples, related to actual work
provides teachers with enough opportunities for gradual
accumulation of knowledge and experience within their
constraints of time and energy.

11. IWB-Project @ CALL-in-Practice

12. IWB4MFL CoP
Goals:
- Sharing materials, practices &
practitioner knowledge
- Contributing to initial Teacher Ed. & CPD
(Meskill et al., 2006; Preston et al.,2000; Koenraad, 2005)
Activities:
- Teacher Ed. Curr. Development
- Materials, Expertise & Partner spotting
- Resources development
- Blogging
- Formation Editorial Team
- EU project application

13. IWB4MFL CoP (2)
Website Components at CALL-in-Practice:
- Resources:
. Practice portraits
. Repository of IWB files
. Annotated links to external resources
. Research reviews & references
Introduction to IWB4MFL
Weblog Tool for Multilingual Blogging Circles
(linking MFL and L1 teachers & resources)
Workflow for Teacher Ed. mentoring

14. Check out the 2010 Edition!
Comenius Course: ‘Designing for the Web 2.0 Language Classroom.