Interactive Whiteboards: Impact on Fifth-Grade Writing Skills

Abstract

Given current societal emphasis on technology mixed with the community pressures to succeed in an increasingly technological world, teachers and school districts find themselves focusing efforts on integrating technology and instruction more readily in their classrooms; their goal - to improve instructional practices and keep up with the developing, tech-savvy world. This thesis project discusses several clarifying questions - How much technology should schools be expected to provide? What types of instruction would most benefit students? The research study addresses the influence of the SMART board on students’ academic development, specifically in writing with regard to motivation and literacy. The project’s central question was: What effect does students' use of interactive electronic white boards have on fifth-grade writing skills? This six week study was conducted in a suburban school district in Western New York. It included nine fifth grade students as well as teaching staff at the school. Data was collected using student and teacher surveys and observations. Teacher surveys included not only the four participant classrooms but an additional 22 instructors with SMART Board technology in their own classrooms. Student activities provided were literacy enriched and centered around writing. The activities included: whole group instruction, small group instruction, independent usage, games, and mini-lessons while using the SMART board. These learning practices were directly related to the writing process, organizational formats, grammar, and editing. Research conclusions support the use of SMART Board technology as a resource to enhance and improve writing literacy and student engagement.