Talkies in Teaching

How things have changed in such a short time.

When I started teaching, my first classroom had a random arrangement of desks, a single set of cracked trays on a trolley and a piece of blackboard perched on the top so that it rested against the wall.  Sixteen years and ten classrooms later, what has changed?

The trays are neater and new, the desks are uniform and clean, the board is mounted on the wall and is now white.

An important question I ask myself is, "Do I use these resources any differently?"

I like to think that I do make different and better use of these things but how often do I resort back to 19th Century methods with a 21st Century gloss?  How interactive do I make my interactive whiteboard?  Who is interacting with it and how?  Is it just an inverse blackboard or a small cinema screen?  I hope not, or not often.

With the arrival of high speed broadband access and these large touch screens, the use of video in the classroom is now common place.  No more walking to the hall or 'TV room' to watch a 20 minute tape of a programme recorded by a teacher's friend during the night or yesterday afternoon.  Streaming high-def, available on demand, can have real advantages but what is the best way to use it?  What are your thoughts on how to use video effectively in your teaching?