By Geraldine Haruka Ling

Having Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs) in Gongshang Primary School wasn't all fun and games when it was first introduced.

First, the teachers had to take extra steps to familiarise themselves with the ActivClassroom technology via training provided by Promethean, the IWB developers.

After the training is completed, teachers would be awarded proficiency certificates that are internationally acknowledged.

However, it can prove to be tricky trying to get used to the interactive board, which functions like a giant touchscreen computer.

"Sometimes I forget to click on the pen icon," chuckled Mr Poon Yain Ping (pictured above), the head of department for science.

The students would then point out my technical mistakes and tell me how to rectify them, added the 36-year-old, emphasizing that the IWB has improved his rapport with the students so much so that they would not hesitate to respectfully speak their minds.

No increased workload

He also shared that the workload has "not increased so much" for Gongshang's teachers as they all work together to pool resources.

Besides using the templates provided by Promethean, teachers also have the freedom to choose or create graphics and interactivity tools that will best help to make lessons more enjoyable.

A typical lesson takes about three to four hours to create.