[crteacher]

Can anyone tell me pros and cons of not having your interactive whiteboard mounted to the wall. I'm hoping someone who has theirs on wheels can give me some insight. On one hand, wheels would allow others to use the whiteboard, but on the other hand I'm concerned about the whole recalibrating several times during a lesson issue.

[whatever]

before I got the wall mounted one this wheels.

For the portable:
Pros

• Wheels would allow others to use the whiteboard. You are sooo sharing...
• You can place it where you want and move it when you need to.
• There is room behind and under to store stuff if it sits in the same place every day.

Cons

• Wheels would allow others to use the whiteboard You never have it when you need it.
• It seems in the way a lot.
• The wheel base is really big so that it remains stable. It takes up a LOT more room than you expect.
• Lots of cords to watch--power cord, computer cord, monitor to projector cord...
• Computer, projector and board have to be pretty close together which can make it hard.
• Unless the cart is pretty tall, the kids and their shadows compete for board space.

I never really found I had to re-orient it a lot during lessons. I usually did it in the morning and really not again that day unless I moved it to get into my closet. All four wheels had locks on them and they worked really well. It rarely moved while in use or just casually. Sometimes the janitors would bump it as they swept up at night. Besides, orientation only takes ten seconds or so and you can do it without minimizing anything on the screen. It was the least of my concerns.

[kathy]

I never realized what a difference the mounted board would make until I had it. I use the board probably 3 times as much now that it is mounted. Never have to reorient, NO CORDS!!!!, if you dot an "i" you dot an "i." There are no shadows to deal with either. The one on wheels took up so much room. I would HIGHLY suggest a mounted board.

[Socks]

Over the past 6 years, I've run the gamut with my Smartboard. To start with I had a Smartboard on wheels and a projector on wheels. I very rarely used the Smartboard as anything other than a screen then because with every little movement I had to reorient the board. Sharing, while kind, is also a problem. I'm a person that gets set in a routine and I couldn't count on having the board so I stopped using it altogether.

This year I started off with a mounted board but my projector was still on wheels. As whatever mentioned, the projector has to be close to the board. My students usually sit at the carpet when we're using the Smartboard and that cart was being bumped CONSTANTLY! I teach first grade and I just I couldn't keep them away from it. There were times that I would have to stop my lesson because I was tired of reorienting. It was a big problem.

Last Friday I came in my room and they finally mounted the projector. It has been heaven since then! I orient once in the morning and that's it for the day. I don't have to worry about cords being everywhere anymore. The shadow isn't near the problem it was before.

The only other thing I'm waiting on is a step. The other primary teachers have one that runs the length of the board and it's great for the students to reach the top of the board. Even with the long pointers, my students are too short to use them effectively. I'm just waiting on it to be built.

Hope that helps give you the info you're looking for!

[RebeccaH]

Socks I use a plastic step I bought at a hardware store. I had one when my kids were little to go to the toilet. The kids use it all the time. I have a paint brush incase they can't reach anything else but that isn't used very often now I have the step.

My IWB is mounted if it wasn't it would mean another job you have to do before you use it. I don't think it would be used as often.

[Mrs.Bo]

Our school system had one--the callibration problem was a pain, moving , etc. They purchase new systems every year and only go with the wallmount system .

[TeachVegas]

In rooms where wiring to a computer was a problem, we bought Bluetooth units. They work great! All our boards are mounted, and our LCD projectors are all ceiling mounted. Yes, we are blessed.