Life in a classroom or an executive meeting room is very different today, than it was just a decade ago. What's the difference? Interactive whiteboard presentation technology! It's been quite some time since we've seen chalkboards in regular use, and the whiteboards that have replaced them have now gone high tech. The new “must have" tool for every teacher these days is an interactive whiteboard.

Interactive whiteboards have taken presenting information to a new level. The interactive whiteboard takes many different technologies and integrates them. You'll no longer need a separate media player when you use an interactive whiteboard. You'll be able to show video clips and present slides or screens of information using the interactive whiteboard technology.

Interactive whiteboards are easy to use. The interactive whiteboard screen is connected to a computer using a USB or wireless connection. Interactive whiteboard users control what happens on the computer through what they do on the interactive whiteboard screen. Images can be projected on the interactive whiteboard and the user can write or draw over them. This ability makes interactive whiteboards nearly indispensable in any classroom or meeting situation.

Any writing on the interactive whiteboard screen can then be captured and stored. This is especially useful in a classroom setting. Notes captured from the interactive whiteboard can then be printed and distributed to those who might have missed the presentation or who might need the notes as a study aid. Some interactive whiteboards have the ability to capture video. This can be helpful in both classroom and corporate meeting situations.

Many different technologies can be employed by interactive whiteboards. One of the more common is infrared technology. Using infrared technology, an interactive whiteboard does not need a stylus. A finger or marker sees the infrared light projected toward the interactive whiteboard. Information about the location is on the interactive whiteboard is discerned using the interactive whiteboard technology.

Infrared technology can be combined with ultrasonic technology in creating interactive whiteboards. When the marker or stylus is places on the interactive whiteboard, small sound detectors use ultrasonic technology to locate the marker's position. This technology can be utilized on interactive whiteboards made of any material. In order to use your computer with your interactive whiteboard, you must also have a projector to project the images from you computer onto the interactive whiteboard.

The Hitachi StarBoard FX-63 Interactive Electronic Whiteboard (USB) is an example of an interactive whiteboard that uses both infrared and ultrasonic technology. This interactive whiteboard can use either USB or wireless connections and offers a large display area. Since the surface of the interactive whiteboard is not an active part of the process using this technology, this is a good choice of interactive whiteboard for presentations using a great deal of annotations as they can be captured virtually error free.

Some interactive whiteboards utilize an audience or classroom response system. Members of the audience are given clickers connected to the interactive whiteboard through infrared or other technology. Responses from the clickers can be recorded using the technology of the interactive whiteboard. Polls can be taken or multiple-choice questions can be answered using this interactive whiteboard technology.