Recent experiences and emerging research have highlighted the vital importance of schools introducing IWBs with the prime focus on enhancing the teaching of every teacher in the school - not the technology - if the school is to improve student attainment.

It is simply not enough to get 100 percent of teachers using the IWBs.

The aim should be to get all of those teachers to harness the undoubted potential of the IWBs and the related technology, to enhance the richness and appropriateness of their teaching and through that enhanced teaching to improve student attainment.

For too long the preoccupation of schools and systems has been enhancing the amount and power of ICT in the schools, as if quantity and sophistication of the technology will itself improve student learning.

It didn’t happen with the introduction of film, television, photocopiers, video players and computers and it will not happen with IWBs.

The introduction of IWBs in so many parts of the world is being left to the ‘ICT experts’ whose preoccupation is with ensuring teachers understand the mechanics of the technology.

Rarely does one see, even in the many excellent things being done in the UK, an identification of the teaching skills to be developed to allow 100 percent of teachers using IWBs to best enhance their teaching.

Equally importantly, one rarely sees calls for the school leadership to play a leading role in attuning the school’s operations to ensure the teaching of all is consistently enhanced and that the use of the IWBs and related technology becomes the norm in teaching and learning.

Years of research has constantly reiterated that if one can enhance the quality of teaching, particularly across a total school staff, one will soon enhance student learning.

The technology – whatever form it takes - is simply a teaching aid, a tool – albeit often an immensely powerful tool - to assist teachers better perform their core task of enhancing student learning.

The key is the skilful teacher, well prepared to make the best educational use of the tools available.

IWBs can be used as a whiteboard, a basic interactive whiteboard, a large screen digital convergence facility or as the centre piece of a digital teaching hub that interfaces with a set of other digital tools.

The differentiator is the quality teacher – the professional - who knows how best to shape his/her teaching and classroom management to use the tools available to improve student learning.

Richardson Primary School in Australia was recently rewarded by the Australian Government with a national award for the way it had used IWBs to improve student literacy, numeracy and attendance.

Deployed wisely IWBs can enhance education.

However unless wise leadership is exercised and due attention is given to the teachers and teaching, many schools and system will not improve student attainment.