This paper seeks to set the scene for the ensuing articles in this themed issue by placing the recent developments with interactive whiteboards (IWBs) in their historical context. It argues that use of this instructional technology has already had a profound impact upon teaching and highlights the importance of educational researchers considering both the micro and the macro context when they explore the impact of any instructional technology use. The paper moreover suggests that the IWB is emerging as the second great revolutionary instructional technology and is shaping as the development that is fundamentally changing the nature of schooling, moving it from its traditional paper-based form to digitally based organisation. The author's provocative stance stems from a perspective of directing and networking schools. Many of the subsequent papers elaborate examples of IWB use in classrooms, helping the reader to evaluate the argument using recent empirical research. (Contains 1 note and 1 figure.)