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Education technology makes magic in the classroom

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:57

Children are a visual generation and have been brought up on TV and video games; they learn in a visual manner, and tend to remember images.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Julie Speirs’ English classes at Crawford Preparatory School Lonehill in Sandton. Speirs uses a SMART Board interactive whiteboard constantly in her grade seven classes of 12-13 year-olds. “I have great fun with it,” she says. “It’s a teacher’s dream.

“In English, when we were reading Terry Pratchett’s novel, Truckers, we wanted to ‘visit’ Harrods department store, so we went online and displayed a virtual tour in 360 degree views on the interactive whiteboard. The children loved it; it made everything more real to the class. And you can go anywhere on earth. The world is your oyster.

“The board is a magic element for me and the class, and makes a language subject like English come alive. There is a genuine desire to participate. The learners want to try it out and are not shy to hold back. They interact and teach each other, correcting mistakes as they go along.”

Crawford Prep Lonehill is equipped with SMART Board interactive whiteboards, connected to a PC and a data projector, for grade three and grade four classes as well as specialist teachers in maths, English, geography and history.

Where possible, Speirs designs lessons in 20 steps so all students can participate. “The SMART Board extends their focus and ability to sustain their level of interest,” she says. “The minute the board is switched on, they know something exciting is about to happen.

“Children learn so well in the interactive sessions. The SMART Board is ideally suited to the different tiers of learning. First is exposure to the concept. Then there’s application of the learning where the students answer questions to assess understanding. Then they make corrections on the board – that’s the third level of endeavour. As a result, they are more likely to remember the concept. They are actively building knowledge out of experience.”

According to IT facilitator, Debbie Fanti, Crawford Prep Lonehill installs a few interactive whiteboards each year for teachers who are computer-savvy. “This ensures the SMART Board doesn’t land up as a glorified whiteboard fused with an overhead projector,” she says.

“Creating a lesson on the computer saves so much time. By saving it in SMART Notebook software, you can use it again the following year, simply logging on to the Internet to add new and exciting material. It gives pep to the lessons, and the children themselves often bring in novel and fresh ideas.

“Children benefit from not only the audiovisual display, but from the interactivity. The SMART Board captivates them and they are keen to participate. We have to change our teaching for the new age child. Learners today get lost if you drone on and on. By stimulating them visually, we attract their attention far more; even so-called ‘problem classes’ are enthralled throughout the lesson.”

Tim Allen, head of academics at Crawford Schools’ holding company ADvTECH, believes interactive whiteboards should be introduced to interested and enthusiastic teachers who are likely to use them effectively and creatively.

ADvTECH has invested more in SMART Board interactive whiteboards than any other educational institution in South Africa, and is now introducing the SMART interactive response system and the SMART document camera in classrooms, believing that learners will benefit from a holistic experience based on touch technologies.

“SMART is the brand mark of excellence,” says Allen. “Other boards are designed around cost-effectiveness and cheapness. The SMART Board is focused on teaching and learning. That’s what makes it different from other similar products. It captures visual learners by delivering lessons in the currency of their lives. And SMART Technologies provides a strong support base in terms of educational content and interactive lessons.”