Interactive whiteboards have become the most coveted educational tool in Australian schools, driving education to a new level. SMART Board™ interactive whiteboards are appearing in schools and educational institutions across the country and teachers at all levels are quick to incorporate them into all aspects of their daily activities.
The opportunity to think and learn in an interesting and interactive way.
Walkerville Primary School, a reception-to-year 7 school in South Australia has successfully integrated SMART Board interactive whiteboards into their classrooms, thereby expanding and enriching the learning experiences of their students. Teacher and IT Coordinator John Power was instrumental in implementing the technology after seeing a demonstration of the educational features and benefits of the SMART Board by an ELECTROBOARD representative. What really attracted him to SMART was the SMART Notebook™ whiteboarding software, an easy to use application which allows teachers to collect and present information in exciting and engaging ways. The fact that schools receive a full site license of the software and then can download all future upgrades at no additional cost was a significant benefit. However, Power also appreciated the depth of material on SMART’s EdCompass website and SMART Technologies’ dedication to taking comments from teachers into consideration when designing future improvements to their whiteboarding software.
Since making their decision in April 2005, Walkerville Primary has installed 9 SMART Board interactive whiteboards. They have now devised a system which allows more teachers and students the opportunity to use the technology. “The SMART Boards are being used in rooms which have two classes. The teachers cooperate to share the use of the Board” says Power. “The Boards are being used as interactive screens for students to demonstrate their knowledge and thinking.”
Since installing their SMART Boards, Power has seen a number of improvements in student retention levels and the general flow of lesson activities. “Computer lessons can now be taught together as a group before moving to a computer suite. This means that allocated computer time is much more efficiently used since all preparation is done with the SMART Board before the lesson.” Having a SMART Board also helps engage students and provides more of a visual element for any lesson, making it easier for them to grasp and remember concepts. “Students really enjoy the opportunity to apply their understanding visually as auditory can be difficult for some”.
Not only have the students been quick to understand and embrace the technology, but the teachers are also slowly adapting. “Although a strong support network has been invaluable to make SMART Board use exciting and easy for the teachers, students have been quick to grasp the idea and run with it”. As a result, the teachers are now starting to experience many positive benefits for themselves. “Initially there was the need to work harder through lessons,” says Power “but the realisation that students’ learning capacity was increasing has motivated teachers to search far and wide for lessons and ideas on the internet. It has really become a medium for personal satisfaction. Teachers can see that they are doing an effective job and that creates a greater enthusiasm for teaching.”
Creating an interactive school community – the SMARTer way.
Now that SMART Board interactive whiteboards have become an integral teaching tool at Walkerville Primary, staff at the school have become accustomed to routine SMART Board meetings. “The teachers have the opportunity to meet weekly to share, discuss and enquire about the activities of other teachers. In addition, many of our teachers are part of a larger hub group which meets throughout each term to share ideas”.
With the initial adjustment period now over, discussions have already begun as to how to further maximize the time that teachers and students have with their SMART Boards. “Anecdotal discussions with the school community suggest that increased ‘on task time’ has the impact of increasing understanding for students, thereby giving them more opportunity to complete additional amounts of the curriculum more effectively on the SMART Board”, notes Power. The key therefore, will be to maximise ‘on task’ classroom experiences in the future.
Thanks to the implementation of SMART Boards, Walkerville Primary is experiencing many benefits both within and outside their classrooms. “Students are visually stimulated and ideas are clarified through the interactivity and discussions that occur as a result of the SMART Board. Teachers no longer have to create an image in 30 individual student’s heads. Instead students can be provided with that image both visually and aurally. Outside of the classroom, parents are excited too by the enthusiasm that their children show towards their learning environment,” says Power. No doubt, Walkerville Primary School has taken teaching and learning to a completely new and exciting level.