Creating Collaborative Classrooms
For years educators have known the power of interactivity in learning, yet were restricted to the traditional teacher-led classroom model by the tools at hand—the chalkboard and overhead projector. Today educators are transitioning to student-centered, collaborative environments that appeal to a new generation of tech-savvy, visual learners.
Interactive flat panel displays (IFPDs) displays create opportunities to share with students, not just knowledge, and lessons, but the responsibility of learning and exploration of applying that knowledge. When given these opportunities, students gain a sense of empowerment and purpose in higher degrees than in lecture-based environments. This in turn, can drive the motivation to learn a particular subject and take on new skill sets, including creativity, leadership, and social interaction.
The latest software for IFPDs features analytics to help educators check attendance, measure student responsiveness, and gain a better understanding of the classroom environment. Teachers can also record classroom content so that it can be shared later.
Step inside Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School, an IFPD-integrated school that has redesigned education around the technology of today to enable students to explore subjects alongside their teachers.
Empowering Educators
At the head of the class, IFPDs elevate and enhance new teaching and learning models, delivering a more creative and immersive experience. They enable teachers to use content in new ways, fostering creativity by using interactive software to draw on-screen, add images and show videos for more engaging and inspiring lessons. IFPDs can also connect to every student’s device, respond to touch, and encourage spontaneous collaboration. Not only can teachers and students collaborate more effectively in their own classroom, schools across the world can now connect with ease.
The Future Is Built Through Collaboration
It took just two people, Wilbur and Orville Wright, to design and build the first airplane. Compare that with the hundreds of engineers, working together around the world, to design the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.1 Collaboration is now weaved into the fabric of our workplaces, making it essential for students to develop this skill to ensure their workplace readiness.
Tips on Selection and Deployment
- Seek teacher and student input. Ask those who will use the technology to learn about their needs and how they can be addressed with an interactive flat panel display (IFPD)
- Implement in phases. A multiyear rollout gives districts more time to allocate funds as well time to train teachers on how to integrate an IFPD into their curriculum
- Create room for experiment. Allow teachers to use IFPDs in different ways and in an environment where they will not be afraid to fail
- Teach the teachers. Provide teachers with guidance and professional development, enabling them to thrive in IFPD-equipped classrooms