The pressure on modern schools to leverage technology in everincreasingly complex ways is intense. There’s the assumption that technology leads to educational outcomes, and for schools this means they need to be careful about choosing the right technology that will generate measurable results, and then make sure the teachers and staff are making proper use of the technology as part of the curriculum. For Glendal Primary School, being one of the most technologically-savvy public schools in the state meant investing in leading SMART Board technology supported by comprehensive, ongoing professional development.

Partnering with Pro AV Solutions in a 5-year, compete classroom solution ensured an investment with fixed cost of ownership and a structured pathway to success with learning technology. Interactive whiteboards have evolved to the point where they have a role well beyond that of a touch enabled projector system in the classroom. Today, the SMART Board has been transformed with robust, interactive flat panel technology. Improved reliability, clarity and touch experience, combined with lower cost of ownership and built in collaboration tools make it an essential hub for any connected classroom. As part of a complete classroom solution that considers best practices and learning software, this presents an opportunity to deepen engagement with students, on their terms. Students with naturally less outgoing personalities can be encouraged to participate to a greater degree with the SMART board’s ability to allow contributions from the student’s desk, and the ability to allow each student’s device to mirror / screencast to the SMART Board ensures the entire class can be encouraged to collaborate, no matter what teaching style or strategy is employed.

Glendal Primary School is widely recognized as an advocate for advanced technology in schools. It features extensive robotics and science programs as part of a curriculum that encourages children to become comfortable with technology and its applications from a young age. Similarly, the school has always made use of interactive whiteboards, and the SMART solution leverages their prior investment in professional development. Teachers can use lesson materials they’ve created in the past. Adding game-based activities, device driven assessment and student-led projects takes only minutes – breathing new life into lessons without adding large amounts of preparation time. Integrated sharing also means teachers can now easily send and receive lessons among their peers with a simple click. This means their portfolio of lesson content is instantly multiplied.

Kym Robinson, the school’s Assistant Principal, said the decision was made to upgrade this technology once it became apparent that the new wave offered practical benefits to the school’s students that took learning to another level. “We already knew that whiteboards were really effective in improving student participation in the classroom, so the decision to upgrade was largely about getting the latest hardware and software into classrooms, and then taking full advantage of it,” Robinson said.