A new educational system which revolutionises teaching and learning by replacing “chalk and talk with a multi-sensory approach” gives access to an almost infinite supply of resources on the internet.
That’s the view of Donal O’Frighil, a fifth class teacher and information communications technology co-ordinator at St Patrick’s boys’ primary school. His comments come in the wake of the Lombard Street facility equipping a number of its classrooms with interactive whiteboards.
These combine the traditional classroom whiteboard with a computer and projector, and are at the cutting edge of ICT in education, explains Noel Cunningham, the school’s principal.
“The board becomes a large touch-screen which allows teachers and pupils to interact with the computer by tapping on the screen and dragging the highlighted item with the finger. Any application available on the attached computer can then be viewed and interacted with on the whiteboard screen.”
The system brings the power of the computer into the heart of the classroom allowing whole lessons to be presented, he says.
“It also allows pupils to bring their ideas to life on the screen. Because an interactive whiteboard can be placed in the same position as a traditional whiteboard it allows the teacher to present the lesson and hold the attention of the entire class. It also allows pupils to become fully engaged in the lesson coming to the front of the class to contribute and make their ideas come to life.”
Students love the concept, he says with some rating the whiteboards on a higher level than the X-box. Their comments include “It makes learning exciting,” “You can write on it with your finger,” “We were able to see what a hare looks like without getting out of our seats” and “We saw the ruins of Pompeii.”
The teachers are equally enthusiastic saying the whiteboards provide motivation, stimulation and engages pupils completely.
Noel Cunningham says money provided by the school’s parent body as well as fundraising activities carried out by the Parents’ Association financed the interactive whiteboards. He hopes to equip all the school’s classrooms over the next few years.
People can see these education aids in action tonight (Thursday ) at 7.30pm when St Patrick’s school holds its annual opening evening for new enrolments into the second to sixth class cycle. All parents and new enrolments are welcome to attend.
