Learners at Woodlands International College are being spared all the “way back when” smells and sounds of the classroom – like chalk writing on a blackboard, dusty textbooks and overhead projectors – with the introduction of iPads in all classrooms throughout the middle college (Grades Four to Six).
Dr Greg Pienaar, principal of the primary college, explained that the school has been making full use of Smartboards for a number of years already.
These interactive screens use a computer and digital projector to project any illustration and are also interactive in the sense that a learner can touch and draw on them.
“Now, we have introduced iPads and full Wi-Fi via the school’s own server, allowing us to leverage technology on a larger scale.
“The combination of the ITSI textbooks platform with the iPad and Wi-Fi has led to a fully digital interactive classroom experience,” Pienaar said.
Some of the benefits of iPads for learners and teachers are:
• After the textbooks have been downloaded they remain on the learner’s iPad and can be used offline at home.
• During a lesson, learners can make notes on their “textbook”, highlight passages or keywords or generate summaries or tests.
• Teachers can source additional materials from the internet, such as video clips or movies, and then “drop” them into every learner’s “textbook”.
• Teachers can add their own worksheets to the “textbook” and generate assessments directly from the “textbook”.
Pienaar said learners have commented that their bags are much lighter since the introduction of the iPads, and that they are loving being a step ahead in their lessons by being able to add extra information to their “textbook” the night before.
Director of Woodlands International College Audrey Matthews said Woodlands is certainly one of the first schools in the country to introduce this level of technology at such a young age.
“It is truly groundbreaking and something we are very proud of as a school in Boksburg,” she said.
