Touch screens are finding their way more and more into classrooms. What are the possibilities? For which activities do we use them? Director Saskia Van Aerschot of elementary school “De Puzzel” in Mechelen, Belgium, talks about their experiences with Legamaster touch screens:
While teaching, there is a lot of digital support for the methods we use in the classroom available. That’s why we were looking for a device on which all this support could be offered and also be made in a user-friendly way.
We also notice that our students are growing up in a digital world. If a child does not know something, it is no longer an option to give an answer the next day, with a drawing from a book. Now you can offer more information about the child's question, the picture of a flower, a movie about how the polar bear swims... But for this, the internet must be available at all times.
The service Legamaster offers from the beginning was a great help. The first time you're standing at the screen and you think 'What now?’. Legamaster ensured that there was a representative at the next staff meeting, who gave us a clear and compact explanation of all the possibilities. The helpdesk, available by phone, ensures a quick response when we contact them.
Knowing that you can set up and use the product at all times provides more peace of mind for the team. Half an hour before a meeting, trying to find out whether the screen works or tampering with a beamer is a thing of the past. In the classroom, the screens are used for language classes and mathematics, but we also learn with the whole school e.g. the “Straplied”, to close the traffic week. Teachers set up the video and everyone can learn the same song and dance.
In the 6th grade, we even use a program with artificial intelligence. Every child works on his or her personal tablet, but at the front of the class the teacher can explain and perform each exercise on the touch screen. Do you know that even our students use the screen to support their presentation? And because estimating time is difficult when you're working on a task, teachers use the screen as a timer as well. This allows you to see very clearly how much time you have left to complete your task or test.
The user-friendliness! We also have a touch screen in our central room, where we receive groups, organize refresher courses, meetings... Every external person can start right away with his presentation or application. An advanced manual is not necessary... just set it up and get started. Anyone who works with a PC, can get started right away.
Absolutely! Some fellow schools have already switched. The user-friendliness and your service are always worth mentioning.
Keep communicating in an open, customer-friendly and fast way! :-)
Last but not least : a big thank you to the distributor, InterOffice, because without them, this project would not have succeeded !
