Schools around the world are integrating new technology into their classrooms, hoping to increase student engagement and comprehension while improving in-class management for teachers.
More to the point, as one student in a new Canada-wide school tech roll-out puts it, “It’s made learning fun.”
That fun is being driven in part by the multi-national equipment manufacturer Samsung, along with its in-country partners.
In fact, Mississauga, ON-based technology provider Advanced has launched a dedicated division to handle an increasing need for integrating technology into the classroom, no matter where in the country that classroom is.
Advanced works directly with teachers, school districts, colleges, and universities to identify relevant, curriculum based technologies, anything from a single projector or smart board to a comprehensive plan for an entire school district.
That effort is part of Samsung School, a corporate initiative that supports classroom learning with technology, collaboration and consultation.
That, and a cool new Note.
The Samsung School initiative uses the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet to enable a dynamic and creative approach to learning, giving students the option to interact and mark-up learning materials with their own accompanying photos and text.
The Note can be used (we’ll have a more complete evaluation here at WhatsYourTech.ca later this month) by students and teachers for screen sharing and monitoring; student device or remote content; timetable management and more.
School districts in Canada can purchase specially-configured and priced Note tablets at a newly-developed online store.
PCs, servers and software packages are also part of the full Samsung School solution, now in V1.5, all configured with special classroom features and functions.
Students and teachers at the Riverside Secondary School in Port Coquitlam, BC are among the first Canadians to participate in the program and to integrate tablet technology into K-12 classrooms.
“In my thirty years as a teacher, this is the most impactful technology solution I’ve ever seen in the classroom,” said Deb Nordheimer, a grade eleven teacher at Riverside Secondary School, B.C. “It has not only made it easier for me to manage my classroom, but it’s brought an energy to my students because it’s so interactive.”
Riverside Middle School student Iman Baharmand is just one of those students who’s enjoying learning: “It’s made learning fun. I love using the tablet. It’s the best combination of education and technology.”
There’s a YouTube video with more information about a recent K-12 case study on the benefits of technologically-enabled education.
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Submitted by Lee Rickwood
