The European School in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert is the largest of its kind; it consists of no less than 170 classrooms in which about 3100 pupils attend classes. In 2015, the school teamed up with i3-Technologies to equip all classrooms with i3BOARD interactive whiteboards. The ambitious project will be completed by 2022.
No more chalk and outdated whiteboards!
Classic chalkboards are gradually being replaced by interactive whiteboards worldwide. The European School invested in interactive boards a few years ago, but they were outdated because they could not keep up with the rapidly changing technology. In addition, there are still classrooms with old-fashioned chalkboards. Frank Charlier, IT manager of the European School, explains why they need to be replaced:
"The biggest drawback of a chalkboard is the residue of dust. These literally end up everywhere: in the air, on clothes, on school materials... But that's not all. A chalkboard also attracts other dust particles like a magnet, so it has to be cleaned around the clock with specific cleaning material. That is very time-consuming!
Something for everyone
The multicultural teaching staff of the European School consists of teachers of different nationalities, ages, and technical talents. Of course, some teachers are more willing to let go of the chalk than others. The school chose the i3BOARD because of its flexible surface, the ideal writing surface for any way of teaching. You choose how you write: with a regular whiteboard pen, a pen, or your finger.
The European School also invested in i3LEARNHUB to help teachers create digital lessons. With the software, they can immediately create their own lessons or consult the marketplace for ready-to-use lessons created by other teachers.
Same product, a different approach
At the European School, both primary and secondary school teachers use the i3LEARNHUB software.
Yvonne Gavican, an elementary school teacher, prepares her lessons at home, stores them in her personal i3LEARNHUB library, and opens them the next day on the i3BOARD in the classroom. She often uses the integrated web browser to supplement her lesson content, for example, to display English spelling patterns or play sounds. The software has become an indispensable tool for her lessons and makes her life as a teacher much easier.
Mauricetta Decamp, a secondary school mathematics teacher, imports her teaching materials into i3LEARNHUB and adds digital notes to the i3BOARD during class. When she saves and exports her lessons, the notes are automatically included in the lesson files. She can then easily share them with absent students so they can keep track of the material and create their assignments.
Conclusion
The products of i3-Technologies make it very easy for teachers of the European School to include technology in their lessons and take the step towards digital teaching. By 2022, they will all be familiar with i3-Technologies.
Written by: i3-Technologies on Thursday, July 1, 2021