Woodchurch High School uses Sharp interactive displays to increase teaching and learning engagement

Surfing the waves of change

As technology evolves it changes not just in terms of hardware and software, but also in terms of how we work, how we live and how we solve challenges.

To prepare our children to take their place in society, and to ensure the success of our country in the decades to come, embracing technology in education is crucial. Steve Woods, who teaches computer science at Woodchurch High School and guides its policies on innovation, has clear views on the subject.

“Pupils will be using office technology as soon as they start working. They are expected to be familiar with it – confident of using it to develop, share and capture ideas, and to perform well within a team.”

Deputy Head Andrew Crick agrees. “We must ensure that, from day one of their employment, the students are skilled with popular software such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and that using equipment such as interactive touchscreens is second nature. It’s what their employers expect.”

Leaving nothing to chance

Well before inviting manufactures to bid for the contract, Andrew set out the school’s selection criteria.

The interactive flat panel displays had to be tough enough to withstand the rigours of classroom use, bright enough to use in daylight, compatible with the school’s current software, capable of linking to tablets, supportive of multi-touch fingerswipe gestures, representative of current business technology and easy enough for teachers to use with very little training.

There were several makes to choose from. On paper, they looked similar to each other. But following an initial round of comparative testing, Sharp’s BIG PAD comfortably came out on top. However, experienced with the vagaries of new technology, Andrew was determined to fully test it in a live environment.

“We tested a BIG PAD for seven weeks in a live classroom environment,” he said. “It was a big success. The feel of the board, the software, the versatility and ease of use, the contrast and brightness, its connectivity, the build quality – everything is well designed.”

“Sharp were extremely helpful before, during and after the trial. They invested a lot of time working to understand our objectives, processes and selection criteria. And they were impressively quick to resolve any issues that we discovered.

That was important. If we hadn’t had that level of support I don’t think that we could have made the decision this academic year.”

Just before the trial began, Sharp came in and spent some time explaining to the teachers how to get started. As the trial progressed Sharp came in again, listened closely to what the teachers were trying to do and showed them the best ways to achieve it.

The early support and the intuitive operation of the BIG PAD paid immediate dividends. When the first 25 units were installed the teachers were able to use them with confidence and with none of the uncertainty that new technology so often creates.

Rapid installation and flawless support

Unlike businesses, which can temporarily close meeting rooms while new equipment is installed, schools need their classrooms to be continuously available. Sharp responded to the challenge by sending in a team during the half-term break.

“Sharp’s technicians worked collaboratively with the school’s ICT support and Premises teams. The whole installation took 4 days to complete with the school team’s uninstalling the existing solution and making good. Sharp’s technicians were then extremely efficient in installing and testing the first 25 BIG PADS” explained Andrew. “When the term resumed, everything was in place and ready to go.”

Phases two and three of the roll out went equally smoothly and the school is delighted that such a complex project was completed on time and without any problems.

“This is sophisticated technology being rolled out in a non-technical environment. Yet thanks to BIG PAD’s ease of use and Sharp’s thorough pre and post-sales support, we’ve had no difficulties and very few questions. It just works.”

Business-class communication and collaboration

The BIG PADs have been well received by teachers and pupils alike. According to Andrew, the positive feedback ranges over: ease of use, compatibility with various software applications including RM Easiteach, the responsiveness of the touch pens, the ability to use the whiteboards in bright daylight, and the easy annotation with automatic conversion of handwriting into a neat digital font.

“I love the way that the menu buttons for the touch pens can be moved to where you want them in the screen. With other makes you have to reach across the screen, interrupting the flow of the lesson, said Andrew. “That may sound unimportant to some people but it shows that Sharp has really thought about how their products are used in real life.”

“Thanks to BIG PAD, our pupils are learning how to communicate and work together using technology that they will find in the workplace. They are learning how to present their thoughts to an audience and they are learning how to capture and share ideas, linking their tablets to the BIG PAD.”

“But most of all, they are learning the life-skills which they’ll need for a successful career. And that’s priceless.”

If you would like to know more about Sharp solutions and how we can help improve your academic reach, please Get In Touch for a demonstration.