Leandre Derks, Director at Consensus Group.
Schools are bringing interactive whiteboards into classrooms to make digital content part of everyday teaching. Teachers can use videos, online resources and interactive material during lessons, while giving learners more opportunities to take part.
Teachers can annotate material directly on the screen, open online resources, use interactive models, involve learners in activities and save completed lessons to a cloud platform. Lessons can be reused, continued in the next class, shared with learners or accessed by a substitute teacher when necessary.
“Schools want one system that supports interactive teaching, presentations and collaboration, and lets teachers bring work prepared at home straight into the classroom,” says Leandre Derks, Director at Consensus Group, a Ricoh South Africa partner in North West province. “They want something teachers can use every day and that fits the way they prepare and teach.”
Teachers move beyond presentation
At Laerskool Generaal Hendrik Schoeman in Hartbeespoort, the school initially received one interactive display after winning a competition run by the South African Teachers’ Union (SAOU) and Consensus Group. After teachers saw what it could do in the classroom, the school raised funding for six more.
Ricoh Interactive white board.
Teachers meet regularly to explore how the technology can be used across subjects. In Afrikaans, learners practise handwriting, work with different fonts, deliver speeches and recite poetry. In Natural Sciences, teachers use three-dimensional models that learners can rotate and examine on screen.
“Learners are already used to visual and digital content outside the classroom,” Derks says. “When they can come to the board, move an object, write an answer or work with a model, they become part of the lesson.”
Training supports adoption
Training is central to successful adoption. Teachers need more than an introduction to the board’s features. They also need to understand how to use them within their subjects and lessons.
“The board is basically a large tablet and operates much like a smartphone, which makes it more intuitive for teachers to use,” says Levert Fisher, Product Marketing Manager at Ricoh South Africa.
A study of 305 teachers found that those with stronger knowledge of how to combine technology, teaching methods and subject content were more likely to use interactive whiteboards effectively and reported better teaching performance. Regular use and the move from basic functions to more integrated classroom use were also positively linked to performance.
Levert Fisher, Product Marketing Manager at Ricoh South Africa.
Consensus Group supports schools from the sale and installation stage through to initial training and technical support. Teachers are shown how to use the writing tools, cloud functions, apps, screen sharing and lesson-saving features, and how these can fit into everyday teaching.
“We can show teachers what the board can do, but they know how they teach and what their learners need,” Derks says. “Once they start using it, they find their own applications. That is where ongoing support matters.”
A train-the-trainer model can take that further. Technical staff or teacher champions receive more detailed training, then help colleagues use the technology in their own subjects. This builds confidence within the school and helps teachers move beyond the basic functions.
Starting with one classroom
Budget remains a constraint, especially when staffing and other essentials take priority. Derks advises schools to begin with one or two displays, either in a subject department or on a mobile stand that can be shared between classes.
Some schools have also turned to parents and local businesses to help fund additional units. This allows them to expand gradually, based on how the technology is actually being used.
“You don’t have to equip every classroom at once,” Derks says. “Start with one board, share it between classes if needed, and build from there. Where possible, pass older technology on to a less-resourced school rather than letting it go to waste.”
