The Opoku Ware Senior High School in Kumasi has introduced a smart board technology to enhance an interactive way of teaching.
The technology, which is a computerised system, operates on a whiteboard, with an inbuilt mechanism that has an electronic pen which allows items written on the board to be converted into word document.
The board facilitates the use of text and pictures for the teaching of Science, Business and General Arts.
It also allows the user to hook on to viber, skype, tango and other types of social media networks for teaching and learning by both the teacher and student.
In addition to this, the technology, which is used widely in the United States and Canada, can automatically set questions on every topic treated by a teacher and, aside the use of the English language, also has the capacity to convert English language to French.
Mode of operation
The technology allows the teacher to upload his/her lesson notes unto the system, as well as pictures and other images that are needed to assist teaching and learning. The machine, which is connected to the Internet, gives the operators the opportunity to access more information, and this makes it easier for the students to learn on their own even if the teacher is not present in class.
It is also connected to the students’ computers, which makes it possible for students to access the teacher’s notes and pictures during the lesson.
Opoku Ware School currently has three of their classrooms equipped with the technology.
The success story
The success story of the school in the use of the technology has led to some schools such as Prempeh College, St Louis, and Yaa Asantewaa Senior High schools replicating it in their respective schools.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr F. M. Oppong-Mensah, introduced the technology to the school after an education and cultural tour in Canada and US where he observed that it was being used by some schools in those countries.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic about the technology, the Assistant Headmaster of the school in charge of Academic Affairs, Mr Benjamin Kweku Baah, said all teachers in the school had been trained in the proper usage of the technology.
The smart board technology instructor at the Opoku Ware School, Mr Kofi Amoako Darko, in an interview, commended the headmaster for introducing the technology to the school, saying it had made teaching and learning much easier.
He commended the Parent Teacher Association of the School (PTA) for procuring three of the boards for the school and called on other philanthropists to buy more boards for the school.
Source: Graphic Online