by administrator | Sep 14, 2023 | Business
Overview of Outcomes
- Partnership approach to determine how we could overcome specific challenges
- Support teaching for better accessibility for teachers and students
- Easier to deliver lessons through more visual means
Introduction
We partnered with the Irish Deaf Society to create a more interactive and accessible environment. We wanted to create learning spaces accessible to both Deaf educators and students to achieve this goal.
The Irish Deaf Society’s Story
The Irish Deaf Society seeks to achieve and promote the Equality and Rights of Deaf people in Ireland. Their mission is to empower and mobilise the Deaf community in their day to day lives and beyond.
With an awareness of their identity and their rights as individuals, Deaf people in Ireland are enabled to celebrate their culture and continue to ensure the upholding of Irish Sign Language. This helps break down the barriers of discrimination and promote awareness to those outside of the community.
The Opportunity The Irish Deaf Society Saw
The Irish Deaf Society are always seeking tools that will aid their members to deliver more accessible teaching and learning.
They had the opportunity to update some of their classrooms, and create a more user-friendly environment. This was a chance to create a space that would allow students to collaborate and really benefit and enhance how teachers deliver lessons.
Why The Irish Deaf Society Chose Smarter Surfaces
They immediately jumped at the opportunity to create more visual classrooms, partnering with Smarter Surfaces to deliver this. The ability to teach a whole lesson on the board, using interactive formats too, would make it easier to explain all aspects of a lesson.
Another key consideration was having enough space for everyone in a class to interact at the board. A visual means to carry out collaborative breakout sessions where students could focus on a problem on the board would really add to their lessons.
How They Used Smart Whiteboard Paint
One example of how our products were used effectively was in Johnny Corcoran’s lessons, a graphic design teacher from The Irish Deaf Society.
“By installing Smart Whiteboard Paint and Smart Whiteboard Wallpaper – Low Sheen (Whiteboard & Projection), suddenly aspects of my lessons that were difficult to explain to students became really easy. With the image projected onto a writable surface I can deliver my course in a visual way. This has made it much easier for me and my students.”
The Result
We worked with the teachers in The Irish Deaf Society to understand what they needed and delivered a solution to overcome these specific challenges.
This resulted in a more accessible environment for teachers and students making it easier to deliver lessons through more visual means.
There’s no limit to the wall space that can be covered by Smarter Surfaces’ products. We installed Smart Whiteboard Paint and Smart Whiteboard Wallpaper – Low Sheen on entire walls. This allowed students to take a greater part in lessons as they had greater means to visually collaborate with one another.
To learn more about our product range and the benefits it can bring to both educators and students click the link below to access our updated Education Hub.
Learn more on our Education Hub
Alternatively, you can register to join our Educator’s Network where you can receive exclusive discounts and offers as well as expert support from our team when it comes to finding the most suited product for your classrooms.
by administrator | Sep 14, 2023 | Education
Overview of Outcomes
- Better delivery of inclusive education techniques
- More dynamic lessons that are less static and keep students engaged
- Were so happy with the first installation they decided to install more from the Smarter Surfaces range
- Our products are now installed throughout the entire school
Introduction
Ratoath Junior National School is a Primary National School for students from Junior infants to 2nd Class (ages 4-8).
The principal contacted Smarter Surfaces directly, seeking to upgrade the classrooms in their school. She saw the opportunity to create more collaborative classrooms for the young students in the school.
Ratoath Junior National School’s Story
Their aim is that all children should leave Ratoath Junior National School with the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy, an enthusiasm for learning, a thirst for knowledge, an appreciation of their religion and the world they live in and, above all, many happy memories.
On September 1st, 2005, due to the huge increase in numbers, Ratoath Mixed National School was divided into Ratoath Junior National School and Ratoath Senior National School.
In 2010, a new 10 classroom extension to Ratoath Junior National school was completed when Smarter Surfaces were contacted.
The Opportunity Ratoath Junior National School Saw
With completely new buildings, they saw the opportunity to revolutionise the classroom, and create an environment that opened up the possibilities for students to collaborate and work together with teachers.
Why Ratoath Junior National School Chose Smarter Surfaces
Before contacting Smarter Surfaces, they looked at two options. The first was to join multiple whiteboards to create larger spaces to work on, but they couldn’t find a seamless solution.
Another option they considered was to use glass whiteboards, but the cost of this was completely out of their budget.
How They Used Smart Whiteboard Paint
Initially Smart Whiteboard Paint (previously Smart Wall Paint) was applied in three classrooms at Ratoath National Junior School, on both the walls and desks.
The response from teachers at the school was that the installation opened up how they could deliver lessons. They can now get students to work in small groups together at their writable desks, or deliver more interactive and collaborative lessons at the board.
The Result
Since installing Smart Whiteboard Paint, teachers say it has really increased how dynamic their lessons can be. The extended space has increased their ability to deliver inclusive learning techniques, because it allows the whole class to interact and work together at the same time.
Teachers from Ratoath had more feedback on these extended workspaces. They said that it has allowed them to introduce more movement into lessons. With multiple surfaces to work at throughout the room, students don’t have to be sitting all the time. This has really helped maintain engagement throughout the day.
They came back to Smarter Surfaces asking for further functionality, as they had recently purchased interactive projectors. We were happy to upgrade the classrooms with our Projectable Whiteboard Wallpaper. This is used as an interactive projector surface where teachers and students can write on and wipe off to use games and material from the internet interactively. Emma Brehony, Junior Infant Teacher, says “we have our whole wall covered and use it as a projection tool…It’s doing what a whiteboard does but I have a lot more space”.
by administrator | Sep 14, 2023 | Business
It has been a busy couple of months at Smarter Surfaces.
Recently we embarked on an exciting project, working with SAP to transform their new offices.
SAP is a worldwide leader in enterprise software and related services, working in over 130 countries and employing over 55,000 people.
When SAP set about designing their new state of the art offices, Smart Wall Paint was chosen as a tool to help increase office productivity. SAP literally transformed their ordinary walls into borderless creative spaces. (bold-events.com) Over two floors, general office walls, meeting rooms, conference rooms, boardrooms, hallways and even the staff canteen were turned into places where employees can brainstorm and work out their next big ideas.
The SAP team now use their Smart Walls to collaborate with colleagues and discuss problems on a large creative canvas. This has proved so successful that SAP have decided to convert areas of their Headquarters and smaller offices into creative spaces to inspire new ideas within their workforce.
