One of the most important lessons we learned during the temporary shift to remote learning is that education is a fundamentally social experience, and children are always going to learn better when they can be in the classroom.
Although there will be times when it is necessary to support students learning from home, it’s clear that learning in the classroom will continue to be the norm wherever possible. In the classroom, children can work together on more engaging activities and explore topics collaboratively.
With this in mind, we’ve prepared three top tips on how you can use the ActivPanel interactive display to promote social learning in your classroom.
1. Get to grips with the Instant Whiteboard app
One of the simplest yet most effective apps available on the ActivPanel, the Whiteboard app enables multiple students to contribute at the same time. It’s an infinite canvas for ideas, and if you combine the Whiteboard app with tools like the timer or spinner, you can create a wide range of innovative activities.
For example, why not set up a timer and let your students take part in a friendly competition and race to complete an arithmetic challenge on the Whiteboard app? Alternatively, you could use the spinner to choose which students come up to the ActivPanel in a ‘complete the sentence’ exercise.
The Whiteboard app is a great way to get your students involved in the lesson, and a perfect backdrop to group activities that support social learning.
2. Take advantage of group activities through ActivInspire
ActivInspire classroom software solution is designed specifically to support you with lesson planning and delivery, and it’s supplied as standard with your ActivPanel.
When you’re creating lessons using ActivInspire, you can include interactive elements like polls and quizzes that students can take part in when you deliver the lesson through the ActivPanel.
You can use the results of your polls and quizzes to spark discussion in the classroom – ask your students to explain their ideas, and ask others why they agree or disagree. This will help your students to develop key communication skills, and think about why others have different opinions.
3. Encourage your students to show their work to the class
Using the ScreenShare app, you can mirror content from your students’ personal devices to the ActivPanel in real-time. If your class has been working on a project using individual devices like laptops or tablets, this is an easy way for the students to show the class what they’ve created – whether it’s a presentation, artwork or a written piece.
In this way, you can set up an informal peer-to-peer feedback activity, prompting a class discussion and helping the students to start thinking critically in a pressure-free environment.
We all missed the social aspect of being in the classroom over the last few months, which is why it’s more important than ever that we take advantage of social learning wherever possible. By following these top tips, you’ll be able to encourage your students to work together and communicate more effectively, and ultimately boost engagement in the classroom.