Smart Classrooms as “Town Halls” of Our Times: Strengthening Partnerships with WorldView Smart Board Winning Schools

A year-end review meeting was held with the 40 schools that earned smart boards through the 2023 Smart Boards for WorldView Schools competition. School representatives, primarily project leaders, showcased their activities since acquiring the smart boards through presentations.

During the virtual meeting, which also hosted winners of the 2024 schools, participants shared their achievements over the past year, emphasizing the critical role of smart boards in delivering modern education. “Before we introduced the smart board, our educational process felt like the Middle Ages. But with the smart board, light has entered our school, and now students have access to 21st-century education. Thanks to WorldView and now also the smart board, we can implement differentiated teaching, which is one of the key prerequisites of the new standards,” says Arpenik Margaryan, a teacher at Nor Armavir Secondary School in the Armavir region.

“Life at school is now divided into ‘before’ and ‘after’ the smart board. Even students who didn’t enjoy learning now want to approach the board, write, and work on the platform. It’s become a major source of motivation. The smart board is used in all classes, sometimes with queues forming to use it. It facilitates group work and makes lessons more interactive and engaging,” said Margarita Karapetyan, a teacher at the Talin High School in the Aragatsotn region.

Working closely with schools has revealed that smart boards not only improve the overall quality of education but also promote inclusivity and equal opportunities. “As a school that also provides inclusive education, the introduction of the smart board has made lessons more accessible and enjoyable for students with special educational needs,” highlighted Liana Hakobyan from Shirakatsi Secondary School No. 8. “Students have become more confident, skilled, and capable,” added Sofia Kerobyan, a teacher from Balahovit Secondary School in Kotayk Province, whose school has been particularly active and effective in using the smart board. As part of their partnership with the Foundation, they have implemented all activities outlined in the 14-step framework.

During the meeting, teachers presented their projects and best practices. Mikael Mikaelyan, a teacher from the Hakob Kojoyan Educational Complex since September, emphasized the transformative impact of the WorldView platform: “I learned about WorldView just a few months ago when I started teaching here, and the school had already earned a smart board. The platform has become a critical tool in my teaching process. Students are not only engaged in lessons but also actively participate, learning with enthusiasm and a better understanding of historical events. The platform has even improved their oral and written communication skills. With the student council, we’re using the smart board for various projects, further boosting their active engagement and fostering critical thinking.”

“The arrival of the smart board has been a major revolution for our entire school. It not only made the learning process more interactive and exciting but also brought incredible enthusiasm among students. It’s now hard to take them out of the smart board classroom because they are so engaged in technology-based lessons,” added Alina Sargsyan, a teacher from Sasha Galstyan Secondary School No. 2 in Metsamor, Armavir Province.
“We’ve placed the smart board in a room that has essentially become the ‘gathering hall’ of our school, akin to the meeting spaces of old times. All our major projects and lessons take place there, and we always bring our guests to see it,” shared Svetlana Sahakyan, a teacher from Charentsavan Secondary School No. 2 in Kotayk Province.

It’s worth noting that the Smart Boards for WorldView Schools competition includes a 14-step partnership framework to ensure the effective use of smart boards and to create added value for schools and their communities. Schools are encouraged to organize exemplary lessons involving teachers of various subjects, conduct integrated classes, hold discussions with community members and educational managers, and involve student councils in exploring the effective use of the WorldView platform. Schools are also expected to tailor the smart board’s use to students’ needs, including those with special educational needs, and facilitate knowledge-sharing between schools.