“WorldView Illuminated Every Dark Corner of the School”

A Conversation with Gohar Badalyan, Principal of N2 Secondary School in Sarukhan

Gohar Badalyan first set foot in a school as a teacher thirty-five years ago. Later, in addition to her teaching duties, she took on the role of principal. Over the decades, she has never stopped searching, discovering, and learning—just like a student. The most recent and significant discovery for the principal of N2 Secondary School, named after Manvel Khosteghyan in the Sarukhan community, is the WorldView educational platform and her greatest pride is the school’s victory in the “Smart Boards for WorldView Schools 2024” competition. She eagerly shares the success story of her school, spreading the word within the community and beyond, encouraging everyone to use WorldView. In her view, this platform is the best tool for traveling through time and keeping up with the modern world.

There’s a well-known saying: ‘Don’t teach those who don’t want to learn, and don’t hold back those who do.’ Now that we’ve learned, I can no longer imagine lessons without WorldView and a smart board,” Mrs. Badalyan admits. “And when the smart board arrived at our school, it truly illuminated every dark corner.”

There are three schools in Sarukhan, but so far, N2 Secondary School is the only one equipped with a smart board. WorldView has been in use here since September 2023. It all started with a young history teacher, who then inspired Badalyan—both as principal and geography teacher—to embrace the platform as well. “At first, I struggled, but Balasan, our history teacher, helped me. In sixth grade, we were studying the geography of continents, but there was no smart board yet. We conducted the lesson using a computer, comparing the continents, their economies, and geographical positions. It was a new and fascinating experience for me. I wish all subjects were included in the platform, as it would make learning more effective and improve overall quality. With these new technologies, students grasp concepts faster and more easily—sometimes, they even help us,” says the principal.

First, they explored the possibilities of WorldView. Then, the dream of having a smart board was born. They first saw one in a school a few villages away, in Hayravank. “We dreamed that one day we would win and have a smart board in our school, and that the next meeting would take place in our village,” Mrs. Badalyan recalls.

That bold dream soon became a goal. The school participated in the Smart Boards for WorldView Schools 2024 competition and presented a research project on the origins of their native settlement. Led by the history teacher, with support from principal Badalyan in her role as a geography teacher, students explored every corner of Sarukhan and its surroundings, interviewing locals along the way. This journey from dream to reality first allowed students to rediscover their own village, and then brought the much-anticipated smart board to their school. Sarukhan’s N2 Secondary School became one of the 100 winners of the competition.

“We were waiting with bated breath when they announced our school’s name. I was at home that day. In addition to being a principal, I also manage rural responsibilities—livestock and agriculture. But at that moment, I set everything aside and just waited. When we found out we had won, Balasan, the history teacher, cried with joy, and I could barely contain myself. On the day the smart board arrived, principals and teachers from neighboring villages gathered at our school,” Mrs. Badalyan recalls, still vividly remembering the details after half a year. “We installed it in the former computer lab. Now, everyone wants to have lessons there. I’m drawn to that room as well—whenever possible, I prefer conducting my lessons with the smart board because it makes learning more engaging and effective.”

Today, all project-based work and open lessons are conducted in that classroom. From history to literature and mathematics, the smart board is used across all subjects—even first graders benefit from it.

“Today, I happened to walk in and saw first graders learning the Armenian letter ‘Z.’ Words appeared on the screen, and they had to insert the missing ‘Z.’ There’s a student in that class whom we struggled to bring to school—his parents said he refused to attend. But imagine, the opposite happened,” Badalyan says excitedly. “Today, when the teacher asked about the lesson, he was the first to raise his hand. This shows how modern technology can engage even the most reluctant and struggling students. Lessons become much more interesting for them when they can see everything visually, interact with the screen, and touch it.”

Students prefer a digital learning environment, and the Visual Armenia Foundation—through its innovative WorldView platform and smart boards program—delivers exactly that, from the heart of Yerevan to the most remote villages. Thanks to these advancements, education at Sarukhan’s N2 Secondary School is becoming as competitive as that of any leading school in Armenia, and Mrs. Badalyan takes immense pride in that achievement.