Sharp AQUOS BOARD Interactive Displays Improve Learning Culture at Blossom Montessori School
With a number of specific educational needs for deaf and hardof-hearing students, Blossom Montessori needed to update its technologies with more visual and interactive capabilities. Sharp AQUOS BOARD interactive display systems have improved the overall learning culture at the school.
Business Environment Challenges
Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf is one of only two schools in the U.S. using Montessori teaching methods with deaf and hard-of-hearing children. The school is broken into four classrooms based on age, and includes both deaf and hard of hearing children from a variety of different life situations.
Blossom Montessori, a highly respected learning environment, needed an equipment upgrade to enhance the education experience. Students were trying to learn by huddling around laptops and small desktop computers to view images and videos. Since the school also accommodates students with other disabilities including those with sight and mobility impairment, this became a major concern. In addition, with a mix of outdated hardware distributed throughout the school including laptops, and compact desktop computers, Blossom Montessori’s learning technologies were unreliable, causing daily challenges for learning in the classroom. School director Julie Rutenberg resolved to improve learning by updating these technologies to meet the specific needs of Blossom Montessori’s approximately 30 students.
“Our equipment only worked on a good day, and it had to be located in the right area of the room to get Internet connectivity. It was very unpredictable,” says Rutenberg. “Deaf students are truly visual learners and technology is one of the best ways that we can facilitate enhanced learning and motivate students in our classrooms.”
Technology Solutions
Working with Sharp Business Systems Florida (SBS) to develop a solution that would best meet the needs of the students and learning environment, Blossom Montessori installed a 70" Class (69.5" diagonal) AQUOS BOARD interactive display in each of the school’s six classrooms. A 60" Class (60.1" diagonal) AQUOS BOARD interactive display was also installed in the school’s speech pathology classroom.
A color series document system was networked to the AQUOS BOARD interactive displays, and two new 55" (54.6" diagonal) Class LED professional displays were installed at the school’s front entrance and cafeteria.
Proven results
The Sharp AQUOS BOARD interactive displays have greatly enriched the education experience for students and teachers alike. Installed at the appropriate height for each age level, the classroom displays offer large visuals with equally large captions that are an integral part of learning for deaf students.
“Everyone loves the new Sharp equipment—teachers, students and parents,” says Rutenberg. “The captions on the screen are huge and can be seen from anywhere in the classroom. They’re very easy to learn how to use, even for our 4-year-olds.”
Supporting reliable Internet connectivity and fast operating speeds, the AQUOS BOARD interactive displays also enable Blossom’s teachers to engage the students in new and exciting ways.
“For example, our speech therapist uses a program to show pictures that students can associate with real life situations to help teach sentence structure,” Rutenberg continues. “Apps have also been installed to help with a variety of subjects including math, science and even penmanship. Coupled with the interactive capabilities, our students can collaborate and learn via the new devices in a much more dynamic way.”
The AQUOS BOARD interactive displays are also very sturdy, making it possible for students with cerebral palsy to brace themselves while interacting with the devices. Additionally, visually impaired students no longer need to sit at the front of the classroom, and volume can be adjusted as necessary to meet the needs of hearing-impaired students.
Displays located at the school’s entrance and the cafeteria enable announcements and information to be communicated to students (and faculty) in these areas as well.
“Our students now have visual learning accessibility wherever they are in the school,” adds Rutenberg. “Everyone loves the new Sharp equipment and this technology has exposed our students to a whole new method of learning that reaches far beyond the classroom.”