Thanks to the generosity of Bartłomiej Wójcik, owner of IT-Office, which provides IT solutions for businesses and private individuals, another stage in the development of interactive education has begun at the Zespół Szkół Mechanicznych in Bolesławiec. At the same time, as part of a pilot programme, the principles of the educational reform providing students with access to electronic versions of textbooks are being implemented.
Through contacts with publishers, ZSM students received free access to an electronic physics textbook and an educational portal devoted to physics. Furthermore, discussions are under way concerning access to textbooks for vocational subjects.
Ultimately, students will no longer have to buy expensive school textbooks; they will only need to pay a symbolic fee for annual access to online teaching materials, using tablets, desktop computers and smartphones with Internet access. This means they will always have an electronic book “at hand”.
At the same time, they will no longer be affected by the problem of changing, outdated textbooks. They will always have access to the most up-to-date materials. The costs incurred by students and parents when purchasing books will also decrease significantly.
IT-Office has provided ZSM students with a mobile lab equipped with 10 tablets offering wireless Internet access. “We use tablets during physics and mathematics lessons. Thanks to the free educational materials, we now navigate the intricate paths of mathematics, and physics even more differently,” says Izabela Pawłowska, a physics and mathematics teacher at the Bolesławiec “mechanic” school. “Interactive exercises and audiovisualisations now make it possible to bring closer what previously seemed difficult. An undeniable advantage is the fact that, with a single touch of a finger, we can now follow the course of planned experiments, making our imagination more receptive. Curiosity about the final result encourages and motivates us to explore and learn. Thanks to the wireless Internet connection, we can work with our tablets throughout the school, while students can also access these materials using their own smartphones.
As it turns out, tablets at school can be used for more than just checking attendance in lessons. In the hands of a teacher and a student, they can become an excellent educational tool, enriching classes and expanding opportunities for acquiring knowledge.
(information: ZSM Bolesławiec/ii)