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Play and Learn’s approach to tech inspires educators to push their pedagogical boundaries
Jason Roberts
Mar 27, 2023
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The question of whether to add interactive display panels across the Play and Learn network of fourteen centres and integrate them fully into its school readiness program was never a difficult one for Play and Learn’s CEO Julie Watts to answer. 
“We have always been keen to embrace technology into our programs, after all it is a clear and visible part of the National Quality Standard (NQS) so why wouldn't we work to incorporate its benefits for the good of our children, families and also educators,” Ms Watts said.
“Our tech partners at BenQ have been amazing at providing what is pretty breathtaking technology, at a reasonable price, and with a tremendous amount of support. Choosing the right partner is important as there are definitely ongoing support needs well after the delivery date.”
“Since our first delivery we have never looked back and now we are all so used to using our panels that it is kind of second nature.”
Integrated display panel versatility and safety far outstrip anything iPads have to offer
The team at Play and Learn’s commitment to interactive display panels came after a careful evaluation of the relative benefits of equipping each student with tablets, such as iPads, versus the installation of an interactive display panel.”
“We understand why some services elect to have iPads in their rooms and that's fine but for having looked closely at the pros and cons of each type of product we concluded that they just didn't fit with our philosophy, pedagogy and practice,” Ms Watts explained.
“Our aim is to get children to collaborate and be involved. iPads don't lend themselves very well to that dynamic. They are quite solitary teaching tools and to be honest we found it difficult to adequately supervise and engage with a room of four year olds using their iPads.”
Instead, Ms Watts and her team opted for BenQ’s interactive display panels, instead of a suite of iPads, preferring to utilise their well understood strengths of promoting collaboration and engagement for the whole class at the same time.
“The display panels are incredibly important parts of our programs now. They act almost like digital canvases enabling our children to engage through the super smooth EZWrite 6 (whiteboard software) and educators to quickly extend on children’s interests in an exciting and engaging format,” Ms Watts continued.
“They are so useful, and easy to use, and our teams certainly breathed a sigh of relief when we made the decision to transition to them full time.”
Large selection of literacy and numeracy apps for not just learning but soft skills too
Another key highlight for the Play and Learn team, particularly the educational leaders, is its large library of apps and access to fun learning platforms like Kahoot! and Kevin Bradford’s Rosi Mosi Education Games, BenQ’s education solution partners, which are all available at the press of a button.
“It is amazing how well the children respond to the different programs we download onto the display,” Ms Watts shared.
“Memory games, matching puzzles, sequence plays, alphabet introductions, you name it, they have got it and the children come alive when it’s their turn to step up to the board and drag the butterfly from its cocoon across to an adjacent branch.”
The team at Play and Learn are now well versed at incorporating display time into their programs and use the tech not just as a learning tool for curriculum based development but also as a way to teach the children to learn to take turns, respect timekeeping and recognise that stepping away from a screen is very much ok.
“Yes, this aspect of our display experience has been very notable. At the beginning of the year scaffolding the importance of sharing and timekeeping is tricky but the children quickly pick it up and in so doing really learn an important set of soft skills, directly applicable to the modern world.”
Showcasing children’s work for families on boards also has played an important role
Whilst the pedagogical and school readiness benefits of modern display technologies are becoming increasingly well understood there are also some practical benefits that are equally valuable in an early learning centre context.
“We, like many services across Australia, take great pride in the work that our children complete whilst in our care and look for opportunities to showcase it when we can to the children, their parents and guardians,” Ms Watts said.
“We use our BenQ board’s “InstaShare” feature in so many different ways whether it be featuring a video of a child discovering a new learning, showcasing a compilation of selected photographs for parents to see at pick up, or presenting children’s portfolios at the end of year graduation.”
“It's really quite amazing how embedded our interactive boards are now,” Ms Watts said in closing.
“They are an intrinsic part of our curriculum and day to day processes. To think we went years doing much of what it can do manually or with paper. Thank goodness that BenQ has changed that dynamic for us in such an intuitive and useful way.” To learn more about how BenQ can support your service and school readiness programs visit their website, here or click on the banner below.
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