Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., April 04, 2008 Adar2 29, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:34 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 02:34 04/04/2008 'Smart classes' bring computerized learning aids to classrooms By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Education, School, Israel  Twelth-graders in Hurfeish participated in an unusual science class this Tuesday. The students watched earnestly as the teacher sketched the human body on a special board. Immediately afterward, the sketches appeared on the laptops at each student's desk. "There is no doubt that the lesson became much more attractive. It also helped us to understand the material better, because the teacher can revert to previous screens, and this makes it much easier for us," said one student, Bashar Shanan, enthusiastically. Advertisement In these "interactive smart classes," what the teacher writes on the board is displayed on laptops that sit at every desk. The 10 "smart classes" that began this week are part of a program called "Forward science." This three-year program will cost NIS 150 million. It is run by the World ORT education charity and the Education Ministry. Thirty-four schools, most in peripheral areas, will participate. World ORT director general Robert Singer called this "a real pedagogical revolution destined to change the face of teaching, for both teachers and students. We no longer have a blackboard and chalk and frontal lectures, but rather a classroom with all the technological aids necessary for exciting, interactive learning." Hurfeish local council head Rakad Khir al-Din said: "This has taken the Hurfeish educational system several leaps forward. An innovative system like this is a real revolution." Sources at the school called the new classes an experiment. If it succeeds, the school will hold more "smart classes," they said. "We will set up a steering committee to implement the project in all of Hurfeish's schools," al-Din said. "I hope that this step will lead to greater achievements and more successes in the community's educational system." Singer says all disciplines, not just technical subjects, will be studied in "smart classes." The classes are equipped with a "smart" board, a computerized teacher's podium and a projector that are connected to the students' laptops. The interactive board the heart of the classroom  enables a wide range of activities. The computer saves anything written on the board, so it can be printed out later or sent to the students' computers or e-mail. In addition, the board lets every pupil respond, add something, ask a question or solve one. "The interactive smart classes are an excellent tool to help the students advance and develop. I believe that with time, these classes, like the other tools that the Education Ministry and World ORT give the students, will help make social changes and assist a variety of social groups," Singer said. Related articles: Budget problems force closure of top Druze science school Hard look / Who cares about education? Negotiations between secondary school teachers, treasury break down Bookmark to del.icio.us   Bread will abound J'lem court allows pizzerias, bakeries to sell leavened products during Passover. The looking glass A T.A. film festival tackles Israel's hardest issues from war to polygamy.

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