Thanks to the joint efforts of The Company Microsoft Croatia, Croatian Academic and Research network – CARNET and Storm Computers with the support of the Ministry of Science and education, the Classroom of the future was opened in primary school Rovišće, in Rovišće near the city of Bjelovar. Primary school Rovišće was presented with a digital classroom equipped with the cutting-edge technology including 30 tablets with keyboards, an interactive smart board and wireless network equipment.
The classroom is equipped with state-of-the-art technology which will enable students to better prepare for the future labour market and challenges of the 21st century. 30 tablets with keyboards, an interactive smart board, wireless network equipment and wheels for storage and recharging of the tablets will be available to students in class. All teachers and students will have access to Office 365 for schools, a set of useful tools intended for education sector free of charge for all teachers and students in Croatia including e-mail account with 50 GB storage per user, Lync software for communication, shared usage of files in OneDrive with 1 TB of storage per user, Office Online including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote via web browser, Teams, antispam and malware protection and community support by phone.
Among these tools it is worth underlining OneNote and Teams. OneNote is best described as a substitution for teachers and students’ notebooks which not only allows making notes by hand or via keyboard, but also offers a wide range of options available through different computer softwares. OneNote enables students to organize better, research and collaborate with each other. Cosidering that it supports viewing documents, pictures, diagrams, video and other formats, it allows teachers to create multimedia and interactive lessons. It is accessible from different computers, tablets and mobile phones.
„Digital transformation of companies creates preconditions for more effective economy and digital transformation of education prepares the young for the future. We are pleased to have taken part in this action, sixth in a row, with our partners, thus creating preconditions for yet another Croatian school for exceptional digital education. Investing in the knowledge of the young people is the best possible investment in the future”, said Tatjana Skoko, Director of Microsoft Croatia.
Teams is a tool that enables communication, collaboration, critical thinking and the development of skills. The communication in Teams allows students to collaborate with their peers irrespective of their location, communicate with the teachers or follow presentations by guest speakers in a safe environment.
Children in primary schools today are growing up with computers, smart phones, touchscreens and other technological wonders and they use them spontaneously since they have always been surrounded by them. For that reason they can easily accept and use them. The goal of the classroom of the future is to utilise the advantages of modern technology and promote interactive teaching where students and teachers can share teaching materials, test their knowledge, search for information and participate in different activities that foster critical thinking and research. Teachers can also profit by implementing modern tools in their teaching because they can easily share teaching materials with students via smart screen or directly to their tablets, they can have instant insight into student’s progress in class or activity and they can check their understanding through short quizzes, surveys or discussions.
„Almost 90 percent of modern jobs require a certain level of digital skills and competence and education is the key in preparation of the young for successful participation in the society and on the labour market. We are pleased to have the opportunity to ensure better working conditions for teachers with the support of Microsoft and to showcase the advantages of information-communication technologies in elevating the quality of education“, said Goran Kezunović, the CEO of CARNET.
„We are proud that primary school Rovišće is among the first schools in Croatia to be included in the smart classroom project. Both students and teachers have welcomed this project with joy. Our students inspire us with their curiosity and thirst for knowledge. We are grateful because we see great potential for raising the bar of excellence in the primary level education which will significantly help our students in their future secondary and university education. Teachers will create digital teaching content in cooperation with our partner companies and adapt them to Croatian education system and language. A big thank you to all who made this project possible“– said Blanka Klemić, the principle of primary school Rovišće.
Storm Computers, an experienced implementator of similar solutions, was responsible for the hardware in the classroom of the future. Storm Computers also provides additional support through teacher training courses.
