Mount Richmond School, Auckland, New Zealand

Mount Richmond School, located in Otahuhu, Auckland, specializes in teaching 5 to 21 year olds with special education needs. The majority of these students have varying degrees of autism or developmental delays, which effect their communication, comprehension, self-control and language ability. At present the school operates four satellite classes outside its main campus in Otahuhu, and plans to open more in the near future.

Special education students need dedicated, specially trained teachers and social workers who can create an engaging learning environment that meets students’ unique needs. Mount Richmond School strives to maintain a high staff-to-student ratio, ensuring that each student receives plenty of individual attention and support. Because studies have shown that most developmentally delayed students are visual learners and absorb more information when content is presented visually, teachers continuously seek to use modern ICT tools to motivate and engage students and enhance learning.

Ellie Sang, a teacher at one of Mount Richmond School’s satellite class in the suburb of Flatbush, has incorporated AVer’s F50 flexible arm visualizer into her daily lessons. For example, during reading and comprehension exercises she uses the visualizer to display books with simple reading passages and lots of illustrations onto a large screen in the center of the classroom, allowing all her students to see clearly. Students can also get a closer look at smaller objects than would otherwise be possible. The F50’s clear, brilliant full HD resolution helps Mrs. Sang capture her students’ attention immediately.

Teachers at the Mount Richmond School also use the visualizer to record high quality images that can be used as class materials later, and to better observe students’ habits and social skills during class. Since students with developmental delays often have limited self-control, teachers conduct a variety of exercises to help them develop self-control abilities. For example, students are required to stand inside hoops and stay in their own personal boundaries while teachers blow bubbles in the air and play music. However, teachers sometimes find it difficult to monitor every student during these activities. The F50 helps by recording entire lessons, allowing teachers to carefully examine how each student interacts with the others, and keep track of each student’s progress. Furthermore, they can review the videos with coworkers to discuss ways to improve lessons.

In short, the F50 visualizer has become an essential teaching tool in Mount Richmond School, helping increase student attentiveness and making learning more enjoyable for everyone.

AVer would like to thank Mount Richmond School for providing this case study.