Interactive 101: What Exactly Is an Interactive Display (and Why It’s About to Become Your Favourite Teaching Tool)

By Natalie Tubman — Head of Customer (NZ), CommBox

Kia ora and welcome to the first in a weekly series where we’ll unpack the world of interactive classroom technology, in plain English, one piece at a time.If you’ve ever stood in front of your class thinking “I have no idea how to use that big fancy screen on the wall” you’re in the right place.

Each week, I’ll cover one practical topic to help you understand, set up, and confidently use interactive displays in your teaching. By the end of this series, you’ll not only know what these screens can do, you’ll be using them to make lessons more dynamic, inclusive, and fun.

So… what is an interactive display, really?

At its core, an interactive display is a giant touchscreen designed for teaching and collaboration. Think of it like a whiteboard, a TV, and a computer all rolled into one. You can write directly on the screen, move content around with your hands, and share what’s on your laptop or student devices in seconds.

There are two types in the CommBox family that I’ll often refer to:

• The CommBox Classic S5 – our flagship interactive display that includes everything built-in: whiteboarding, wireless screen sharing, and even an AI teaching toolkit.

• The CommBox Neo – a simpler, non-OS screen designed for maximum security and ease of use. It still gives you whiteboarding, annotation, and screensharing but without a full operating system to manage.

Both are 4K ultra-high definition, have anti-glare tempered glass, and are built tough for classrooms, meaning they can handle constant use, accidental knocks, and sticky fingers.

Why teachers love them (once they start using them)

When teachers first switch from a projector or TV to an interactive display, the change can feel subtle but over time, it transforms how lessons flow.

1. No more waiting for things to load or “connect”Everything is at your fingertips. Open a whiteboard instantly, write, save, and share. On the Classic S5, you can jump into teaching in seconds without touching your laptop.

2. Students get more involvedInteractive displays support up to 50 touch points, meaning multiple students can write, draw, or move things on the screen at once. Great for brainstorming, problem-solving, and games.

3. It makes lessons more visualWhether you’re teaching fractions, ecosystems, or historical events, being able to pull up a diagram, annotate it, and save your notes makes content stick.

4. It’s flexibleUse it as a digital whiteboard, a big display for your slides, a shared screen for student work, or even a window into your virtual excursions.
   

What makes CommBox unique

CommBox displays are designed specifically for Australian and New Zealand classrooms, not just generic corporate screens.That means fonts that match school handwriting standards, whiteboard backgrounds with handwriting lines, music staves, and keyboard layouts, and simple, classroom-ready tools like spinners, scoreboards, and sticky notes.

If you’re using the CommBox Classic S5, the newest “Goanna” release adds some genuinely exciting features:

• CommBox AutoFill: Fast, PIN-protected sign-in to Google or Microsoft without typing passwords on shared screens.

• Primary User Mode: Stay securely signed in on your classroom board, it locks automatically when you leave.

• AI Teaching Tools: Ask questions, generate visuals, create quizzes, and translate subtitles in real time.

• Whiteboard Enhancements: Custom AU/NZ fonts, line guides, and easy import from the Posters app (think months of the year, colour mixing, core boards).
  

Why the Neo exists, simplicity first

If all that sounds like too much, the CommBox Neo is the “just teach” version of interactive. It’s non-OS, meaning there’s no Android or apps to manage.You simply plug in your laptop (or connect wirelessly), use whiteboarding, annotation, and screensharing, and go.

This is perfect for:

• Schools with strict IT security requirements.

• Teachers who prefer to control lessons entirely from their own device.

• Shared classrooms where you need to walk in, plug in, and start.
  

Coming up next week

Next week’s article, “Setting Up for Success”, will cover how to position your screen, what cables and connections you actually need, and the three easiest routines to start using your interactive display effectively from day one.

Interactive displays aren’t about adding more tech, they’re about making teaching easier, faster, and more engaging.If you can write on a whiteboard, you can teach on an interactive display. The difference is, this one saves your notes, shares them, and lets your students join in.