Teaching Together: Collaboration in Action
- bsapsford6
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
By Natalie Tubman, CommBox Head of Customer (NZ)
Welcome to Week 3 of our Collaboration Enabled Classrooms series. In Week 1, we introduced interactive displays and how they support daily teaching. In Week 2, we looked at practical setup and routines to help you get started. This week, we turn to one of the most powerful parts of having an interactive display in your classroom. True collaboration.
Collaboration is more than students working side by side. It is the ability to think together, build on each other’s ideas and make learning visible. Interactive displays give teachers and learners a shared space where this can happen naturally.
Why collaboration belongs at the centre of learning
Students learn best when they are active participants. When they can test ideas, respond to peers and see thinking unfold in real time, engagement and understanding increase. A digital surface that allows multiple students to contribute at once creates opportunities that traditional whiteboards cannot.
The goal is not to add complexity. It is to give learners a shared tool that supports discussion, creativity and problem solving.
Group activities that use the screen as a shared workspace
Interactive displays allow several students to work together at the screen using multi touch input. CommBox displays support up to 40 touch points, which means groups can write, sort and annotate at the same time without interruption.
Here are some routines that build teamwork.
Concept mappingStudents add key ideas to the board, draw connections and refine the map as a group. The Whiteboard backgrounds on the S5 include handwriting lines and grid options which help structure these tasks.
Group problem solvingSplit the board into zones and have each group solve a different part of the problem. When finished, the class brings the pieces together and reviews the full solution.
BrainstormingStudents generate ideas using different colours. Because the board captures every contribution, no idea gets lost.
These activities work equally well on the Classic S5 and the Neo. The Neo provides immediate access to whiteboarding and annotation, which keeps the focus on the learning rather than the technology.
Student presentations that build confidence
Interactive displays help students present their thinking clearly. They can share from their own device or present directly on the screen. The Classic S5 enables wireless sharing through CommBox Connect, allowing students to cast their work without cables.
Once the work is on the screen, students can zoom in, highlight key points or explain steps. This supports verbal communication skills and encourages reflective thinking. Students also take greater ownership of their learning when they can share it in a professional format.
Peer feedback becomes easier as well. Students can annotate, suggest edits or ask questions directly on the display.
Using digital whiteboarding to support teamwork
The Whiteboard app on the Classic S5 gives teachers a flexible space for collaborative planning and discussion. With the Goanna release, teachers can import resources from the CommBox Posters app and use classroom specific tools such as handwriting backgrounds, music staves and keyboard layouts.
Some useful routines include
co constructing success criteria as a class
analysing a text together by marking up language features
exploring mathematical reasoning through step by step annotations
rotating groups through stations where each group adds to a growing class brainstorm
Saving the board at the end of a lesson allows students to revisit the thinking and reflect on their contributions. The S5 allows saving directly to connected cloud drives through OS Accounts.
Collaboration in hybrid or BYOD settings
Even when students are not physically at the board, interactive displays support group work. Wireless screen sharing on the S5 means small groups can work from their seats and display their progress when ready.
The Neo supports collaboration in a different way. Students connect their own devices through USB C or HDMI and take turns contributing through the screen. Its non OS design keeps the focus on learning and simplifies the process for classes that rely heavily on their own devices.
Bringing it all together
The key to collaboration is accessibility. Students should feel confident approaching the display, contributing ideas and learning from each other. The interactive display becomes a shared workspace where thinking is visible and participation is encouraged.
Collaboration Enabled Classrooms are built on simple routines that grow over time. Start with shared whiteboarding. Add group problem solving. Invite students to present their work. Each step builds stronger collaboration habits.
Next week
In Week 4, we will explore how interactive displays support accessibility and inclusion so that every learner can participate fully in classroom activities.