What is Iolaos ? For those who don’t already know, Iolaos is our educational software for Windows PCs. It provides the teaching community with a digital whiteboard for use in the classroom on a Speechi interactive display. Today we’re bringing you a brand new version that’s more modern, more practical and richer in tools that will be released shortly.
The mission of our education software: to pass on knowledge, time and time again!
Mythological interlude. Now that we’ve answered the question of what Iolaos is, let’s quickly answer the question « Who is Iolaos? ». Because this name didn’t just appear out of nowhere – it has a history that goes back centuries! Fans of Greek mythology will no doubt already be familiar with it, although this character keeps a low profile and exists only in the shadow of his hero: Iolaos is Heracles’ adventurous companion and was an invaluable support in the accomplishment of his 12 labours.
Its mission : to teach. We’ve chosen to keep the name of our first educational software for this new version because, although the software has undergone a profound transformation, its mission remains the same. Like Iolaos with Heracles, our whiteboard software still contributes in its own small way to the success of the teacher’s daily mission: to teach.
But how does Iolaos actually help the teacher? Let’s take a look at the 3 things that make Iolaos whiteboard software so useful in helping teachers to pass on knowledge.
The 3 advantages of IOLAOS: simple, creative and interactive educational software
Simplicity at every stage of the teacher’s work
Discover the software on your own and get to grips with it quickly. Fans of self-discovery, who only dip their toes into a user manual as a last resort, will be pleased. With Iolaos, you can take your first steps and discover the tools the software has to offer on your own. Any novice to whiteboard software will be able to grasp at a glance the organisation of the interface, the tools that will be indispensable and those that will inspire teaching scenarios.
As for the more methodical users, for whom a user manual is a must if you want to master every aspect of its functionality, rest assured that our team is preparing a detailed manual and tutorials.
Headache-free preparation of teaching resources. Design your lesson sessions and create your course materials on your PC with complete peace of mind:
- Customise the backgrounds of your slides: change the colour or insert a background image such as a map or lines of writing, etc.
- Prepare your texts: manage their font, style, size, layout and insert links.
- Integrate your multimedia resources: images, documents, videos.
- Anticipate how your students will interact with your course material: lock the elements that need to be locked on the slide so that you or your students don’t inadvertently disturb the layout.
A lesson on the interactive display with no false notes. When the time comes to use your lesson material on the interactive display in the classroom, there are no nasty surprises to anticipate! Using it on the interactive display is as easy for you and your students as preparing it on your PC. Interact with your finger or stylus, alone or with several people at the same time.
The teacher’s pedagogical creativity honoured
The Iolaos whiteboard provides teachers with an environment in which to express their teaching creativity. In addition to the precision of the layout and the multimedia aspect, the teacher can take advantage of :
- a limitless space called the infinite whiteboard, which allows the teacher to go well beyond the default borders of the slide and add content in length and height. It is the teacher who sets the limits for each slide.
- a myriad of tools, from utilities to games, to create original teaching scenarios.
- the ability to add animations to its content.
Interactivity to strengthen the educational bond with your students
Right from the start of the school year, an educational bond is forged between pupils and teachers, the quality of which can influence the learning climate and motivation. Iolaos educational software can be used on its own scale to maintain this bond, thanks to the fun, interactive tools it offers.
Fun, simple and effective tools. Reawakening students’ interest in a subject or wrapping up difficult learning with the sweetness of a game are all good reasons to use fun tools. The following are just some of the tools that encourage play:
- The « score » tool, which allows the teacher to divide the class into 2 teams and record the points won.
- Two tools that allow you to rely on chance are the dice shooter and the wheel of chance, for which the teacher can customise the fields.
- A timer or stopwatch for speed exercises.
- The puzzle that turns any picture into a puzzle. It’s an ideal little game for getting pupils to observe a work of art, for example..
Interactive tools for classes equipped with tablets. Thanks to the MCQ exercise or the free essay exercise, you can see at a glance on the interactive display the answers given by the pupils from their tablet or PC, assess their understanding and obtain valuable direct feedback to know whether the session has been successful or whether a remedial session is needed.
A licence valid for life !
There is no subscription fee for this educational software. Once purchased, Iolaos is yours for life! Two Iolaos licences are included in every OPS PC sold with an interactive display, but it is also sold as a stand-alone licence for €99 excluding VAT, so that teachers can install it on their personal PC and prepare their resources.