The doors to the new building were opened in April this year and the pupils were amazed. The modern architecture, the light-flooded rooms and the innovative equipment do not make learning easier, but they do make it more enjoyable. All classrooms are equipped with Kindermann touch displays, making lessons interactive and lively.
With over 25,000 inhabitants, Öhringen is the largest town in the Hohenlohe district, the most secret metropolitan region ever, the land of "castles and palaces" and "screws and fans", as the town describes itself. Now you can add "and education". The foundation stone for the new learning center was laid in April 2021. The new building is the centerpiece and the first part of the project; the two neighboring existing buildings are currently being renovated and then connected. With an investment of around 50 million, this is one of the largest construction projects in the city. The general secondary school with a science and language profile offers space for more than 1,200 pupils and employs around 100 teachers.
Innovative architecture promotes modern pedagogy
The bright foyer with the spacious assembly hall already suggests that architects who know their trade were at work here. 24 classrooms and four team rooms are divided up over four floors according to year group and arranged around an atrium and a roof terrace. The glass walls create an open, light-flooded atmosphere.
"From the very beginning, it was important to me that we wanted to turn a corridor school into a learning center with the new building. The innovative architecture has a positive effect on pupils and teachers, learning methods and teamwork. I am very proud that the new concept is already proving successful and is a great enrichment for teaching and learning,
Frank Schuhmacher, Headmaster of Hohenlohe-Gymnasium Öhringen (HGÖ).
Of course, modern pedagogy also includes the appropriate media technology equipment in the classrooms. The town of Öhringen, which was responsible for the tender and awarding of the contract, worked closely with the HGÖ. A committee of HGÖ teachers tested a whole range of touch displays in advance, including for intuitive operation, natural writing feel and the ability to easily mirror content from the tablet wirelessly. This made it possible to specify the requirements for the tender by the city of Öhringen.
The contract was awarded to Lambert Ilsfeld GmbH, a specialist in presentation and media technology, which has developed Kindermann touch displays and the manually height-adjustable DisplayShift2 Wings entered the race with winged boards. Kindermann GmbH from Eibelstadt near Würzburg has a long history in the education sector, and some of you will no doubt remember the overhead projectors.
A particular focus was placed on individual use
Every teacher has their own teaching methods and preferences, which were also taken into account when designing the equipment. Whether they work directly on the display, on the tablet, which is mirrored, or prefer to take notes on the whiteboards - all options have been taken into account.
Each classroom has an 86-inch Kindermann touch display with 4K UHD resolution and 40 touch points. Thanks to Zero Gap technology, there is no empty space between the touch and LCD panel, which reduces optical refraction and thus optimizes readability, contrast and accuracy of touch input. This makes writing on the interactive screen feel completely natural. The user interface was developed by Kindermann and can be operated intuitively without the need for training. Each display is equipped with an OPC PC on which the IServ school platform is available.
"We were delighted to receive the order because we have decades of experience in equipping educational institutions and know what is important. Just like our supplier Kindermann, who we can always rely on".
Jochen Lambert, Managing Director of Lambert Ilsfeld GmbH.
The HGÖ provides students with 60 notebooks and 60 tablets for interactive lessons. All devices are integrated into the network and content can be mirrored wirelessly onto the large display. The touch displays with integrated screen sharing function support the display of four screen contents simultaneously.
The invisible DisplayShift2 Wings wall mount from Kindermann is also noteworthy. With the infinitely variable height adjustment, neither cables nor a wall guide are visible. The unique spring tension mechanism designed by Kindermann prevents the spring from stretching. Once set, no "readjustment" is necessary for years. Easy installation was also taken into consideration during development. DisplayShift2 is supplied largely pre-assembled and weighs less than the pylon. The two wing panels on the side give you the freedom to make quick notes.
"We prepared very well and took our colleagues on the journey to digital teaching right from the start. This has paid off, everyone is very satisfied and coping well. What we have achieved is that the system adapts to the teachers and the lessons and not the other way around," says Rainer Dörfler, teacher and IT manager at HGÖ.
In the fall of 2024, the large Meeting space was upgraded to a video conference room. The professional equipment now also enables international exchanges with friendly schools, for example in China. In addition, around 30 touch displays are still waiting to be installed in the other two buildings.
