Miami-Dade To Give Teachers 18 Months of Interactive Whiteboard Training

Miami-Dade County Public Schools plans to implement interactive whiteboards in more than 10,000 classrooms and will provide teachers with an 18-month professional development program designed to help them integrate the technology into their classrooms effectively.

The district has selected ActivBoard Touch interactive whiteboards from Promethean, and the company will collaborate with the district to provide the customized professional development.

"The school district is doing more than just purchasing cutting edge technology," wrote Morten Brante, senior vice president, Services Division for Promethean, in an e-mail. "They want to ensure that the technology is properly used in the classroom to motivate their students and engage them in the curriculum. Most people will agree that without proper training an interactive whiteboard is just an expensive projector."

According to Brante, the district and Promethean together will invest in a dedicated full-time professional development team local to the Miami area. "This team will provide the school district with ongoing customized training and continuous education to ensure teaching is driving technology, not technology driving teaching," wrote Brante. "We go beyond training the educators on how to use the technology; we teach innovative techniques in how to incorporate the technology into the curriculum."

The ActivBoard Touch lets two people at a time write on the board using either the ActivPen stylus or a finger, so two students can work on the board simultaneously, or a teacher and student can work together. According to the company's site, the boards also include Promethean ActivInspire Professional Edition software, which lets teachers create interactive lessons for use on the whiteboard. Teachers can also search, view and download prepared lessons or other digital learning resources from Promethean Planet, the company's online repository containing more than 93,000 free teacher resources.

The district will begin installing the ActivBoards later this month and all of the boards are expected to be installed before the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • The AI Show

    Register for Free to Attend the World's Greatest Show for All Things AI in EDU

    The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, held April 5–7, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center, is a free event designed to help educators, students, and parents navigate AI's role in education. Featuring hands-on workshops, AI-powered networking, live demos from 125+ EdTech exhibitors, and keynote speakers like Colin Kaepernick and Stevie Van Zandt, the event offers practical insights into AI-driven teaching, learning, and career opportunities. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into classrooms while exploring innovations that promote equity, accessibility, and student success.

  • laptop displaying a red padlock icon sits on a wooden desk with a digital network interface background

    Reports Point to Domain Controllers as Prime Ransomware Targets

    A recent report from Microsoft reinforces warns of the critical role Active Directory (AD) domain controllers play in large-scale ransomware attacks, aligning with U.S. government advisories on the persistent threat of AD compromise.

  • laptop displaying a glowing digital brain and data charts sits on a metal shelf in a well-lit server room with organized network cables and active servers

    Cisco Unveils AI-First Approach to IT Operations

    At its recent Cisco Live 2025 event, Cisco introduced AgenticOps, a transformative approach to IT operations that integrates advanced AI capabilities to enhance efficiency and collaboration across network, security, and application domains.

  • educators seated at a table with a laptop and tablet, against a backdrop of muted geometric shapes

    HMH Forms Educator Council to Inform AI Tool Development

    Adaptive learning company HMH has established an AI Educator Council that brings together teachers, instructional coaches and leaders from school district across the country to help shape its AI solutions.