San Francisco and Tampa Districts Deploying Hundreds of Whiteboards
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San Francisco's Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD), Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District (FSUSD, Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD), and several other Bay Area districts, along with Tampa, FL's Alachua County Public Schools, have deployed several hundred Smart Technologies Smart Board interactive whiteboards in classrooms.
Using the white boards, which combine a large touch screen connected to a computer and digital projector, teachers control and display software and multimedia to classes and can write over applications using digital ink. Teachers can then print their notes or save or post them for future reference or discussion.
SUHSD, which comprises five high schools, an adult school, and a summer school, has installed more than 100 to date; FSUSD, which consists of five high schools, five middle schools, 17 elementary schools, and an adult school, has more than 250; and PAUSD, which covers two high schools, three middle schools, 12 elementary schools, and an adult school, now has 30 deployed. The most widely deployed Smart Board at the San Francisco schools is the 600i interactive whiteboard system, which includes a Smart Board interactive whiteboard and a built-in projector and an audio system.
Also, earlier this month, Tampa's Alachua County Public Schools worked with audiovisual and presentation provider Audio Visual Innovations to deploy more than 300 whitboards within the district and train its 2,400 teachers. Teachers at Alachua County's 41 schools and six charter schools will also use Smart Board software that includes hundreds of interactive lesson activities, more than 6,000 learning objects, and links to various tutorials.
Other Florida districts to deploy classroom whiteboards include Escambia, Hillsborough, Hendry, Highlands, Holmes, Lee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Union counties.
The California and Florida districts cited increased student engagement as the impetus for the continued installations.
"We knew we had an effective piece of technology when kids would come during lunch and on their break period to see what was going on in the classes with the Smart Board interactive whiteboards," said Rick Stevens, coordinator, FSUSD's educational technology and independent study, in a prepared statement. "It caught on like wildfire -- soon the English, math and ESL classes all wanted Smart Board interactive whiteboards."
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About the author: David Kopf is a freelance technology writer and editor, and can be reached at [email protected].Proposals for articles and tips for news stories, as well as questions and comments about this publication, should be submitted to David Nagel, executive editor, at [email protected].
About the Author
David Kopf is a freelance technology writer and marketing consultant, and can be reached at [email protected].