Interactive white boards are used in many schools, eliminating the traditional chalk or white board.  Teachers and students can create, record, and review content with the touch of a finger or special pen. One Smart Interactive whiteboard is located in each school.  One kindergarten teacher is a regular user of the Smart technology.  “Using the Smartboard with my kindergarten students has engaged students.  The Smartboard is just like a computer screen, only it is projected onto a whiteboard that responds to touch, just as it would respond to the mouse of the computer.  I have students who are not at all eager to participate in the classroom using traditional methods, but are enthusiastic and eager to participate using the Smartboard,” she said.

A new Smartboard was installed in the Yearbook/German classroom at the high school as part of the Flip the Classroom competition won by teachers Kathryn Orth and Janet Miller.  A set of Senteo student response devices was donated to the high school by Region 8 Teacher of the Year Wanda Bass, and Orth and Miller are excited about incorporating these devices into their instruction.

More recently, after “test driving” two Promethean interactive whiteboards in the middle and high schools in the spring, the division has purchased boards for math and science classes in each school—nine in the middle school and eight in the high school. The elementary school will have ten Promethean boards for use by all fourth grade teachers. Promethean developer markets its product as total classroom solution designed by teachers, for teachers. Teachers can create their own lessons using the Promethean software or use over 5000 lesson resources already available from the Promethean website to make science and math lessons more interesting, engaging, real-life like, and interactive for students.  Other equipment purchased include additional student response devices and the Activslate, a wireless, fully integrated mini-board, small enough for teachers to bring prepared material to the classroom, to sit it on a desk, or to move around the classroom.

“I am so excited to have this technology in our schools,” said Instructional Technology Resource Teacher Mary Beth Blessing.  “We are lucky to have a superintendent, director, and school board who support innovations that cannot only be beneficial to teaching and learning, but can be lots of fun for teachers and students to use.  Interactive white boards and student response devices encourage student participation and provide immediate feedback to teachers regarding student knowledge.”

The ITRT team and classroom teachers carefully scrutinize new technologies to ensure their best use. The ITRT positions were mandated by the Virginia Standards of Quality three years ago to support teachers in the integration of technology in the classrooms.  ITRTs are licensed teachers, often with advanced degrees and technology expertise, who provide on-demand classroom assistance and professional development in new technology, software, and web-based programs for teachers and staff throughout the division.

Today’s students are often dubbed “digital natives,” as they have never known life without technology.  Prince Edward County Public Schools are dedicated to providing opportunities for students to utilize technologies in learning and is equipping teachers with tools to meet the diverse needs of the school population.