New interactive screens installed over the summer are replacing outdated liquid-crystal display (LCD) projectors in many classrooms to improve functionality and reduce costs.
The math, social studies, world language departments and a few teachers from other departments have been equipped with interactive screens from the company Newline, due to a lack of funding for all departments to receive them, with the rest of the departments soon to follow. From an initial budget of $180,000, 62 screens were purchased. The school’s goal is to have a second wave of screens installed in the spring or summer of next year.
“Ideally, by the start of next year, every academic classroom at Algonquin will have [the screens], or at least over the course of a three-year plan,” Instructional Technology Specialist Brian Calnan said.
A major reason for this technology update is that many of the school’s LCD projectors were installed 20 years ago and are reaching their end of life, while also becoming obsolete and expensive to replace. The budget for each room including installation costs was approximately $3,000, whereas the price to outfit a room with a projector or an interactive display was similar. As such, the interactive screens with additional benefits were chosen.
“We’re replacing aging technology that doesn’t have a lot of features with cheaper, new technology that has a lot of new features,” Principal Sean Bevan said. “There’s an excitement around the whole building for everyone who’s receiving them.”
The screens were deployed on a mostly departmental basis, allowing teachers to undergo training together.
“We wanted to make sure members of the same department can connect with each other, troubleshoot, share ideas and develop their skills at the same time, the goal being this gives a better and more equitable education to all students in one department,” Calnan said.
Teachers’ training involved an employee from Newline who trained early adopters over Zoom in the summer. The Newline employee also came in person for three days before school started and instructed teachers in groups of 30-35 on the screens’ features. Teachers were also given a start-up guide and other resources for help and time to experiment.
“It was essential,” English teacher Sara Stein said. “I feel like we did have enough training to start using it, maybe not using it gracefully, but using it well enough. As we add new technology or approaches, this is a key component.”
The process of using these new interactive boards has certainly been a learning experience for teachers, but many are looking forward to being able to use them with ease.
“I think it’s a great piece of technology,” Math Department Chair Patrick Galvin said. “With that said, with any new technology, there are hiccups and bumps that come along. It’s just working through that to be able to use the technology efficiently and effectively.”
Some of the new techniques and features that teachers are experimenting with include interactive features, such as a whiteboard. Many teachers also find it more convenient than LCD projectors, as Canvas, Google Drive and other useful tools are built in, in addition to improved interactivity for students.
“I find I’m still learning every time I use it, and I’m still learning on the go,” Spanish teacher Agustina Harmon said. “But the interactive screens seem to help students, and the sound from the screen is much better than before, which is nice.”
Sophomore Kallie Zhong shares this sentiment, but for varying reasons.
“I like how [the interactive screens] have so many options, like different pens and fun colors,” Zhong said. “I find myself more motivated to do schoolwork since the board is more visually appealing.”
However, privacy struggles have made it challenging for teachers to utilize the screens to their fullest extent, with there being the risk of exposing certain confidential documents
“Sometimes when you want to open an application to get a file, people can see what you have opened recently,” Stein said. “For the most part, that is not really a problem, but I think you have to be careful. It could be somebody’s IEP or just a document that shouldn’t be public. I just feel that it’s a bit intrusive.”
Teachers’ inexperience with the screen has begun to interfere with student learning, although sophomore Mina Todorovic is hopeful for the future.
“I think [teachers’] unfamiliarity with the screens turned a positive to a negative, affecting the learning experience,” Todorovic said. “But, they seem to connect to Wi-Fi better and are faster. As long as teachers learn how to use the screens, they will be more productive for the learning environment.”
Teachers and students may experience some growing pains as teachers continue to learn and experiment with new ways to incorporate the interactive screens into their lessons.
“I admire that our teachers have rolled up their sleeves and tried out this new thing,” Bevan said. “It’s always a challenge to try out something new, and it pushes people outside of their comfort zone.”
