Promethean: Charting The Course

Sherwin Collette
Chief Technology Officer: Montgomery County Public Schools
Activclassrooms: 1,245+ Teachers: 11,486; Students: 137,745; Schools: 200;
Free and reduced Lunch: 25% 

A social nework for their district (parents, students, teachers)

Professional Development very important – not just tips and tricks.

Focus on the fundamental change in the way teachers teach.

Built Professional development program designed to get teachers using the technology as quickly as possible.
Focusing on Student centered learning (inquiry based)
Focusing on the culture not the technology.
Budgetary Dance, rooted in Digitizing classrooms.

“Interactive classrooms are central to our vision”

District/building leadership have to demonstrate the use of them in their practices. Complete buy-in at all levels. When you see it in action, when you see the impact on students and how it’s changing instruction, that when it’s successful. Teacher inspired student centered learning.

 

Mike Horan: Director of Instructional Technology, Sarasota County Schools
Active Classrooms 3,000; Teachers: 3,055; Students: 42,045; Schools: 40;
% Free & Reduced Lunch 36%

1 week of getting your board you would have hands on training with a follow up training 3 weeks later. (paid each teacher for 30 hrs of staff develompment, most choose to do it with the active board)
Modeling in all training environments – expectations of teachers and administrators to use effective teaching techniques with the technology on all occasions.

3 Days: 750 flipcharts created and shared with colleagues.

Must centralize funding to make it happen as a district initiative.  Listen to and implement what teachers are asking for.

1. Laptop on a 4 year refresher
2. Projector
3. Document Scanners 

“‘Brick walls are not made to keep people out, they are made to see how badly you want something’…the same situation applies to implementation of IWB’s”

Have to get teachers to buy in and take strong ownership and get teachers involved as it is a considerable expense. 

Jill Hobson, Director of Instructional Technology, Forsyth County Schools GA 
Activclassrooms: 2,400+ Teachers: 3,500; Students: 30,000+; Schools: 30; 
Free and reduced Lunch: 25% 

Demonstrated children using promethean boards at parent nights, BOE nights, etc. (Also, not used as the focus, but as a tool in regular context) -Builds support and enthusiasm

Had all stakeholders involved in Decision making process

Kid help teachers because it is now so pervasive seemless integration.

“buy it and they will come”
“Bad implementations in classrooms had more to do with bad pedagogy in basic teaching” – Jeff McCoy 

Jeff McCoy, Director, Office of Instructional TEchnology, Greenville County Schools, SC
Activclassrooms: 2,400+; Teachers: 3,500; Students: 30,000, Schools: 30
% Free and reduced lunch: 2nd lowest in GA 

“All stakeholders will tell you it improves student engagement.  Now looking at how it changed student achievemnet after 3-5 years after deployment”

“Key Selling Point was instant assessment (activote, activexpression)- Derek McManus, NY STATE Architect.

 ”Not only engaging for students but it’s also engaging for teachers” – Jill Hobson