As his students work collectively in their groups, history teacher Matthew Place observes as they use the new monitors and chromebooks to complete a project that he has given them.

“With the new audio and visual technology in our high school classrooms, including Mr. Place’s room,” Superintendent Adam Hartley said. “Our students will be able to hear and see content much better than with the old equipment. Aside from the benefit of having new state of the art technology for seeing and hearing content within the classroom, the technology will also make it easier for teachers to enhance lesson content by integrating a wide range of material (video, images, text, touch screens, etc). The technology will allow teachers to create customized learning content and allow students to collaborate more effectively and efficiently.”

While many students are enjoying the benefits to the new technology, some are not familiar with how the school acquired it.

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PHOTO Maya Mead

Working collectively in their pods, freshman Hunter Wheeler, Lucas Shelton, Amir Bohdjelian, Jalen Plumbly along with other classmates use the new technology bought with the bond.

“In 2014 our community passed a bond that is to be used for instructional technology, buses, and a few other specific items,” Hartley said. “Phase 1 of the bond began in 2015 and we did a great job with the bidding process and budgeting to match our priorities. We have funds left over from Phase 1 to install new A/V technology in 20 classrooms in the high school and eventually AGS and our K-5 buildings. These pilot rooms will give us an opportunity to gain feedback from staff and students before we update all of our classrooms district-wide next summer during the Phase 2 implementation cycle.”

Getting new technology from the bond also requires critiquing the material that is being taught so that the technology may be used to help students reach their greatest learning potential.

“With the new technology, we are currently modifying the curriculum,” Place said. “There are some new terms, one is called ‘mastery’, it’s project based learning, in the sense that students will be given a project and then they work together to master it. The idea is to get the teacher out of the front of the room, to stop the lectures and the whole way of teaching with the teacher in the front of the classroom.