Laurel School District

The Challenge

Laurel School District (New Castle, PA) has the goal of “equipping students to become knowledgeable, responsible, and engaged contributors” to society. In order to do that, the district has strived to provide teachers and students with the material, resources, and tools needed to align itself with their district mission. They are a 1:1 district, working to provide each student a Chromebook with the understanding that the current generation of students are tech savvy digital natives who are quick to learn new tech features and tools.

In the early 2000s Laurel invested in traditional interactive whiteboards that were, at that time, state-of-the-art education technology. While having pockets of success throughout the district, overall use was not widespread. As time passed, the technology hadn’t changed and engagement with them was generally low for both teachers and students.

Robert Lee, Director of Administrative Services at Laurel SD, commented, “We wanted to infuse educational technology that allows our students to be active participants.”

Key Solution

Laurel SD decided to try the Boxlight ProColor, a cutting-edge 4K ultra-high-definition interactive flat panel display, to boost classroom engagement and collaboration. Besides being a cost-effective solution for the district, the ProColor panels lend themselves to improved class participation.

Lee remarked, “We found that the Boxlight flat panels have been a game-changer for us! They have led to increased student engagement and my staff loves them.”

Lee mentioned that the ProColor panels and the educational apps have been especially helpful with health and safety protocols in place such as physical distancing. He said, “The teachers that had them in their classrooms during the COVID-19 outbreak really benefitted from the functionality. This led to an environment where students were able to collaborate with each other and use the apps to demonstrate their understanding.”

The recent updates to the ProColor panels, including the MimioMarket store, has been met positively. Lee shared, “The additional features enhance the students’ learning experience. The integration of the Boxlight apps has been one of the things that my staff has appreciated the most.”

Benefits

As Laurel SD adjusts to new education technology, teachers who have the ProColor panels in their classrooms are enthusiastic about them and have integrated them successfully in their teaching. “The staff that have the flat panels in their classroom love them! In fact, I have had an outpouring of requests from the staff members that do not have one yet,” stated Lee.

But it’s not only the teachers who are eager to use the ProColor panels. “When I walk into a classroom, I see students engaged and manipulating the flat panel. The flat panels are like a big smartphone. The kids love using them!”

We are privileged to be part of Laurel School District’s continued commitment to providing their teachers and students with the educational tools necessary to engage in our ‘ever-changing global society.’ We will continue to follow their story!

Thank you to our Boxlight partner, TROX, for their continued partnership and support.

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Thank you to our Boxlight partner, TROX, for their continued partnership and support.