SMART products increase student engagement in Pinellas County Schools
CALGARY, Alberta – May 25, 2010 – SMART Technologies announces that Pinellas County Schools (PCS) in Largo, Florida, is installing 300 SMART Board™ interactive whiteboards in classrooms throughout the district. PCS has approximately 2,000 SMART Board interactive whiteboards installed to date, which were paid for through fundraising initiatives, external community grants, construction funds and Title I funds. A four-year district initiative launched in the beginning of 2010 will see the 300 additional interactive whiteboards introduced to classrooms in every grade level from prekindergarten to 12th grade. In addition to SMART Board interactive whiteboards, PCS has SMART Slate™ wireless slates, SMART Response™ interactive response systems, SMART Audio™ classroom amplification systems and SMART Table™ interactive learning centers installed in classrooms throughout the district. According to PCS educators, using lesson activities created with SMART Notebook™ collaborative learning software has led to increased student engagement. Educators cited this increased engagement, ease of use, and interoperability as reasons for continuing to choose SMART.
Pinellas County Schools first introduced SMART Board interactive whiteboards to their classrooms in 2003. Since then, SMART products have been installed in many different types of classrooms, from music and art to automotive. Following the introduction of SMART Board interactive whiteboards, teachers witnessed a significant increase in student engagement, participation and attentiveness. According to PCS officials, students are excited to use the interactive whiteboard when completing lesson activities on their own and in groups. Since 2003, interest in incorporating SMART Board interactive whiteboards and other SMART products into PCS classrooms has continued to grow. Recently, more than 600 PCS teachers applied for a district-organized, three-day training session for the SMART Board interactive whiteboard.
“There are a number of reasons why the SMART Board is so popular in Pinellas – the ease of use, SMART Notebook software’s compatibility with our online classroom tools, how well they work together, and the wealth of interactive material that comes with it,” says John Just, Assistant Superintendant and Manager of Information Systems at Pinellas County Schools. “It’s great to see students engaged, whether a teacher is presenting using the SMART Board, or the students are taking turns using it – it makes the classroom so much more interactive.”
“Educators at Pinellas County Schools clearly recognize the value of integrating technology products into 21st-century teaching and learning,” says Nancy Knowlton, SMART’s CEO. “The district’s widespread adoption of SMART products demonstrates their commitment to providing learners with tools that are relevant and engaging, and that support their success today.”
About Pinellas County Schools
With more than 100,000 students, 8,000 teachers and 100 schools, Pinellas County Schools is the seventh largest district in Florida and twenty-fifth largest school district in the United States. All Pinellas County high schools and postsecondary centers are members of, and accredited by, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information on PCS, see pinellas.k12.fl.us.
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