THE MARK HIGHLIGHTS, NOVEMBER 2020
UPGRADED TEACHING PACKAGE FOR EACH CLASSROOM, AT EVERY SCHOOL
teacher mobility, technology dependability, and classroom consistency is crucial for student success.
MUSD has spent $17 million in dedicated funds for learning loss mitigation for students and staff. Apart from the PPE, facility modifications, instructional materials, professional development, and site mitigations, the District invested in an upgraded technology teaching package for every classroom. “This package is intended to enhance the learning and teaching environment,” stated Josh Bowers, Information Technology Support Analyst. “It gives teachers the ability to be mobile when they need to be mobile, and stationary when they need to be stationary.”
The upgraded package came as a recommendation from the MUSD Teacher ACCESS group. ACCESS is an acronym for— Academic Conversations Centered on Educators and Student Standards. And is comprised of educators of varying grade spans, administrators, and key personnel from integral departments.
Upgraded teaching bundles include: Two 22" Monitors Docking Station Soundbar Keyboard & mouse Surge protector Logitech webcam Tabletop tripod
The large dual monitors allow the teacher to view the entire class on one screen while viewing teaching materials on the other. The webcam and tripod make for a high-definition picture while the soundbar increases sound decibels. The docking station solution enables the teacher to connect and disconnect their laptop to the classroom setup as needed. “This had made teaching on the hybrid model so much easier,” shared Jody Beaty, Weston Ranch High School teacher. “It even gives me the ability to use my TV as a third screen to present to in-person students and share with online students. The docking station has more ports, which allows me to have all my tech connected and my storage drive with all my teaching materials." The technology bundles are specific to the classroom, not to the teacher. If teachers move rooms or even schools, the setup is designed for teachers to easily connect to any docking station and seamlessly employ their daily lesson plan. Bowers explained that the upgrade took place in phases with the help of school site technology support specialists.
Beginning in September, the first phase was to deliver the tech package to each teacher and every school site, directly to the teacher classroom. In the second phase, IT upgraded the RAM (GB) on newer teacher Dell laptops. And in the third phase, IT will replace entirely aging Dell laptops with a new device equipped with increased RAM. Increasing the RAM on existing devices improves the teacher’s ability to multitask, running many programs simultaneously. For example, running Microsoft Teams (the online classroom platform), a PowerPoint presentation, and Q gradebook all at once. “We’ve received much positive feedback on the upgraded teaching packages,” stated Bowers. “The increased RAM in every Dell laptop has seemed to really help. It allows Teams [student and teacher live interaction] to function much smoother.” It is notable that this solution has also solved for many IT help desk tickets— teachers requesting ‘help’ with their hardware or software. In a school year where MUSD has implemented a hybrid learning model, both in-person and distance learning, teacher mobility, technology dependability, and classroom consistency is crucial for student success.
If teachers move rooms or even schools, the setup is designed for teachers to easily connect to any docking station and seamlessly employ their daily lesson plan.
