Dr. Andrew Taylor, Director of Technology and Professional Development, introduced teachers and staff to the ViewSonic platform, a technological system established to help with synchronous and blended learning throughout the District. The technology enables teachers to develop interactive lessons with students in the room, in another room, or at home (for secondary students).
Mr. Andriello teaches his students in the classroom and at home simultaneously.
“There was a need for a ‘command center’ where a teacher could reach students remotely from their homes or down the hall,” said Dr. Taylor. “ViewSonic incorporates a document camera and a laptop to provide a productive teaching environment.” The set-up becomes an interactive display, so students can follow along on their computer screens and listen to real-time audio. They can see everything in the classroom, hear what their teacher and classmates say, and actively participate and collaborate from different locations.
“I have found the ViewSonic to be extremely helpful with my management of the hybrid synchronous teaching model, said Steve Borneman, Byram Hills High School science teacher. “It allows me to see my students at home and in class and simultaneously engage in a lesson.” In chemistry classrooms, cameras can be pointed downward, directly into beakers and test tubes, providing incredibly close views of experiments. “In one class, the camera showed that when baking soda and vinegar combine, bonds are broken, and new bonds are formed,” said Mr. Borneman. “This was apparent in the visible carbon dioxide which created a white bubbling foam that all students viewed up close, thanks to ViewSonic.”
The Technology Department trained teachers to become proficient with this new technology tool. It allows elementary teachers to maximize their time with students. Teachers can facilitate art projects, read poems, and even solve math problems all from a desktop in one room, while students in a different classroom participate concurrently.
“Using a Google Meet and ViewSonic, we can observe the students in another room while manipulating the digital presentation in real-time,” said Mary Beth Devery, Coman Hill kindergarten teacher. “Through Wonders lessons, we can read interactive stories, use the drawing tools to highlight, circle, or find words, and model letter formations.” The system can simply display their daily schedule or play a video so the integrated class can view and respond to the material together.
“ViewSonic started as an idea, and just one unit was purchased to pilot internally,” Dr. Taylor explained. “We realized that this was a unique tool but were not sure how to get it in every teacher’s hands.” The Byram Hills Education Foundation saw the value and fully supported a grant for which the District is grateful.
“Our goal for technology is to provide teachers and students the tools they need to grasp content and support student learning,” said Andrew Taylor. “Teachers are masters at what they do, and technology can and should support the master teachers.” Dr. Taylor continued, “Technology and distance became an obstacle, and as a technology director, I wanted to remove those obstacles for teachers.” ViewSonic is an excellent teaching tool in the current learning environment and will help transition to fully remote learning if that should become necessary in the future.