Media Contact: Lindsey Goudreau, Marketing Communications Specialist (207) 443-8330 | lgoudreau@cityofbath.com
Bath, ME (March 22, 2021) – How did teachers share material with your class when you were in school? On a blackboard? Dry erase board? Maybe you had an ELMO overhead projector and transparency sheets. Well, teachers in RSU1 have access to a new tool that’s fit for the Information Age: the Promethean Board.
Promethean Boards are interactive display panels designed for educators and professionals. They look like a large screen TV and function like a smartphone, complete with downloadable apps and touchscreen technology.
“The district was looking for a product that was interactive, had high resolution, was large enough to see easily from anywhere in the classroom, offered good sound, and worked independently of teachers’ laptops,” said RSU1 Technology Director Sean Emmerson. “The Promethean ticked all the boxes.”
After installing the boards (purchased with federal funds) in classrooms at the new Morse High School and Bath Tech building, the district is now piloting the Prometheans in a few classrooms at each school to learn how they can be used at different grade levels.
Woolwich Central School received five boards and began training teachers in early March. First grade teacher Mary Ellen Morin said boards were an instant success with her students.
“I anticipate using this board to keep kids excited and focused during lessons. With this generation's obsessive focus on anything with a screen, this Promethean Board is such a catch for them,” she said. “It is basically a giant iPad and they chomp at the bit to be able to use it.”
Students interact with the board using a stylus which is cleaned between every use. In Sarah Sample’s kindergarten class, students recently used the board to practice their spelling before a quiz. Sample was able to move quickly between workbook pages to make the most of class time.
“After 32 years in education I have found that I’ve overcome a lot of phobias and unease about all of the technology we (as teachers and humans) have had to embrace,” said Sample. “The same way building social skills, love of the outdoors, and the Pledge of Allegiance are held dear in my classroom, so are interacting, solving problems, and showing their learning through many avenues, including technology.”
Besides the boards at the high school and WCS, there are five boards at Bath Middle School, four at Dike-Newell School and Fisher Mitchell School, and three at Phippsburg Elementary School. Both Morin and Sample are looking forward to further exploration of Promethean’s capabilities.
“Everything about my Promethean Board excites me!” Sample said. “It has opened up a whole new world of presentation and interaction opportunities. It is my job to introduce helpful tools like this which will allow my students to continue to flourish into learners who are brave enough to try new things and persevere when things get difficult.”